Best way to clean decorative tile at waterline???

[kev1900]

My wife has been nagging me to clean the tile. Looks a little dingy above waterline. She wanted me to use softscrub tile cleaner but I do not want to introduce any funky chemicals into the water.
Any advice please?
Happy wife, happy life!

 

[RobbieH]

I use a wire brush with no cleaner at all. I get them for about $3.50 at the local welding supply, probably even cheaper at a Harbor Freight or Northern Tools.
http://www.amazon.com/US-Forge-Welding- ... ding+brush

They have brass ones too, if you are concerned about scratching. I have never made a single scratch on my tile with the stainless though. Stainless is a common material for hard surfaces like tiles and plaster.

 

[CUTiger78]

I know RobbieH is a TFP expert, but I'd never use a metal brush on glazed tiles. I used a pumice stone on glazed tiles and it ruined them.

I've used Comet and a rag, SoftScrub and a rag, tile cleaner from the pool store, plastic scrubbies with some kind of cleanser, straight & diluted muriatic acid w/ a nonmetallic brush, & CLR with a rag. Sometimes, it seems, one technique works better than another. I've used as much as a whole can of Comet, a bottle of SoftScrub or tile cleaner, a quart or so of acid and never had it affect my water for more than a few minutes. Even then, it was only the water near the cleaning, not the whole pool.

Maybe I've been lucky, but this my experience on the same pool over 20 years.

Good chore for kids, if you've got any. Good luck!

 

[HelpWithMyPool]

Magic Eraser!! I read on this site to use a Magic Eraser (like a sponge) and it worked great!! We had black gunk on our tile & a gentle scrub was all it took to remove it all in just minutes!