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Hard water makes cleaning bathtub a pain?

Superfly said:
:lol: I need someone to do the bathrooms and the kitchen. My knees are shot and it's hard for me to get down and clean like I want to. I actually enjoy doing the rest of it, but that "down low" stuff like scrubbing toilets and tubs and cleaning baseboards is not my cuppa tea. Or not my knees' cuppa tea. :)

But my issue is this - I don't know the people who would be doing this, so I am hesitant about leaving my home while they are here. On the other hand, I would feel like a slug if I were just sitting here like a freaking Kardashian or something while someone was cleaning my house.
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Speaking of the hard water stains -- have you tried a Lady's Aid pumice stone? I mentioned that just a bit ago, it will quickly take those stains out of a commode, and if your tile is porcelain, it should clean them as well. And, those things are dirt cheap. I have on in my cleaning closet and I wonder if one would work for you.
 
HowardBThiname said:
I know, right?

I have a home office so I'm usually working but occasionally Penny will knock and come in, sometimes park her butt on my desk and chat. And, I'll come out also and offer her ice tea or something. I, too, however would find it hard to let a stranger in my home. We have a rather large Mennonite community nearby and I've gotten to know a lot of them because we volunteer together to help after disasters. Those folks are amazing. I would trust any one of them in my home, but if it were Merry Maids, or something, maybe not. I can just see myself tucking nanny cams on the mantle or something.

I don't do the scrubbing-floors thing either. I alternate between a steamer mop and one of the twirly ones with the bucket -- can't remember the name right now.
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Yeah I think all we have are the bigger companies. I may call them, because as far as I know, the maids have to be bonded. And I already have a security camera. ;) :lol:
 
HowardBThiname said:
Speaking of the hard water stains -- have you tried a Lady's Aid pumice stone? I mentioned that just a bit ago, it will quickly take those stains out of a commode, and if your tile is porcelain, it should clean them as well. And, those things are dirt cheap. I have on in my cleaning closet and I wonder if one would work for you.
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Tried it. I swear, I've tried everything. I paid $10 for a pumice stone from BB&B a couple of months ago, and it's useless. I have no problem with my toilets. My tub, though, is surrounded by darker brown ceramic tile, and the limescale sticks out like a sore thumb. :(
 
OldFatGuy said:
I've found a paste made from baking soda and white vinegar left sitting for 15-20 minutes removes all stains and leaves ceramics, porcelain as bright as new. Add a hose with a powered water jet attachment for a hand drill to scrub away the paste, and the effort applied is minimal. Wipe it dry with a soft cloth covered sponge mop to prevent more water stains from the water jet residue. I also use the powered water jet to clean guano and other stains off the deck before re-oiling or waxing the finish once each spring. Also good for power washing the car before waxing and polishing.
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Baking soda and vinegar foam up. I use it to clean the drains. For everything else, I use white vinegar and a tad of dish soap. Rinse well before stepping in the shower.
 
Superfly said:
Tried it. I swear, I've tried everything. I paid $10 for a pumice stone from BB&B a couple of months ago, and it's useless. I have no problem with my toilets. My tub, though, is surrounded by darker brown ceramic tile, and the limescale sticks out like a sore thumb. :(
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Wow. That's some tough scale! So, it's whitish deposits on the darker brown tile? That sounds like lime.

Maybe the stuff in the OP will help. I sure hope so.

I wonder if muratic acid would take it off?
 
HowardBThiname said:
Wow. That's some tough scale! So, it's whitish deposits on the darker brown tile? That sounds like lime.

Maybe the stuff in the OP will help. I sure hope so.

I wonder if muratic acid would take it off?
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Hmm -- I hadn't thought of muratic acid. Let me wait to see if these guys contact me back first. And yeah, whitish deposits left on dark brown tile. I think muratic acid gives off an odor, and this is in a bathroom with one small window. But I will keep that in mind. I still have some left over from my youngest daughter's ****-up. Dumped used oil in a garbage bag :)roll:), and then sacked up the trash and dragged it from the kitchen, across the living room (carpet), across the foyer (carpet), across the front porch (concrete), down the sidewalk (concrete), across the driveway (concrete) and out to the road to the garbage can. Needless to say, I have an oil streak of varying widths from my kitchen to the street. :doh I have tried everything to remove it from both the carpet and the concrete, and nothing has worked. In the house, I use strategically-placed throw rugs to cover most of it, but the driveway looks pretty bad. And no, muratic acid didn't work.
 
Superfly said:
Hmm -- I hadn't thought of muratic acid. Let me wait to see if these guys contact me back first. And yeah, whitish deposits left on dark brown tile. I think muratic acid gives off an odor, and this is in a bathroom with one small window. But I will keep that in mind. I still have some left over from my youngest daughter's ****-up. Dumped used oil in a garbage bag :)roll:), and then sacked up the trash and dragged it from the kitchen, across the living room (carpet), across the foyer (carpet), across the front porch (concrete), down the sidewalk (concrete), across the driveway (concrete) and out to the road to the garbage can. Needless to say, I have an oil streak of varying widths from my kitchen to the street. :doh I have tried everything to remove it from both the carpet and the concrete, and nothing has worked. In the house, I use strategically-placed throw rugs to cover most of it, but the driveway looks pretty bad. And no, muratic acid didn't work.
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Yeah, you have to be careful with muratic acid. I've used it to remove efflorescence (whitish salt deposits) on bricks and to clean hardened grout off bricks. One has to be careful "do how you ought'a add the acid to the water" when mixing it. And, you don't want to splash it on you.

