If you see a white, powdery residue on your stone, it may be a sign of efflorescence. It's a clear indication of water damage.
To get rid of widespread soap scum in your shower, try mixing together half white distilled vinegar and half water in a spray bottle. Let the solution sit for a few minutes before wiping down the shower. The acidity of the vinegar helps to combat the alkaline minerals in the hard water deposits.
This salt deposit is called efflorescence. Normally, these residues can be washed away with a very mild acid solution and a bristle brush while being careful not to harm the stone (always test first to be certain the acid will not alter the existing finish).
ANSWER - When there is a white haze on a shower floor it is normally either efflorescence precipitation or you have trapped moisture in the tile assembly by applying a non-breathable sealer over the floor.
There are two main culprits when it comes to those white marks on your shower tiles : Hard water or soap scum (sounds lovely, doesn't it?) Hard Water : Hard water is basically water that is laced with a lot of minerals such as calcium, lime and even heavy metals such as copper, magnesium and lead.
Similar to the white powder left in a drinking glass when a glass of water is left to evaporate, efflorescence is caused by minerals that are soluble in water being dissolved and transported to the surface of the grout as the water evaporates.
You might have it if you noticed mineral deposits or white, cloudy stains on surfaces that come in contact with water, such as faucets or your shower walls. Although this doesn't pose any health risks, it is unsightly and can damage the finish of ma or porcelain.
Luigi's Answer: Under certain circumstances, a white powder can form on grout, especially on floor tiles. This is a natural phenomenon known as efflorescence. It is due to soluble salts rising to the surface of a cement based product. When they dry out on the surface, the remaining salts appear white and powdery.
All in all, white grout can make a beautiful statement, but if you aren't prepared to clean it regularly or pay someone to deep clean it and make touch ups in between, you might be better off with a darker colored grout.
Natural stone should be cleaned once a week with a pH-neutral cleaning product like Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner. The powerful cleaner dissolves tough soils and buildup without damaging your beautiful stone surfaces, and removes soap scum, body oils and greases, bath oils, soap, and shampoo oils.
Spray your pebbles with white vinegar and let sit for about 10 minutes. Then, simply scrub and rinse. Pebble floors can look daunting at first glance, but with relative ease, you can keep yours looking amazing for decades to come.
While all natural stone, including flooring, should be sealed regularly, it is even more important to keep a strong seal on natural stone that lines the interior of a shower. The maximum amount of time homeowners should wait between sealing their natural stone surfaces is a year.
Try mixing white wine vinegar with either water or baking soda. The acid within the vinegar helps to break down the mineral deposits that build up within hard water stains and limescale, whilst the baking soda helps to dissolve these stains to leave tiles sparkling clean.
Efflorescence is a white powdery substance that can be seen in both sealed and unsealed concrete surfaces. It's commonly caused by water vapor migrating through the floor, bringing minerals to the surface. This is an indication of moisture intrusion, which may compromise the structural material.
White vinegar spritzed onto the tile will do a great job if you let it work for about 30 minutes and then scrub and rinse. Yes, there may be a slight odor, but your pebble-stone shower floor will look good for years.
Vinegar is an outstanding non-toxic cleaner, but it is not perfect for every type of surface. If you have natural stone tiles (like travertine), it's better to stay away from vinegar. It could easily remove the sealants and even discolor or etch the stone!
Efflorescence mainly forms when there are calcium and mineral deposits present in the concrete mix used for installing the tile. Moreover, if water is penetrating underneath the tile, it mixes with the minerals present there and forms a solution called efflorescence.
The most effective solution is to install a water softener that will treat hard water right at the source. As the water coming out of your showerhead will contain fewer minerals, limescale buildup will automatically decrease. If you don't have the money for the first option, you can prevent limescale with vinegar.
Removing Existing Hard Water Stains
Hard water residue from stone showers can be removed easily using a specialty cleaner. Avoid using acidic or abrasive cleaners as they cause more damage than good. Most cleaning experts recommend using a pH-neutral, stone safe cleaner.
Shower Doors – Simple spray the glass shower doors with white vinegar. This will remove lime scales and hard water stains from the glass. Faucets – Wrap a rag soaked in vinegar or a plastic bag filled with vinegar around the fixture overnight.
To get rid of a white residue, try rewashing the affected clothing items. If you're using cold water, double-check that the water temperature is at least 60 degrees as this will ensure that the detergent can properly dissolve. You can also run hot water in the sink closest to the washer.
“Vinegar and bleach are harsh,” adds Gregg Laviolette, owner of Stone Restoration Services in Troy, Michigan. “They will etch or burn the surface of your stone.” While some chemicals may not noticeably damage durable stones such as granite, they can break down any sealers that have been applied to the stone.