All-in-One Transformation: How a Stone Cleaning in Phoenix, AZ Removed the Hard Water Stains in This Shower and Made Its Glass Blocks Shiny Again

October 07, 2017

When natural stone tiles in bathrooms start to show signs of deterioration, it's time to look for stone restoration professionals. A small stain in the corner of a tiled shower might seem harmless at first, but if left untreated, that tiny spot can turn into a wide, yellow stain that ruins the shower's entire appearance and poses a risk to the bathroom. This resident from Fountain Hills, AZ had a similar problem with his slate shower that only our stone cleaning in Phoenix services could solve.


Fifteen years had passed since the homeowner had moved into his residence in Fountain Hills. As part of pre-moving renovations, he had the property's main bathroom remodeled. He turned a plain, white-tiled shower into a rustic shower with multi-sized gray slate tiles that had a natural cleft finish and a wall covered with glass blocks that allowed natural light into the shower stall. He even had a shower bench installed for extra comfort. The bathroom made him feel proud of his sense of style, but as the years went by, the lack of regular maintenance took a toll on the shower. Yellow and black stains gradually appeared and covered a large percentage of the tiles. To make matters worse, the grout in the shower had lost its uniform color and looked unappealing.


This homeowner tried every cleaning method he could think of to remove the stains, but he was unsuccessful. At last, he decided to follow the advice of a friend and hire a professional stone restoration company to help him. A quick online search led him to Sir Grout Phoenix. Our website appeared among the first search results, where he discovered our services and looked at before and after pictures of previous shower restorations we had performed in the area. He immediately called us to set up an in-home consultation. We agreed upon a day over the phone, and a team from Sir Grout Phoenix visited the residence to examine the shower and determine what services were needed to restore it.

Some people say that water is a patient enemy. This perfectly describes the hard surface maintenance world. When porous surfaces such as stone tiles or grout are not properly sealed, water starts to seep through and cause damage. On the day of the consultation, our team noticed that years of water evaporation had left mineral deposits behind and caused white and yellow spots to appear all over the floor and walls of this Fountain Hills resident's shower. We also found soap scum and grime embedded in the grout lines. When we inquired about how he typically cleaned the shower, the homeowner showed us the alkaline cleaner he used every week to try to remove the stains. He had noticed the little stains a few years back, but he never would have guessed that they would deteriorate to this degree.


Everyone on the Sir Grout Phoenix team is an expert in hard surface restoration procedures, so after our evaluation we came up with the perfect plan to restore the shower: a deep cleaning for the tiles and ColorSeal for the grout. Since we wanted to leave the place looking brand new, we also proposed cleaning and polishing the dull glass blocks on the wall. The client, impressed by our quick response and diligence, agreed to the plan and set a new date for us to come back and get to work.

On the day of our appointment, our team of experts returned to the residence. First, we began the restoration procedure by cleaning the shower with Sir Grout Alkaline Cleaner, a strong but safe product that removes grime and soap scum when regular pH-neutral cleaners cannot. Next, we applied an acid treatment to remove the hard water deposits. We used vapor-steam cleaning and a polishing process to make the glass blocks look bright and shiny again.


When the entire surface of the shower was clean, dry, and free of stains, we used ColorSeal on the shower walls, recoloring the grout lines so they matched the stone tiles. Lastly, we clear sealed the shower floor to make it resistant to stains, water damage, mold, and mildew.

The results of the restoration procedure were amazing. The yellow and white stains on the stone tiles had disappeared. The tiles had regained the colors they had when they initially were installed. The homeowner couldn't believe that the glass blocks were the same ones he had before the cleaning. The blocks had been so dirty that it was hard for light to pass through, but now he could actually see through them! The client was really excited with his restored shower.


Before we left, we walked the Fountain Hills resident through a simple bathroom maintenance plan that he could follow every week. Mainly, we advised him to use a pH-neutral cleaner, which is safe for stone tiles and helps prevent the sealant from wearing out too quickly. Even if our ColorSeal and sealing processes make both tiles and grout resistant to mold, mildew, stains, and water, we always advise people to clean spills—from shampoos, for example—as soon as they occur. Lastly, we advised the homeowner to hire a professional stone cleaning service at least once a year. Natural stones are gorgeous, but they require a lot of care to maintain. A regular cleaning by experts will remove any stains that regular cleaning cannot and will guarantee that everything is under control.

If you think your shower could use one of our restoration procedures, Sir Grout Phoenix is at your service! We offer the best stone cleaning, sealing, honing, and polishing services in your area. Our team knows how to restore all kinds of hard surfaces, from marble in living rooms to ceramic tiles in kitchens and travertine floors in showers. Call us at (480) 588-0731 or fill out the "Request a Quote" form on our website to schedule a free, in-home consultation today.

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