I posted the following last evening........and after that post I began to
have trouble receiving messages. I never did know what happened but would
like to try again. If you responded to the original post would you please
respond again. Or tell me how I find and download my orginial post and any
responses.


My master bathroom is finished with marble tiles. Sometime last year I
believed my housekeeper had use some caustic cleaner that took the shine off
the tiles and left a dull surface on the floor and the step down into the
roman tub/shower, a bench in the shower area, and for about a foot up from
the tubfloor along the wall opposite the step into the tub. At the time I
assumed she had used Tilex to clean the grout. I had the tiles restored
($450.00) and took all the 'caustic' cleaners and put them in cabinets she
would not access to. The only cleaners my housekeeper has had available to
her since then were 'Method' products, Softscrub and Windex. Method is a
brand name of a environmentally friendly line of household cleaners that
clearly states they are safe for granite and marble. And which I have used
in the master bathroom for years with great success.
Several months have passed and the tiles have been damaged in the exact
areas in the exact way they were previously. And I believe by something the
housekeeper is using because I noticed it a day after she had last been
here. It was not immediately visually noticeable -the damage is more
noticeable when I squeegee the area after showering. The squeegee drags on
the dull, damaged area where it glides over the shinny, polished, undamaged
area.
In an effort to determine what was going on I used an extra tile that I had
and poured Tilex, chlorine bleach, Windex, Method Bathroom & Tile Cleaner,
ammonia full strength onto the extra tile. And I left the agents on the
tile far longer than my housekeeper would in the process of normal
cleaning - the only agent that did damage was the Tilex (which remember she
doesn't have access to) and it didn't leave a dull finish as I have
described. It simply left the outline of the 'puddle' of the product that
was placed on the tile.
Any suggestions as to what is happening here?

"Sue" wrote in message
. net...
I posted the following last evening........and after that post I began to
have trouble receiving messages. I never did know what happened but would
like to try again. If you responded to the original post would you please
respond again. Or tell me how I find and download my orginial post and
any
responses.

Go find it on Google.
http://groups.google.com/grphp?ie=UT...l=en&tab=wg&q=

Bob

Sue wrote:
I posted the following last evening........and after that post I began to
have trouble receiving messages. I never did know what happened but would
like to try again. If you responded to the original post would you please
respond again. Or tell me how I find and download my orginial post and any
responses.


My master bathroom is finished with marble tiles. Sometime last year I
believed my housekeeper had use some caustic cleaner that took the shine off
the tiles and left a dull surface on the floor and the step down into the
roman tub/shower, a bench in the shower area, and for about a foot up from
the tubfloor along the wall opposite the step into the tub. At the time I
assumed she had used Tilex to clean the grout. I had the tiles restored
($450.00) and took all the 'caustic' cleaners and put them in cabinets she
would not access to. The only cleaners my housekeeper has had available to
her since then were 'Method' products, Softscrub and Windex. Method is a
brand name of a environmentally friendly line of household cleaners that
clearly states they are safe for granite and marble. And which I have used
in the master bathroom for years with great success.
Several months have passed and the tiles have been damaged in the exact
areas in the exact way they were previously. And I believe by something the
housekeeper is using because I noticed it a day after she had last been
here. It was not immediately visually noticeable -the damage is more
noticeable when I squeegee the area after showering. The squeegee drags on
the dull, damaged area where it glides over the shinny, polished, undamaged
area.
In an effort to determine what was going on I used an extra tile that I had
and poured Tilex, chlorine bleach, Windex, Method Bathroom & Tile Cleaner,
ammonia full strength onto the extra tile. And I left the agents on the
tile far longer than my housekeeper would in the process of normal
cleaning - the only agent that did damage was the Tilex (which remember she
doesn't have access to) and it didn't leave a dull finish as I have
described. It simply left the outline of the 'puddle' of the product that
was placed on the tile.
Any suggestions as to what is happening here?

