Why You Might Want To Reconsider Using Vinegar To Clean Your Shower

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Having a new and upgraded stone shower in your bathroom is a treat. One of the best advantages of incorporating this enhanced shower is that it not only gives your bathroom a new style but also adds value to your home in the long term. When it comes to cleaning that shower, though, you may want to rethink your usual cleaning products. Vinegar has long been a staple in bathroom cleaning. However, you should reconsider using it to clean your shower since it has some big downsides; namely, it can be damaging to grout and stones.

Vinegar is an acid-based liquid that comes from the fermentation of sugars. Many varieties of vinegar are available on the market. The type depends on what was fermented, such as apple cider, barley, or rice. White vinegar is the most popular type used for cleaning since it doesn't have any color added and contains a similar acidity to other cleaning products. It's a versatile cleaning tool because it works well at removing stains and odors; people use it in both laundry and kitchens for these purposes. It's best utilized in bathrooms since it gets rid of the mineral deposits that come from things like hard water stains or soap scum, breaking down all of that leftover residue.

Even though vinegar is a powerful but mild cleaning agent, it is not a good idea to use it in stone showers or other stone bathroom features. The same goes for using harsh products like bleach in the bathroom. The acidic makeup of vinegar can be too harsh for those types of surfaces. The pH levels found in the vinegar will actually break down and discolor the stone, as well as the grout, since these are porous. The result of using vinegar to clean your stone shower would have you needing to regrout surfaces or replace stones in your bathroom far sooner than you otherwise would.

Instead of reaching for the vinegar, look for a natural stone cleaner when cleaning your stone bathroom features. Look for "stone-safe" ingredients so you don't have to worry about corrosion, such as with this Zep Home Pro 2-in-1 Natural Stone Cleaner & Protectant. It safely cleans your stone bathroom surfaces and grout lines, protecting those more delicate stone areas. If you'd rather not have to go out and buy a product, you can use a mild dish soap or detergent you already have, and mix it in with some warm water to clean those parts of the bathroom safely.