Ask Mrs. Clean: House Cleaning, Stain Removal and Organizing Tips

[Zelda]

Dear Madam,

Hopefully you can help me. I?ve employed someone to clean my house. I?ve stressed dozens of times that I would like her to use only gently cleaning solutions in my house. Unfortunately, she tried to clean one of my bathrooms which have unglazed/unsealed tile surfaces (she?s mixed Handy Andy (ammonia) with Exit-Mould (bleach based?) and left it on the surface for some time before rinsing it. With the effect that the light green shower floor now has bright orange streaks! I am desperate for help and would appreciate any suggestions.

Zelda Hill
Duncraig, Perth :cry:

[mrscleannw]

Hi Zelda,

welcome to Mrs. Clean's forum.

I have a suggestion that may help. First, I would like to stress that your house cleaner is putting herself (and anyone in the house) in danger if she was, in fact mixing 2 different cleaners that are composed of bleach and ammonia. Those two products should never be mixed together! When bleach and ammonia are combined, a chemical reaction occurs which releases a deadly toxic gas.

I searched the internet for the chemical composition of these two products, (and the manufacturing data sheets) but it seems like Australia does not require a full disclosure of active ingredients, so I was limited in thoroughly investigating a possible chemical reaction. It would also be helpful to know the exact type of unglazed tile or stone you have.

To start I?d try using medical strength hydrogen peroxide (from the drug store), which is almost neutral pH.

Hydrogen peroxide is mildly alkaline, and is used as a deodorizer and is almost as good of an oxidizer as bleach. Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into plain water when exposed to sunlight.

Try making a poultice using whiting, cream of tartar, or corn starch mixed with hydrogen peroxide. Cover the stain with the mixture and put some plastic wrap over it to keep it damp. Let the poultice sit between 1 to 48 hours, depending on the age and level of the stain.

The poultice should help draw out the stain and odor. You should TEST this mixture in an inconspicuous place first to ensure that there is no damage to the surface of the stone.

Once you get the orange streaks out, invest in a high quality sealer.

Then clean the stone regularly with either plain water, neural pH cleaner made specifically for stone. We use plain water with just a dash of Murphy?s oil soap to clean stone floors. (I got that tip from a marble company)

If the tile is granite, according to professional granite contractors I contacted, to remove any residue try wiping the granite (using a clean, white rag) with denatured alcohol, followed by plain unscented acetone. Both of these products are available in home improvement stores. This solution should remove any remaining residue or contaminates. (I do recommend you TEST this first, in an inconspicuous place first)

Here's more information removing stains from granite and cleaning other stone.

Good luck!