One of the most exquisite and distinctive natural stones you may use in your home is onyx. If you’re thinking of adding an onyx shower to your bathroom, you might be wondering how to clean it. The most important thing is to stay away from abrasive cleaners and applicators when cleaning an onyx shower. Onyx is slightly acidic and harsh for common all-purpose cleaners and commercial shower cleaners. Cleaners prepared from natural ingredients or especially for natural stone are typically safer. Onyx is a durable stone, but it has a delicate porous surface that must be handled with care when cleaning and polishing it.
Cleaning An Onyx Shower
It can take from 20 to 30 minutes to clean your onyx shower. It can take longer if your shower area is quite spacious.
#1 Prepare the shower area
Bring everything you need for cleaning into the bathroom. Next, empty the shower of all accessories and personal items. Soap, conditioner, shampoo packets, razors and shower caps all fall under this category. To check for mold, it’s a good idea to look at the bottom of any bottles. If anything looks moldy, set it aside so you may later disinfect it with a cleaning agent or diluted bleach. Before beginning your cleaning procedure, take down the shower curtain if there is one.
#2 Generate steam in the shower
Turn on the shower and adjust the water temperature to the hottest level. Allowing steam to form in the shower area will aid in the removal of hard water stains, soap scum and filth from the shower walls and floor. When doing this, you may want to ventilate the bathroom by opening a window and/or door.
#3 Use an effective cleaning solution
Commercial cleaners developed for onyx or other natural stones (e.g., marble, granite, quartz, etc.) or DIY cleaning solutions are the best options for onyx showers.
#4 Scrub the shower walls
Instead of directly cleaning the wall tiles, start by spraying your cleaning agent onto a sponge or cleaning cloth. Start on the left side of the shower and move to the right using circular movements to cover the entire area. It’s time to scrub the shower head faucets and knobs when you’ve finished with the walls. The metal on the shower hardware can be cleaned with a soft sponge or cloth.
Spray your cleaning agent onto the cloth rather than the showerhead to reduce the quantity of runoff onto the shower floor. If you have a shower door, clean it with the proper cleaning agent while using a different cloth than you did for the onyx tiles.
#5 Scrub the shower floor
The floor should be your next focus after you’ve cleaned the shower walls. Use circular strokes to clean the floor starting on the left side of the shower and moving to the right.
Make sure to begin at the section that is located farthest from the entrance. Apply your cleaner with a soft-bristled brush if the grout between the stones has any spots where mold or mildew has developed. For tough-to-reach places or a more thorough cleaning, you can also use a disposable toothbrush.
If your shower is large enough, you may also use a steam mop to clean and sterilize the floor area.
#6 Rinse the shower by using warm water on the surface
Warm water should be turned on in the shower, and the walls, shower head and floor should all be cleaned with a cloth or sponge. You might need to wait four to six minutes before rinsing the shower after using a mold or stain remover.
Tips For Cleaning Onyx
- Use a small amount of whatever professional cleaner you use on your onyx shower to avoid leaving a film.
- On your onyx shower surface, only soft cleaning cloths or sponges should ever be used– never a scouring pad or scrub brush.
- Change cleaning cloths to avoid using abrasive cleansers on the onyx surface when cleaning other materials and surfaces.
- To avoid leaving residue, always fully rinse your cleaning solution.
Summary:
These are some simple ways to clean the onyx surfaces of your shower without any hassle. If you’d like more info about onyx showers and such, call SMC Construction at 763-400-0251.
