Onyx Walls and Floors

Thanks to Bob with The Onyx Collection for these recommendations:

Cleaning your ONYX COLLECTION showers and lavatories ?

1) Here are my thoughts on the cleaning problems we face in the Midwest. Probably far more than you really want to know.

I'll cover several topics including mildew, hard water and soap buildup. Also making some suggestions on waxes to reduce these problems and make general cleaning easier.

2) White vinegar works great for all three problems. Vinegar is a natural safe product. The acid will dissolve limestone, soap and kill mildew. Vinegar can't harm the metal products in your bath.

White vinegar also works well on shower doors. They really shine.

3) Water without soap will also fairly quickly dissolve lime stone. Limestone is soluble in water--that's how it got there.

The water evaporated leaving the limestone. Water will dissolve and reabsorb the limestone.

4) Water also dissolves soap fairly well.

5) Exhaust fans change the air allowing water to evaporate faster. Unfortunately, limestone and soap remain whether water evaporates fast or slow.

6) Eliminating moisture faster may slow the growth of mildew--but not much.

7) Mildew is a parasite fungi needing a little moisture, but mainly something to "eat". Soap (basically a salt of fat acids) is "food" for mildew. The acid in vinegar dissolves soap salt. Water also dissolves soap salts. This is why we do a final, water only, rinse on clothing.

8) Mildew can't grow on our product or our 100% silicones. Mildew can only grow on products which absorb moisture and provide "food".

9) Latex caulk and soap residue both hold moisture and provide "food" for mildew. (People who label and sell latex caulk as a product for moist areas do a real disservice.) Never use latex caulk for anything is my recommendation.

10) Our product is as water penetration resistant as we can make it. Standing water with soap as a solvent will penetrate almost anything. Once even one water molecule penetrates a surface the capillary attraction takes over and nothing can stop it.

11) A brief clean water rinse will take care of most soap, mildew and water penetration problems.

12) Only removing the water before it evaporates can totally eliminate limestone buildup.

13) Pledge®, Gel-Gloss™ and other products with a good wax base cause water to flow more quickly and thoroughly to the drain and make cleaning easier. This is like hitting the wax button ever so often at the car wash. Getting some good reports from customers using Rain-X®. We tried it with good success in our shop. But, don't spray it on too thick.

14) Both a clean water rinse and a wipe down--neither of which is practical--are the only way to completely eliminate all problems.

Cleaning products are a very big industry. Most bath cleaners are 2.5% to 6% citric acid (essentially expensive diluted vinegar). Dilute white vinegar 50-50 with water and you have as good a bath cleaner as any on the market.

A few are even dangerous to use in my opinion. Read the label on a new cleaner recently. I believe the active ingredients actually produced hydrochloric acid! Fortunately the active ingredients were only 0.22%. The remaining 99.78% actually did nothing. A higher percentage could tarnish the metal shower fixtures.

Any non abrasive cleaner will work on our products and on the 100% silicone we sent. Colors are suspended in the product and in the silicone--so colors won't be affected. It is virtually impossible to stain the gloss finish. If you have our matte finish,

I'd use one of the wax products mentioned above a little more frequently.