Back to basic chemistry:
Marble is crystallized limestone which is calcium carbonate. Any acidic
compound will react and etch the marble. Therefore, your housekeeper
has tried something you hadn't approved and hence the results
described. What was used was not caustic, as that term technically
refers to materials with a pH of over 7.0 (neutral). Something below
pH 7, or acidic, was the culprit. Obviously, you could test the
cleaners using pH test strip papers available at laboratory supply
houses, for example.
The damage you see could be removed by polishing it out. Or a
protective coating could be applied that would be impervious to
cleaners. Consulting a good tile store or a trade association relating
to marble care could be enlightening. Our Government in Washington
cares for many acres of marble in the nations buildings and monuments,
so much information should be available. HTH

Joe

I appreciate the insight - but what household cleaners would be acidic? Any
suggestions?

"Joe" wrote in message
ps.com...

Sue wrote:
I posted the following last evening........and after that post I began to
have trouble receiving messages. I never did know what happened but
would
like to try again. If you responded to the original post would you
please
respond again. Or tell me how I find and download my orginial post and
any
responses.


My master bathroom is finished with marble tiles. Sometime last year I
believed my housekeeper had use some caustic cleaner that took the shine
off
the tiles and left a dull surface on the floor and the step down into the
roman tub/shower, a bench in the shower area, and for about a foot up
from
the tubfloor along the wall opposite the step into the tub. At the time
I
assumed she had used Tilex to clean the grout. I had the tiles restored
($450.00) and took all the 'caustic' cleaners and put them in cabinets
she
would not access to. The only cleaners my housekeeper has had available
to
her since then were 'Method' products, Softscrub and Windex. Method is a
brand name of a environmentally friendly line of household cleaners that
clearly states they are safe for granite and marble. And which I have
used
in the master bathroom for years with great success.
Several months have passed and the tiles have been damaged in the exact
areas in the exact way they were previously. And I believe by something
the
housekeeper is using because I noticed it a day after she had last been
here. It was not immediately visually noticeable -the damage is more
noticeable when I squeegee the area after showering. The squeegee drags
on
the dull, damaged area where it glides over the shinny, polished,
undamaged
area.
In an effort to determine what was going on I used an extra tile that I
had
and poured Tilex, chlorine bleach, Windex, Method Bathroom & Tile
Cleaner,
ammonia full strength onto the extra tile. And I left the agents on the
tile far longer than my housekeeper would in the process of normal
cleaning - the only agent that did damage was the Tilex (which remember
she
doesn't have access to) and it didn't leave a dull finish as I have
described. It simply left the outline of the 'puddle' of the product
that
was placed on the tile.
Any suggestions as to what is happening here?

Back to basic chemistry:
Marble is crystallized limestone which is calcium carbonate. Any acidic
compound will react and etch the marble. Therefore, your housekeeper
has tried something you hadn't approved and hence the results
described. What was used was not caustic, as that term technically
refers to materials with a pH of over 7.0 (neutral). Something below
pH 7, or acidic, was the culprit. Obviously, you could test the
cleaners using pH test strip papers available at laboratory supply
houses, for example.
The damage you see could be removed by polishing it out. Or a
protective coating could be applied that would be impervious to
cleaners. Consulting a good tile store or a trade association relating
to marble care could be enlightening. Our Government in Washington
cares for many acres of marble in the nations buildings and monuments,
so much information should be available. HTH

Joe

"Sue" wrote in message
t...
I appreciate the insight - but what household cleaners would be acidic?
Any suggestions?

I have a bottle of toilet bowl cleaner that contains hydrochloric acid.
Another jug of "tile cleaner" contains phosphoric acid. The instructions
say it cleans "synthetic marble" among other surfaces but makes no warning
about use on real marble which probably would be damaged.

SJF




"Joe" wrote in message
ps.com...

Sue wrote:
I posted the following last evening........and after that post I began
to
have trouble receiving messages. I never did know what happened but
would
like to try again. If you responded to the original post would you
please
respond again. Or tell me how I find and download my orginial post and
any
responses.


