Replies

1. 
   DanH | Mar 24, 2009 09:08pm | #1

   Hard water?

   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
1. 
   Paul_Z | Mar 24, 2009 09:56pm | #2

   I don't think so.  Hard water is not generally a problem in our area.  I do not see any spotting on the tile or glass shower door.  The insides of the toilets are not stained.  The customer said the previous owners had several large dogs and they would wash the dogs in this shower unit.

1. 
   DanH | Mar 24, 2009 10:43pm | #4

   Then I would say that a soak with a good surfactant would be in store. Cover the floor with a couple of layers of paper towels or some cloth toweling and then soak the towels with a solution of dishwasher detergent and water. Keep the towels wet for 24 hours at least before attempting to scrub. (But try the detergent on a small area of the pan for a couple of hours first, to make sure it doesn't appear to discolor the fiberglass.)
   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

2. 
   JeffBuck | Mar 25, 2009 04:27am | #6

   "Hard water?"

    

   dirty feet!

    

   Jeff    Buck Construction

    Artistry In Carpentry

        Pittsburgh Pa

1. 
   DanH | Mar 25, 2009 05:13am | #7

   Yeah, you gotta wonder. Our FG shower is 30 years old and just a little rust stained in spots. And neither of us is that big on cleaning bathrooms.
   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

2. 
   john7g | Mar 24, 2009 10:35pm | #3

   open some windows.

   in a bucket mix up 1/2 gal bleach, 1 pint vinegar, and some of your favorite liquid soap (pinesole maybe) with 1/2 to 1 gal or water.   

   Paint it on and let it sit for a while and then use a stiff bristle brush. It's cheap so worth a try.

   Soft scrub is another option if they already haven't tried it. 

3. 
   rdesigns | Mar 24, 2009 10:57pm | #5

   There will be stains left, even after all cleaning products have done their best. Use a fine grade of Scotch Brite pad, like the purple one, to srub out the last stains. You will be abrading the surface, but only lightly, so the very slight roughness will not be a problem on the shower floor. If they want a high-gloss finish, you can use rubbing compound (automotive type).

4. 
   BillHartmann | Mar 25, 2009 05:18am | #8

   I have had good response with Scrubbing Bubbles to attacking soap and body dirt buildup.

   And I would try StarBrite Boat Hull cleaner. It has oxalic acid in it along with a detergent. Wally World has it in the sporting goods section.

   .
   William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
5. 
   paulbny | Mar 25, 2009 05:21am | #9

   I've used ZEP bathroom cleaner to clean some pretty awful looking showers and baths in rentals.  You can get it at HD in gallon jugs.  Plug the drain and cover the shower with paper towel. soak the paper towel and let it soak for an hour or so.  Scrub with a stiff brush or a scotchbrite pad.

6. 
   alwaysoverbudget | Mar 25, 2009 07:17am | #10

   heres my tub cleaning formula,you won't find it in osha guidelines.

   8 ozs of lac thinner,comet. pour the lac thinner in tub ,sprinkle comet and start scrubbing. never had a tub not come clean

   oh yeah wear a resperator unless you want to take a trip........................

   YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T
   MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE
   DUCT TAPE.

1. 
   Hudson Valley Carpenter | Mar 25, 2009 10:35am | #11

   What're some good remedies for orange colored hard water stains?  I've currently got them in the porcelain toilet and the acrylic shower pan.  I've used a bowl cleaner made for those stains but it's not nearly as effective as it's supposed to be.

1. 
   DanH | Mar 25, 2009 03:15pm | #13

   Dekswood deck cleaner from Flood.
   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

1. 
   Hudson Valley Carpenter | Mar 25, 2009 07:00pm | #17

   Not at all what I'd expected.  Thanks.

1. 
   DanH | Mar 25, 2009 08:26pm | #21

   It's oxalic acid plus a few other things. Works pretty well on rust stains. Keep it (and any oxalic acid product) away from anodized aluminum.
   The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

2. 
   Hudson Valley Carpenter | Mar 25, 2009 11:27pm | #22

   Thanks for that tip.  The door frame is aluminum. 

2. 
   BillHartmann | Mar 25, 2009 05:03pm | #14

   I would try the oxalic acid on them. It is very good for iron based stains.Besides the Starbrite Barkeepers Friend uses it.BKF is a "scratchless" cleaner. You will find it with the Comment and Bon Amni.But you might need a stronger mixture. And you can get it from many paint and hardware stores as "wood bleach". But read the labels as their are several different types of wood bleach.And mix it up with some binder to make a pottage..
   William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe

1. 
   Hudson Valley Carpenter | Mar 25, 2009 07:02pm | #18

   I'll look for the BKF first, thanks.  Sounds safer for the novice chemist.

7. 
   RobWes | Mar 25, 2009 02:58pm | #12

   A Dobie cleaning pad will get it or use some hull (boat) cleaner-restorer. 3-M makes it and any boating supply place will have it.

   Some people are just pigs.

8. 
   BillHartmann | Mar 25, 2009 05:07pm | #15

   BTW are you sure that it is a fiberglass and not acrylic or maybe vinyl?

   The abrasive cleaners will work fine on FG until the finish is worn through. Which might be the case here.

   Acrylic is uniform, but it really can be abraded. It is too soft and will leave a rough surface with stays dirty.

   .
   William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
9. 
   Karl | Mar 25, 2009 05:52pm | #16

   My fiberglass boat hull is an ugly stained mess when I leave it in the harbor for a few months. No amount of scrubbing has cleaned the stains out of it.

   Using automotive rubbing compound and a buffer brings it back to looking as good as new.

   I haven't tried it but a lot of boaters swear by a product called Mary Kate Bottom Cleaner. I think it is just Oaxalic acid in a fancy bottle. As long as you don't have any nearby finishes it might effect I would try that first and finish with a buffer and rubbing compound.

   Karl

10. 
    Carole4 | Mar 25, 2009 07:06pm | #19

    This one caught my eye as we live in Tucson and the water is hard, hard, hard. I clean our fiberglass pan with Lime Away. It works, but it does take some scrubbing. I spray it on, leave it for a few minutes and use my scrubbing brush.

11. 
    PatchogPhil | Mar 25, 2009 07:15pm | #20

    Worth a try..... I've used it to clean things other than a floor.

    Armstrong New Beginning¯ Extra-Strength Floor Stripper

    Extra strength floor cleaner and stripper for use on resilient floors.

    View Image

    * Solves tough cleaning problems

    * Removes tough-ground in dirt and stains

    * Dissolves polish and wax buildup

    * Do not use on hardwood, cork or linoleum floors

    * Ready-to-use formula

     

    Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?