Slate showers are stunning, and the sleek appearance they give makes your bathroom appear ultra-modern. However, you must properly maintain it, which clearly includes cleaning it, if you don’t want its beauty to fade. Let me walk you through cleaning your slate shower.
You may begin the cleaning process by first washing the floor with soapy water. Then, using a scrubber and either a homemade solution or a commercial cleaner, you can remove any stubborn stains from the slate shower’s floor or walls. Finally, rinse your slate shower with clean water, and you’re done.
Let’s delve deeper into the specifics of cleaning the slate shower and discuss which cleaning products you should and shouldn’t use.
What Shouldn’t You Use to Clean a Slate Shower?
To avoid damaging the appearance of your slate shower, you shouldn’t use abrasive or acidic cleaners. While you should be cautious about the solutions you use, you should also be cautious about the cleaning tools you use. Avoid using a rough bristle brush to clean slate showers.
The vinegar and lemon juice solution may be something you’ve heard of. Apparently, if you need to remove soap scums, it works pretty well. Although it is undeniably effective, it is not advised to use on slate showers due to its acidic qualities.
The slate can be damaged by not only this vinegar solution but also any commercial cleaner with acidic properties because they weaken the stone and detract from its visual appeal, and of course, you don’t want your shower to look ugly.
Abrasive cleaners will also harm your slate shower, so avoid using them at all costs.
The surface of your slate shower will also be harmed by hard bristles brushes and wire scourers, so use a microfiber cloth instead.
4 Cleaning and Maintaining Tips for a Slate Shower
Clean It Daily
Cleaning your slate shower at the end of each day is the best course of action. This will keep hard or stubborn stains from forming on your slate shower and will relieve you of the burden of removing them.
Use the Appropriate Cleaners
It is important to select the appropriate cleaner for your slate shower. The porous nature of slate necessitates extra care and attention. Thus, it’s crucial to avoid using a harsh cleaner on your slate shower as there is a good chance that it could result in serious damage.
Before purchasing a cleaning product, you should study its specifications. Those that are suitable will have ‘safe for slate’ inscribed on them. It is better to be safe than to accidentally scratch and stain the surface of your slate sower.
Test Before Use
Even if you are aware that a product is intended for a specific use, it is always wise to test it out before using it.
Use the cleaner on a small patch in a corner and observe the effects. Continue using it on the remainder of the slate shower if there are no visible signs of damage. Testing it out is far preferable to putting your shower slate at risk.
Keep an Eye Out for Mildew
Keeping a watchful eye out for mildew in your slate shower will enable you to spot it right away. This will give you relief in the future since you’ll be able to address the issue quickly and in a timely manner before it worsens and you have to start looking for solutions to get rid of it.
A Step-By-Step Guide on Cleaning a Slate Shower
Step 1: Clean the Area
It is important to wash the area before you begin cleaning with any particular product.
Simply wash it out with a soap and water solution by adding a few pumps of liquid soap to a bucket of regular water.
Wash the dirt from the area with this soapy water to prepare it for further cleaning.
Step 2: Prepare the Solution
Although you can choose to use a commercial cleaning product if you want to make your own, here’s how to do it.
To prepare the solution for removing the stains from your slate shower, mix the pH soap with water.
Step 3: Scrub the Surface
Make sure to clean the spots off the slate surface with a soft-bristled brush.
Use the homemade cleaning solution you just prepared to scrub the surface. To remove stains, apply pressure to the affected region and scrub in a circular motion.
Step 4: Rinse It Off
Finally, rinse the slate shower with clean water. This will remove the solution and dirt from the surface, leaving only your shiny slate surface.
What Is the Best Way to Clean Soap Scum From a Slate Shower?
The best approach to remove soap scum from a slate shower is to scrub it off or leave a cleaning solution on the surface for a whole night. Once the soap scum is removed, thoroughly rinse the shower area with clean water- and you’re done!
It can be difficult to remove soap scum from a slate shower since you need to use an acidic cleaning solution, which you cannot use on a slate shower because it will damage it.
Purchase a natural stone cleanser and make sure it is safe for slate if you decide to use a commercial solution. Alternatively, you can go for alternatives that you can make yourself, which I have listed lower down in the article.
A microfiber cloth, rather than an abrasive tool, is the preferred cleaning tool for soap scums.
While scrubbing is one choice, leaving it overnight is another. Your slate shower surface can be treated with the solution overnight, then washed clean the next day.
Once the cleaning solution has done its job, don’t forget to rinse the surface with clean water.
If you still can’t get rid of them, you might consider hiring a professional to handle the situation.
A piece of advice: run hot water in the bathroom to steam it up before you begin scrubbing the surface. The steam will help in loosening the soap scum, making it simpler for you to scrub them off.
What Are Some DIY Solutions for Removing Soap Scum?
- pH soap with water
- Rubbing alcohol with water
- Borax with warm water
How Can Soap Scum Be Avoided in the First Place?
By switching to liquid soaps, installing a water softener, and sealing the slate shower every few years, you can prevent scum soap from forming in the first place.
Because bar soaps produce more soap scum, switching to liquid soaps is an excellent idea.
The hard water is another factor contributing to soap scum. Installing a water softener will help you avoid having hard water, which will ultimately prevent soap scum in your slate shower.
Conclusion
Let me start by saying that if you have a slate shower or plan to get one, you have great taste! Using the methods outlined above to assist you, you must now properly maintain it and keep it clean.
Amos Christen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Drexel University — Philadelphia, PA. Since 2003, Amos has worked with top interior design professionals in this area, including architects and interior/graphic/lighting designers. As a skilled interior designer, Amos Christen is highly versed in fine arts and crafts and uses that to supplement his main area of expertise. He often publishes articles related to home décor on several websites, including Sprucetoilets.com, Sprucebathroom.com, and Mybesuitedhome.com. He also contributes to leading interior design magazines.