My bathroom is ugly.

November 23, 2006 10:35 AM

Cleaning recommendations for unsealed stone.

My condo bathrooom came done in unsealed (apparently) travertine. It is everywhere: walls, floor, shower. Now it is stained with what I assume is mildew, mostly because I had no idea how it behaved or that is was unsealed, and it doesn't seem like just scrubbing will clean it up. That is, it seems to be deep in the stone.

Can you recommend cleaning products and methods? The less intensive, the better, since it covers a fairly large area.

posted by dame to home & garden (3 comments total)

I've used a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, but it is fairly labor intensive (requires elbow grease); there are commercial marble cleaning products you can pick up at places that sell marble, and probably at any home improvement store.

DoItYourself offers a few suggestions depending on the type of stain...for organic stains they recommend: Organic Stains: Tea, coffee, colors bleached from paper, textiles or soft drinks. Make poultice soaked with 20 percent peroxide (hair bleaching strength) and a few drops of ammonia.
posted by faineant at 10:54 AM on November 23, 2006

Here's what "Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House" has to say about travertine.

-it isn't marble. it is limestone. (516)

-it is very porous and can be damaged buy even weak acids like vinegar (516)

-preventative maintenance includes vacuuming and then using a mop/soft cloth/brush with a mild detergent. be sure to rinse and dry. (518)

-to remove biological stains (algae, mildew, etc), use .5 cup of ammonia OR bleach OR hydrogen peroxide. please don't mix bleach with stuff and get sick. it does say mixing 12% hydrogen peroxide with a few drops of ammonia can be effetive for organic stains (coffee, tea, fruit, etc) (520)

-page 519 warns against using vinegar or any abrasive/scouring cleanser, and mentions preventative measures like wiping down walls after showering. maybe leaving the curtain open giving moisture some place to go would help too.
posted by ArcAm at 10:59 AM on November 23, 2006

Here is some sealing info
posted by hortense at 6:40 PM on November 23, 2006