My master bathroom is finished with marble tiles. Sometime last year I
believed my housekeeper had use some caustic cleaner that took the shine
off
the tiles and left a dull surface on the floor and the step down into
the
roman tub/shower, a bench in the shower area, and for about a foot up
from
the tubfloor along the wall opposite the step into the tub. At the time
I
assumed she had used Tilex to clean the grout. I had the tiles restored
($450.00) and took all the 'caustic' cleaners and put them in cabinets
she
would not access to. The only cleaners my housekeeper has had available
to
her since then were 'Method' products, Softscrub and Windex. Method is
a
brand name of a environmentally friendly line of household cleaners that
clearly states they are safe for granite and marble. And which I have
used
in the master bathroom for years with great success.
Several months have passed and the tiles have been damaged in the exact
areas in the exact way they were previously. And I believe by something
the
housekeeper is using because I noticed it a day after she had last been
here. It was not immediately visually noticeable -the damage is more
noticeable when I squeegee the area after showering. The squeegee drags
on
the dull, damaged area where it glides over the shinny, polished,
undamaged
area.
In an effort to determine what was going on I used an extra tile that I
had
and poured Tilex, chlorine bleach, Windex, Method Bathroom & Tile
Cleaner,
ammonia full strength onto the extra tile. And I left the agents on the
tile far longer than my housekeeper would in the process of normal
cleaning - the only agent that did damage was the Tilex (which remember
she
doesn't have access to) and it didn't leave a dull finish as I have
described. It simply left the outline of the 'puddle' of the product
that
was placed on the tile.
Any suggestions as to what is happening here?

Back to basic chemistry:
Marble is crystallized limestone which is calcium carbonate. Any acidic
compound will react and etch the marble. Therefore, your housekeeper
has tried something you hadn't approved and hence the results
described. What was used was not caustic, as that term technically
refers to materials with a pH of over 7.0 (neutral). Something below
pH 7, or acidic, was the culprit. Obviously, you could test the
cleaners using pH test strip papers available at laboratory supply
houses, for example.
The damage you see could be removed by polishing it out. Or a
protective coating could be applied that would be impervious to
cleaners. Consulting a good tile store or a trade association relating
to marble care could be enlightening. Our Government in Washington
cares for many acres of marble in the nations buildings and monuments,
so much information should be available. HTH

Joe

Vinegar is quite acidic.

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DanG
A live Singing Valentine quartet,
a sophisticated and elegant way to say I LOVE YOU!
(local)
http://www.singingvalentines.com/ (national)


"Sue" wrote in message
t...
I appreciate the insight - but what household cleaners would be
acidic? Any suggestions?

"Joe" wrote in message
ps.com...

Sue wrote:
I posted the following last evening........and after that post
I began to
have trouble receiving messages. I never did know what
happened but would
like to try again. If you responded to the original post
would you please
respond again. Or tell me how I find and download my orginial
post and any
responses.


My master bathroom is finished with marble tiles. Sometime
last year I
believed my housekeeper had use some caustic cleaner that took
the shine off
the tiles and left a dull surface on the floor and the step
down into the
roman tub/shower, a bench in the shower area, and for about a
foot up from
the tubfloor along the wall opposite the step into the tub.
At the time I
assumed she had used Tilex to clean the grout. I had the
tiles restored
($450.00) and took all the 'caustic' cleaners and put them in
cabinets she
would not access to. The only cleaners my housekeeper has had
available to
her since then were 'Method' products, Softscrub and Windex.
Method is a
brand name of a environmentally friendly line of household
cleaners that
clearly states they are safe for granite and marble. And
which I have used
in the master bathroom for years with great success.
Several months have passed and the tiles have been damaged in
the exact
areas in the exact way they were previously. And I believe by
something the
housekeeper is using because I noticed it a day after she had
last been
here. It was not immediately visually noticeable -the damage
is more
noticeable when I squeegee the area after showering. The
squeegee drags on
the dull, damaged area where it glides over the shinny,
polished, undamaged
area.
In an effort to determine what was going on I used an extra
tile that I had
and poured Tilex, chlorine bleach, Windex, Method Bathroom &
Tile Cleaner,
ammonia full strength onto the extra tile. And I left the
agents on the
tile far longer than my housekeeper would in the process of
normal
cleaning - the only agent that did damage was the Tilex (which
remember she
doesn't have access to) and it didn't leave a dull finish as I
have
described. It simply left the outline of the 'puddle' of the
product that
was placed on the tile.
Any suggestions as to what is happening here?