I'm not sure what would get that oil out of carpet. I've done that before -- dump oil into the regular trash can and end up with a leak, but thankfully not on carpet. Eek! Once I dumped the oil out on the field beside us -- after my oil leak incident -- a whole deep fryer worth of oil, thinking I was smart. It would have been smart had my Saint Bernards sniffed it out and took turns rolling in it.
 
HowardBThiname said:
Yeah, you have to be careful with muratic acid. I've used it to remove efflorescence (whitish salt deposits) on bricks and to clean hardened grout off bricks. One has to be careful "do how you ought'a add the acid to the water" when mixing it. And, you don't want to splash it on you.

I'm not sure what would get that oil out of carpet. I've done that before -- dump oil into the regular trash can and end up with a leak, but thankfully not on carpet. Eek! Once I dumped the oil out on the field beside us -- after my oil leak incident -- a whole deep fryer worth of oil, thinking I was smart. It would have been smart had my Saint Bernards sniffed it out and took turns rolling in it.
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:lol: :lol:

I have a big wooded area behind my house. That's where all my oil goes. My fat little English bulldog is too lazy to find where I dump the oil. She goes outside, does her business, realizes how hot it is and waddles back inside.
 
Superfly said:
:lol: :lol:

I have a big wooded area behind my house. That's where all my oil goes. My fat little English bulldog is too lazy to find where I dump the oil. She goes outside, does her business, realizes how hot it is and waddles back inside.
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I love that!
 
HowardBThiname said:
Awwww...she's adorable!

Here's one of mine:

View attachment 67236315
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O. M. G. That thing needs a big hug. But wait until winter. It's too hot to cuddle with a big ball of fuzz right now.

Also - edited to add: Have you ever watched Looney Tunes? There's a cartoon where a dog walks around with a kitten on his back. This picture reminded me of that.
 
Superfly said:
Hmm -- I hadn't thought of muratic acid. Let me wait to see if these guys contact me back first. And yeah, whitish deposits left on dark brown tile. I think muratic acid gives off an odor, and this is in a bathroom with one small window. But I will keep that in mind. I still have some left over from my youngest daughter's ****-up. Dumped used oil in a garbage bag :)roll:), and then sacked up the trash and dragged it from the kitchen, across the living room (carpet), across the foyer (carpet), across the front porch (concrete), down the sidewalk (concrete), across the driveway (concrete) and out to the road to the garbage can. Needless to say, I have an oil streak of varying widths from my kitchen to the street. :doh I have tried everything to remove it from both the carpet and the concrete, and nothing has worked. In the house, I use strategically-placed throw rugs to cover most of it, but the driveway looks pretty bad. And no, muratic acid didn't work.
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Muratic Acid is hydrochloric acid, it will give off chlorine gas as it reacts so make sure it is used in a ventilated area or stay away from the room for quite a while


As for oil stains on the concrete. Use dilute ammonium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide instead. The oils will react with the basic chemicals and saponify (turning into a soap like compound which can be washed away.

As for the carpet have you tried borax?
 
Lord Tammerlain said:
Muratic Acid is hydrochloric acid, it will give off chlorine gas as it reacts so make sure it is used in a ventilated area or stay away from the room for quite a while


As for oil stains on the concrete. Use dilute ammonium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide instead. The oils will react with the basic chemicals and saponify (turning into a soap like compound which can be washed away.

As for the carpet have you tried borax?
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For the concrete - are those things you can pick up at a big box home improvement store like Lowe's?

Haven't tried Borax - and honestly, I would have tried it a few years ago :lol: but we are getting carpet installed next week. This was old builder-grade carpet anyway, and has seen its better days.

Thanks everyone for the ideas. :)
 
Superfly said:
For the concrete - are those things you can pick up at a big box home improvement store like Lowe's?

Haven't tried Borax - and honestly, I would have tried it a few years ago :lol: but we are getting carpet installed next week. This was old builder-grade carpet anyway, and has seen its better days.

Thanks everyone for the ideas. :)
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It is also known as ammonia, and should be widely available at most places with cleaning supplies. It releases gases like but I expect would work better on oil stains
 
Lord Tammerlain said:
It is also known as ammonia, and should be widely available at most places with cleaning supplies. It releases gases like but I expect would work better on oil stains
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Now I feel like a dumbass. :lol: Should have looked it up before I asked.
 
Superfly said:
Now I feel like a dumbass. :lol: Should have looked it up before I asked.
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I never knew muratic acid was Hydrochloric acid until a couple of years ago. I am used to the scientific names for chemicals (work in chemicals/labs field)
 
Lord Tammerlain said:
I never knew muratic acid was Hydrochloric acid until a couple of years ago. I am used to the scientific names for chemicals (work in chemicals/labs field)
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I don't. :lol: My chemistry professor was too busy talking about how global warming was a hoax, and how Love Canal wasn't really all that bad (I mean, hey, low cost of living, right? Cheap houses?) to teach actual - I don't know - chemistry?
 
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