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hard water stains on shower tile


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Of course.  You may use products like CLR, or even muriatic acid, but ventilate well and avoid breathing in the fumes.  Rinse thoroughly when done.  If it is a minor problem, even vinegar might remove some of it.

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If you put the CLR or 50/50 muriatic in a glass bowl and lay a full paper towel in it then position the paper towel onto the gass door.  Paper the door with soaked paper towels and keep spraying them with a sprayer filled with the solution.  It has to set a while to get the film off.  I generally take a book and read and spray, read and spray.  The first time I did it I had to do it 3 times.  After that once a week heavy spray down on the glass.   ALways wished I could find a gel muriatic or CLR.  The spray CLR that has water in it doesn't work as well as the container that you add water to.  Use the container straight and do not add water to it.  Make sure the area is ventilated.

 

 

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You have to be careful with the muriatic acid because if you don't dilute it enough it will eat the grout between the tiles.  I have used what is called wet sandpaper ... get a really fine sandpaper and use water and vinegar or ammonia.  Just scrub the tile gently and it will come off.   

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7 minutes ago, Lost Dog said:

Get a pumice stone. Cuts right through and won't damage the tile surface. No chemicals needed. Just use water to wash and rinse as you go.

Will that work on the glass doors or does it scratch?

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Haven't used on glass but on toilet bowls, ceramic tiles, counter tops where the sink faucets and valves have build ups, etc. I would try it in a out of view spot and get the feel for it. Go lightly with a wet stone, much like using wet-and-dry sandpaper. LIke a body shop buffing out a new paint job with wet/dry sandpaper, keep a bucket of water nearby and dip the stone to kept it wet constantly. Switching over to a fine grit wet/dry sandpaper, say 1000 grit or so, to do the finer "polishing". The stone is good for the heavier deposits. Breaks them right up.

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Second the motion for pumice stone, used exactly as Lost Dog suggests.  Buy your pumice stone at either the Chapala or Ajijic tianguis.

If you buy a second pumice stone, you can use it on metal pots and pans to remove anything that's stuck or burned on.  Same deal: the pumice won't harm the metal.

If you buy a third pumice stone, use it on your heels to remove dry skin. 

 

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17 hours ago, solajijic said:

If you put the CLR or 50/50 muriatic in a glass bowl and lay a full paper towel in it then position the paper towel onto the gass door.  Paper the door with soaked paper towels and keep spraying them with a sprayer filled with the solution.  It has to set a while to get the film off.  I generally take a book and read and spray, read and spray.  The first time I did it I had to do it 3 times.  After that once a week heavy spray down on the glass.   ALways wished I could find a gel muriatic or CLR.  The spray CLR that has water in it doesn't work as well as the container that you add water to.  Use the container straight and do not add water to it.  Make sure the area is ventilated.

 

 

To make a poultice you use diatomaceous earth, which should be available at swimming pool stores for an inexpensive big bag. This is also used by professional restoration workers with hydrogen peroxide on stained marble. It is also useful in the garden as a natural, chemical free, insect killer.

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17 hours ago, solajijic said:

If you put the CLR or 50/50 muriatic in a glass bowl and lay a full paper towel in it then position the paper towel onto the gass door.  Paper the door with soaked paper towels and keep spraying them with a sprayer filled with the solution.  It has to set a while to get the film off.  I generally take a book and read and spray, read and spray.  The first time I did it I had to do it 3 times.  After that once a week heavy spray down on the glass.   ALways wished I could find a gel muriatic or CLR.  The spray CLR that has water in it doesn't work as well as the container that you add water to.  Use the container straight and do not add water to it.  Make sure the area is ventilated.

 

 

Be careful with the muriatic acid it will turn the metal frame around the glass and faucets black and that will be permanent

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The very best  product for this is called BRING IT ON, it even removed the water stains from my rear  windshield which had been stained forever.  The only place I've seen it sold is at the big hardware store in Chapala near (about 5 doors down) the Immigration office.  It's about $100 pesos for a 120 ml bottle but well worth it as it works like a charm.  Good luck.  

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Neither can I. I have a tin going free to a good home though.

The pumice seems to work best. Natural pumice not the hard form shaped stuff that you can buy for your feet. I have yet to try it on my shower tile.

I can tell you that I used pumice to get off severe hard water stains on two stainless steel water bowls for my dogs. Crusted on the lip. Now they look like brand new.

 

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On ‎6‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 7:46 AM, More Liana said:

Second the motion for pumice stone, used exactly as Lost Dog suggests.  Buy your pumice stone at either the Chapala or Ajijic tianguis.
 

The street market in either Chapala or Ajijic as More Liana says. Or, you could try Superlake... but I would ask there. Piedra volcanica para limpieza? in Spanish? Dunno, 'cuz I used to pick it up off the beach in San Pancho. It floats, it's so light.

I think if I was to use it on glass, that I would rub it against something else first and pick up that "slurry" on a j-cloth (or whatever) and then rub it in small circles on the glass.

I have also had great success with Pears soap and a green scrubbie on glass. The Pears soap is a pure castile glycerin soap and I got hard water stains off windows that the sprinkler hit daily. Pears is not available here but think clear, brown soap like Neutrogena.

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Two places had it- one in clear plastic bags, and another place had it in white plastic "tubs" like a large yogurt container. The first place was a housewares seller, on the east side not far from the main tiangis entrance, another place was farther down on the west side, housewares again (pots and pans, etc.). The hard pumice stone we got was too rough for our tile, but the loose grains worked perfectly well, with an added bit of finishing in some areas with fine grain wet&dry sandpaper.

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Many thanks! I'd like to compare it to sandpaper, which is basically the same concept, of course. (I am amazed that sandpaper often doesn't remove the shiny coated finish on bathroom tiles.)

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