Back to basic chemistry:
Marble is crystallized limestone which is calcium carbonate.
Any acidic
compound will react and etch the marble. Therefore, your
housekeeper
has tried something you hadn't approved and hence the results
described. What was used was not caustic, as that term
technically
refers to materials with a pH of over 7.0 (neutral). Something
below
pH 7, or acidic, was the culprit. Obviously, you could test the
cleaners using pH test strip papers available at laboratory
supply
houses, for example.
The damage you see could be removed by polishing it out. Or a
protective coating could be applied that would be impervious to
cleaners. Consulting a good tile store or a trade association
relating
to marble care could be enlightening. Our Government in
Washington
cares for many acres of marble in the nations buildings and
monuments,
so much information should be available. HTH

Joe

May not be the chemical at all but the scrub pad. Marble is calcium
carbonate and subject to etching by acidic materials but it can also be
easily abraided by a scrub brush or pad or what have you that is
sufficiently abrasive. Especially if the process is repetative. An
abrasive scrub pad with an equivalent of 220 grit would be quite enough to
cause damage to the marble.


"Sue" wrote in message
. net...
I posted the following last evening........and after that post I began to
have trouble receiving messages. I never did know what happened but would
like to try again. If you responded to the original post would you please
respond again. Or tell me how I find and download my orginial post and any
responses.


My master bathroom is finished with marble tiles. Sometime last year I
believed my housekeeper had use some caustic cleaner that took the shine
off the tiles and left a dull surface on the floor and the step down into
the roman tub/shower, a bench in the shower area, and for about a foot up
from the tubfloor along the wall opposite the step into the tub. At the
time I assumed she had used Tilex to clean the grout. I had the tiles
restored ($450.00) and took all the 'caustic' cleaners and put them in
cabinets she would not access to. The only cleaners my housekeeper has
had available to her since then were 'Method' products, Softscrub and
Windex. Method is a brand name of a environmentally friendly line of
household cleaners that clearly states they are safe for granite and
marble. And which I have used
in the master bathroom for years with great success.
Several months have passed and the tiles have been damaged in the exact
areas in the exact way they were previously. And I believe by something
the housekeeper is using because I noticed it a day after she had last
been here. It was not immediately visually noticeable -the damage is more
noticeable when I squeegee the area after showering. The squeegee drags
on the dull, damaged area where it glides over the shinny, polished,
undamaged area.
In an effort to determine what was going on I used an extra tile that I
had
and poured Tilex, chlorine bleach, Windex, Method Bathroom & Tile Cleaner,
ammonia full strength onto the extra tile. And I left the agents on the
tile far longer than my housekeeper would in the process of normal
cleaning - the only agent that did damage was the Tilex (which remember
she
doesn't have access to) and it didn't leave a dull finish as I have
described. It simply left the outline of the 'puddle' of the product that
was placed on the tile.
Any suggestions as to what is happening here?

Sue wrote:
snip
At the time I
assumed she had used Tilex to clean the grout. I had the tiles restored
($450.00) and took all the 'caustic' cleaners and put them in cabinets she
would not access to.
snip
Several months have passed and the tiles have been damaged in the exact
areas in the exact way they were previously. And I believe by something the
housekeeper is using because I noticed it a day after she had last been
here.
snip
In an effort to determine what was going on I used an extra tile that I had
and poured Tilex, chlorine bleach, Windex, Method Bathroom & Tile Cleaner,
ammonia full strength onto the extra tile. And I left the agents on the
tile far longer than my housekeeper would in the process of normal
cleaning - the only agent that did damage was the Tilex (which remember she
doesn't have access to) and it didn't leave a dull finish as I have
described. It simply left the outline of the 'puddle' of the product that
was placed on the tile.
Any suggestions as to what is happening here?

Er... have you considered _asking_ your housekeeper what she's using?

