04/25/2018
How to Clean Hard Water Spots, Soap Scum, Mildew and Mold From Showers and Bath Tubs
The key to removing hard water, soap scum and mildew from showers with as little damage and fatigue as possible is taking the time to properly identify the specific soils and surfaces before just diving in and scrubbing. Different soil types and surfaces require different chemicals and cleaning tools. Most importantly, what works on one soil type can actually make other soils worse, so simply put not all dirty showers are created equal.
Soil Identification is Pretty Straight Forward:
•Hard water is usually chalky white deposits of calcium and magnesium on shower glass and tub rings, often in the shape of dried water droplets adn drip patterns. Red or green rust stains are also part of the hard water family, as the iron that causes these stains is another chemical that is common in hard water.
•Mildew and Mold are usually slimy on the surface with colorful stains underneath that are typically black, green, or pink and grow where moisture lingers longest in the shower, such as unsealed grout lines that absorb water.
•Soap scum is a crusty waxy film that is made when the chemicals of hard water, calcium and magnesium, mix with soap. The textured nature of the scum also helps trap bacteria, bocy oils, dead skin cells, and more, giving it a climier and more 3D feel than just simple hard water deposits.
Once You Know What You're Cleaning, Selecting the Appropriate Cleaner is Clear:
•Hard water minerals (calcium, magnesium, and iron) all disolve in acid. For the safety of the cleaner and the shower surfaces, select the mildest acid possible that still yields quality results. In our experience, Husky 430 Creme Cleansor, is very safe and effective and also provides strong yet gentle surface scrubbing power.
•Mildew and Mold need to be whitened with an oxidizer to temporarily remove the stain. Bleach or Hydrogen Peroxide (like Husky 416 Mildew Stain Remover or Husky 906 RTU)are both effective, but short lasting, as mold growing inside infected grout will continue to spread to the surface unless the water source is removed by re-sealing the grout. It is very important not to apply oxidizers to rust and iron deposits, as they will actually make the rust stains more vibrant and harder to remove.
•Soap scum responds well to acids, just like hard waterm but all the other soils trapped in the scum mean you must add detergents and degreasers to break through and lift all the oils and dirt. Cleaning soap scum with just acids like vindgar without adding stergents like dish soap will lead to poor removal. We've found Husky 415 or Jaws 3410 cleaner to be an excellent and safe combination of detergents and gentle acids to power through the toughest soap scum.
Once the Correct Product has been Selected, The Procedures are Very Similar:
•First, determine how durable a shower surface you are cleaning. If the shower is a delicate material like marble or travertine, you cannot use acids or abrasives, so specialty products are required.
•Presuming the surface is durable, apply the correct soap and allow to soak in for at least 10 minutes or per manufacturer's directions. This is critical to making sure the soap has enough time to have desired chemical reaction. Dissoving calcium, whitening mold, and breaking apart soap scum all take several minutes, especially if the soils are thick from neglect.
•After the correct soaking time, select a gentle broad scrubbing tool, like the back of a non-scratch scrub sponge, to quickly rub down the shower walls to loosen and wipe off all the easily removed soils. This is not the step for deep scouring, so use broad, overlapping circles to quickly emulsify soils over a large area.
•After a quick, gentle scrub down, rinse the walls and see what stubborn soils still remain. Apply more cleaning product to those target spots and scrub with a more abrasive tool, like an iron handle scrub brush or tile and grout detail brush. This is the time to also scrub important details like the seam around bathroom fixtures, tub jets, corners, and caulking lines.
•After the second scrub, rinse again and dry the shower tiles with a quality microfiber towel, like the Buff Microfiber Towel. Drying is an especially critical step when fighting hard water and soap scum, as the rinse water provides a new dose of hard water chemicals to re-deposit on the freshly cleaned shower. Drying with microfiber ensures the least residue, which also allows chrome and smooth tiles to shine their brightest.
Why we do it this way:
•Correct cleaner selection reduces surface damage, fatigue, and needless surface wear from over scrubbing.
•Selecting the gentlest yet effective soaps and tools extends the lifespan of the bathroom surfaces and increases cleaner safety. Employing strong caustic acids, heavy abrasives, and sharp scraping or scouring tools all take years off surfaces' usable life, damage the environment, and should only be used as rare shock treatments in the cases of exteme neglect. Or simply put, Less is More!
•Using this 2 stage scrub process greatly reduces the needless expenditure of energy heavy scrubbing areas that don't need it. It also reduces the wear on the shower tile and grout that is being needlessly scrubbed as well, extending the life of the grout sealants and tile appearance.
