How to Clean and Restore Marble Shower Floors and Walls

Ready to clean and restore marble shower surfaces the right way? Cleaning marble showers is not always an easy task. Because showers are regularly exposed to water containing minerals, high alkaline soap and shampoos, the marble surface easily accumulates soap scum buildup.

Additionally, when household cleaners are used (many of which contain harmful chemicals that are high in alkaline or acidic substances which attack the marble surface,) the result is etching (or “etch marks,”) which often require more than a marble cleaner to correctly restore the damaged marble.

If you’re wondering how to clean and restore your marble shower in the most effective manner, this blog post will enlighten you on the best way to clean and restore your marble shower floors and walls.

Why Marble Showers Need Special Care

Marble is a calcium carbonate stone, which is exactly what makes a shower such a hostile place for it. Hard water leaves mineral deposits on the surface, soap and shampoo run alkaline, and most bathroom cleaners on the supermarket shelf are built around acids that dissolve limescale. Those acids dissolve marble on the same principle.

The damage shows up in two different forms, and telling them apart decides how you fix it. Soap scum and hard water film sit on top of the stone and wash off with the right cleaner. Etching is a chemical burn into the polish – a dull, slightly rough patch that no amount of scrubbing will bring back, because the shine itself has been eaten away. Etched marble has to be re-polished, not re-cleaned.

That is why a marble shower needs a non-acidic routine rather than a stronger cleaner. Once you stop feeding it acid, keeping the stone bright becomes a five-minute job instead of a restoration project.

What You Will Need Before You Start

• A non-acidic marble cleaner – neutral pH, made for natural stone
• A soft cloth, non-scratch pad or soft-bristle brush – never steel wool, scouring pads or abrasive powders
• A squeegee and a dry microfiber towel for finishing
• A grout restorer if the grout lines have gone dark or patchy
• A grout sealer and a water-base marble sealer for the protective step at the end
• A marble gloss restorer if the stone has already etched

Set aside an afternoon the first time. Once the shower is back to a clean baseline, upkeep takes a few minutes a week.

How to Clean and Restore Marble Shower Floors

Cleaning marble shower floors is one of the most difficult areas to tackle. Residue from dirty water, soap, and shampoo, can build over time, making it hard to completely clean a marble floor. In most cases, a simple marble cleaner is just not enough.

In cases of where etch marks, scratches, water spots are present, a marble restorer is the best companion for the job. Here at Marble-Cleaning-Products.com, we stand by our Marble Gloss Restorer, which is a proprietary compound that effectively removes etching, stains, water spots, and minor scratches from marble shower floors. Our Marble Gloss Restorer is a versatile product that also works great on marble vanities, counter tops, and other marble surfaces throughout the home.

If you own Thassos (pure white), Breccia Nouvella (dark brown), Verde Antique (dark green), or Belgium Black (absolute black) marble shower flooring we suggest using our Marble Glass Restorer Special Formula. This is because the mineral composition of these types of marble demand a unique compound to render a high gloss finish.

How to Clean and Restore Marble Shower Walls

Similar to marble floors, cleaning marble shower walls can offer the same restorative challenges. Over time, shower walls are susceptible to etching, dull marks, and unattractive streak lines showing loss of color and gloss. In most situations, this calls for a more extensive approach to cleaning and restoring the marble.

Before calling a professional marble restoration company, consider investing in one of our do-it-yourself marble refinishing kits. Our marble refinishing kits contain everything you need to buff, clean, and restore scratches, dull marks, etch marks, and water spots on your marble shower walls as well as shower floors. The kit even includes an instructional DVD, so you’ll be well-versed as to how to clean and restore your marble shower. Additionally, the marble refinishing kit can help you save hundreds of dollars compared to hiring a professional to do the work.

Cleaning and Sealing the Grout

Grout is usually what makes a marble shower look tired, even when the stone itself is fine. It is porous, it sits in the wettest part of the room, and it holds onto soap residue and mildew staining long after the tile has been wiped clean.

Work the grout lines with a soft brush and a non-acidic cleaner first. If the color still looks uneven or greyed out, that is a restoration job rather than a cleaning one – our Grout Guard Restorer brings discolored grout back to its original color without etching the marble around it, which is exactly what an acidic grout cleaner would do.

Once the grout is the color you want it, seal it. A grout sealer keeps water, soap and body oils from soaking back into the joint, so the next clean is a wipe rather than a scrub. Re-seal roughly once a year in a shower that gets daily use, and seal the marble itself with a water-base marble sealer at the same time.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Cleaning a Marble Shower

Reaching for an acidic cleaner

Vinegar, lemon juice, bleach-and-acid bathroom sprays and most limescale removers will etch marble on contact. If a product advertises that it dissolves hard water deposits, assume it will dissolve your polish too.

Scrubbing harder instead of cleaning smarter

Abrasive pads, scouring powders and stiff wire brushes leave fine scratches that dull the finish permanently. If soil is not lifting, let the cleaner dwell longer rather than pressing harder.

Letting water sit on the stone

Standing water is how hard water spots and mineral film build up in the first place. Squeegee the walls and floor after showering and the problem largely disappears.

Treating etch marks as stains

No cleaner removes an etch mark, because there is nothing on the surface to remove. Etching is repaired by re-polishing with a marble gloss restorer.

How Often Should You Clean a Marble Shower?

After every shower

Squeegee the walls and floor and leave the door or curtain open so the enclosure dries. This one habit prevents most hard water buildup.

Once a week

Wipe the tile and grout down with a neutral pH marble cleaner and dry it off. Ten minutes a week keeps you out of the deep-clean cycle entirely.

Once or twice a year

Reseal the grout and the stone, and check the corners and floor for early etching or dullness. Catching a dull patch early means polishing one tile rather than a whole wall.

Choosing a Non-Acidic Bathroom Cleaner for Marble

The label to look for is neutral pH and safe for natural stone. “Natural”, “gentle” and “eco-friendly” say nothing about pH – plenty of plant-based bathroom sprays are citric acid based and will etch marble happily.

If you would rather not read labels, our marble cleaners are formulated for exactly this job, and the NeutraSheen premixed spray is the one most people keep in the shower for weekly upkeep.

Sustain Your Marble’s Shine

After you’ve successfully cleaned and restored your marble shower, you may want to consider a polish to help protect and enhance the original beauty of the marble’s surface. A marble polish can make future shower cleaning much easier, for the polish helps to defend the marble from water, oil, and dirt penetrating the marble’s pores. This final step is what truly helps you clean and restore marble shower surfaces for the long haul.

The nice thing about our Marble Polish and Protector is that it does not contain any polymers and will not distort the natural color and clarity of marble. It’s safe to use and works great on a number of other natural stone surfaces like granite or travertine. It’s a favorite pick for homeowners who want to clean and restore marble shower spaces without harsh chemicals.

There’s a lot more to cleaning marble showers than meets the eye. In many cases, a standard marble cleaner won’t cut it. To effectively bust through grime, restore etching and scratching, and renew your marble shower walls and floors – explore our professional-grade marble care products. We offer everything you need to clean and restore your marble to shine like new.