--
Jennifer

On Fri, 12 Jan 2007 04:07:07 GMT, "Sue"
wrote:

I appreciate the insight - but what household cleaners would be acidic? Any
suggestions?

A lot of bathroom surface cleaners are acidic. Check the list of
ingredients for citric acid, phosphoric acid, oxalic acid, acetic acid
(vinegar), etc. Sounds like you need a cleaner specifically approved
for marble.

Note that the reason such cleaners are acidic is to aid in the removal
of hard water stains. Those stains are largely calcium carbonate;
exactly what your tiles are made of.

On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 21:02:52 -0800, "SJF" wrote:


"Sue" wrote in message
et...
I appreciate the insight - but what household cleaners would be acidic?
Any suggestions?

I have a bottle of toilet bowl cleaner that contains hydrochloric acid.
Another jug of "tile cleaner" contains phosphoric acid.

Not a cleaner, usually, but what about coca cola, the other colas, and
I think some other soft drinks.

Sue, did you tell the housekeeper not to use anything but what
wouldn't hurt. Maybe you did this yourself and don't even realize it,
drinking coke in the bathtub?

I used to blame my 3 roommates that there was never any ice in the ice
cube trays. I figured they used it and didn't refill the trays fully.
Eventually I stopped replacing the roommates when they moved out, and
I found there was STILL no ice.

It was evaporating!

The instructions
say it cleans "synthetic marble" among other surfaces but makes no warning
about use on real marble which probably would be damaged.

That stinks.

SJF




"Joe" wrote in message
ps.com...

Sue wrote:
I posted the following last evening........and after that post I began
to
have trouble receiving messages. I never did know what happened but
would
like to try again. If you responded to the original post would you
please
respond again. Or tell me how I find and download my orginial post and
any
responses.


My master bathroom is finished with marble tiles. Sometime last year I
believed my housekeeper had use some caustic cleaner that took the shine
off
the tiles and left a dull surface on the floor and the step down into
the
roman tub/shower, a bench in the shower area, and for about a foot up
from
the tubfloor along the wall opposite the step into the tub. At the time
I
assumed she had used Tilex to clean the grout. I had the tiles restored
($450.00) and took all the 'caustic' cleaners and put them in cabinets
she
would not access to. The only cleaners my housekeeper has had available
to
her since then were 'Method' products, Softscrub and Windex. Method is
a
brand name of a environmentally friendly line of household cleaners that
clearly states they are safe for granite and marble. And which I have
used
in the master bathroom for years with great success.
Several months have passed and the tiles have been damaged in the exact
areas in the exact way they were previously. And I believe by something
the
housekeeper is using because I noticed it a day after she had last been
here. It was not immediately visually noticeable -the damage is more
noticeable when I squeegee the area after showering. The squeegee drags
on
the dull, damaged area where it glides over the shinny, polished,
undamaged
area.
In an effort to determine what was going on I used an extra tile that I
had
and poured Tilex, chlorine bleach, Windex, Method Bathroom & Tile
Cleaner,
ammonia full strength onto the extra tile. And I left the agents on the
tile far longer than my housekeeper would in the process of normal
cleaning - the only agent that did damage was the Tilex (which remember
she
doesn't have access to) and it didn't leave a dull finish as I have
described. It simply left the outline of the 'puddle' of the product
that
was placed on the tile.
Any suggestions as to what is happening here?

Back to basic chemistry:
Marble is crystallized limestone which is calcium carbonate. Any acidic
compound will react and etch the marble. Therefore, your housekeeper
has tried something you hadn't approved and hence the results
described. What was used was not caustic, as that term technically
refers to materials with a pH of over 7.0 (neutral). Something below
pH 7, or acidic, was the culprit. Obviously, you could test the
cleaners using pH test strip papers available at laboratory supply
houses, for example.
The damage you see could be removed by polishing it out. Or a
protective coating could be applied that would be impervious to
cleaners. Consulting a good tile store or a trade association relating
to marble care could be enlightening. Our Government in Washington
cares for many acres of marble in the nations buildings and monuments,
so much information should be available. HTH

Joe