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Is it safe to use a pressure washer inside on shower tiles?

srmorgan
9 years ago

I have a stall shower that is filled with mildew. The base tiles and ledge are covered in soap debris and when I scrubbedi it did not seem to make a difference.

This is my son's old bathroom, No one uses it but I guess the room is too well sealed and needs periodic ventilation.

I have had mildew issues before in the house (downstairs shower) and find that the applications in the spray bottles don't get all of it. I see mildew both on the tiles on the floor and walls and in the grout on the walls.

Suggestions are appreciated.

SRM

Comments (12)

  • graywings123
    9 years ago

    Another "no" vote on using a pressure washer. It would be very awkward to do and would not give the results you want.

    and find that the applications in the spray bottles don't get all of it. I see mildew both on the tiles on the floor and walls and in the grout on the walls.

    Tell us what products you have used. Are you letting them stand on the mildew long enough before wiping away?

    If you are applying and using them correctly, you could go to a stronger product such as StoneTech Restore. I used it once on a house I was selling and it was wonderful. But you need to be careful with it.

    If you don't want to go the chemical route, you might try using a steamer on the mildew. You can buy a small steamer and do it yourself, or you could have a company come in and steam and seal it, such as Stanley Steemer.

    Once you get it clean, put a fan in the room attached to a timer and let it run a couple hours a day.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Steam clean grout video

  • mainecoonkitty
    9 years ago

    I wouldn't do it. One loose tile sprayed with a pressure washer and you'll have a worse problem than just a dirty shower!

  • grandmamaloy
    9 years ago

    and ANOTHER "no" vote on the pressure washer idea, though I feel your frustration and can totally understand why you would consider it. Tile grout is just not meant to withstand that type of pressure and once you loosen one tile, you're liable to have all of them fall off. It could be a disaster. I use a bleach (3/4) and water (1/4) spray (be sure to remove the shower curtain if you have one and wear old clothes) and I let it dry. Then I respray and let it dry before finally getting down to scrubbing what needs to be scrubbed and rinsing it off. Good luck.

  • graywings123
    9 years ago

    My guess is that the soap debris that the OP can't get off is really mineral deposits. A bleach solution will kill the mildew, but it's not going to remove the mineral deposits. You need an acid for that. That's why I recommended the StoneTech Restore. There are lots of other acid-based products that will work well too.

  • nerdyshopper
    9 years ago

    If you want to remove the soap scum before using bleach on your shower, I have tried Fume Free Easy Off in the blue spray can and it will do the job well and easy (no hard rubbing). I read about it in this forum and you can too by doing a search for the name. I get mine online from Walmart. Came in a multi-can package. Don't get the spray bottles that you have to pump. They are a pain and don't work as well.

  • callie25
    9 years ago

    A 'no' vote for the pressure washer....I agree with the others re: damage it could cause. I regrouted one of our shower stalls and applied a 20 yr sealer. The sealer is key in resisting mildew. This was 4 yrs ago & shower stall still looks great. If you'd prefer not to regrout the whole thing, clean the shower several times using some of the products recommended in the other posts; then use the products or similar recommended by graywings to remove mineral deposits & then you can apply a clear grout sealer (Home Depot sells the 20 yr product) or use the tinted grout sealer to match your tile grout. If the grout has any deposits remaining the sealer can't adhere to that.

  • graywings123
    9 years ago

    Nerdyshopper's suggestion to use oven cleaner is a great one!

    This thread was impetus for me to try it out on a troublesome bathtub that wasn't getting clean with normal cleaners. It worked well. The product has to sit for two hours.

  • Jenelle Lally-Roberts
    8 years ago

    I just used a 1600 pressure washer to clean the inside of an empty tile house along with the tile in the bathroom I scrubbed for hours before giving up and using the pressure washer. I used common sense and didn't get it close enough to ruin anything. You will definitely be able to discern whether or not you are doing damage or not and can adjust accordingly. Turned a weeks worth of work into a days work. Including spraying walls and baseboard, as my husband was spraying I was sucking up excess water with a carpet cleaner and shop vac. Soooo much easier than scrubbing.

  • Rich
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    The answer is a resounding YES - you can most definitely use your pressure washer inside on shower tiles. In fact, there's a patent pending pressure washing tool that connects to wet vacuums for indoor and outdoor power washing for yes - showers - including tempered shower glass, kitchens, bathrooms, anywhere - indoors and outdoors. The name of the tool is Hydradaptor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ordGscsSa5Q

  • lindac92
    2 years ago

    This thread is 7 years old...I presume the poster has solved the problem.


  • rrah
    2 years ago

    And I assume Rich is trying to sell something. :)

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