I had the same problem with my Hansgrohe polished nickle shower fittings. After forgetting to wipe the water dry after one use, the stubborn stains would not go away. I called the manufacturer several times and everytimes I had a different advise. First I tried blue original windex. Apprently Hansgrohe approves that product. it did not work. I also tried diluted vinegar, WD-40, as well as CLR (in diffent concentrations) none of them worked. I finally got a hold of Flitz multi purpose metal polish (in a tooth paste form) and it worked like a magic! Eventhough polished nickle was not one of the metals listed, but I decided to give it a try, since I was running out of options. Flitz is hard to find unless you buy it on line. I found mine in a kitchen and bath fixture shop. To prevent from happening the company recomands NuFinish (orange bottle only) . here is what hansgrohe sent me: To prolong the lifespan of your unit and keep it looking new we recommend the following care tips: 1. Regularly massage/rub the nodules on your hand shower/overhead shower/hand sprayer to keep water debris from accumulating on your water spouts. 2. Periodically soaking your unit in a 50/50 solution of warm water and CLR (Calcium, Lime, & Rust remover) for no longer than 10 minutes and then rinsing with fresh water. (this didnt work, But Flitz did) 3. Polish your unit with Flitz or NuFinish (only orange bottle). 4. Clean your unit with mild soap and water. Refrain from cleaning your products with any of the following: 1. Vinegar 2. Anything acidic (even organic products that have acidic ingredients) 3. Anything "no rinse"

ML, I have had no experience whatsoever with subways. I read about them being traditional, but have never seen them in anything but a modern setting in person, unless they were in an actual subway. That may be because I have only ever been in 1950s and newer houses with tile! To me they feel modern and very "in" and overused. I figured they have to go "out" sooner or later! However, I do respect your opinion. I thank you for your insight. I had not thought of whether the 6x6 effect looked MCM or not. The sink definitely has a pre-MCM vibe, as do the med cabinets. I suppose the lights do, too. And the dresser is definitely older. So square tiles came along in the MCM era, huh? Bummer. I avoided 4x4 tiles because that is what my 1978 home already has, I thought that by going bigger, I would avoid the era. Phooey. So I need to do subways to be in a 1940s and earlier vibe? Okay. Is the 4 x 6 you suggested more period than the 3 x 6 that are so easy to find everywhere now? BTW, as time passes, I am more and more inclined to go with the Carrara-looking trim, rather than the black. Then there is a part of me that says that I like color too much and that it is just hanging out on-line that has gotten me loving the Carrara look (because it is so loved on the kitchen forum and bath forum). I also am drooling over a mother-of-pearl tile to use as a listello between two rows of Carrara. Then again, if a beauteous tile becomes available for a great price on Craigslist, all bets are off on color! I am considering heating the floor. It will also help it to dry if it gets wet splash-over from the shower. Things like Carrara-looking tile and heated floors became more of an option when my SSDI came through. The Swanstone ADA floor with the trench drain is so new that I have not found a picture of a real consumer using it. The link below will take you to a PDF that shows the new shower floor and wall system. The shower floor is on the cover, but it does not show the whole shower. I will be getting the New Construction floor because we have to pull up the subfloor due to rot. I will get the 96" walls seen on the right on page 8/9, but in the color "Ice" or "Glacier". "Ice" is shown below, it is the closest they have to Carrara. "Glacier" is just white, but the surface looks like snowflakes, sort of. The shower looks way too skinny, but I keep telling myself that the shower looks skinny because of the drain taking some of the floorspace. It will be the same size as the bathtub, without the bathtub sides getting in the way of my feet. I keep saying that, but it sure looks skinny! That is why the floor outside the shower will be as water-proof as a shower would be. Here is a link that might be useful: Swan Shower PDF see Page 8/9

I have a kitchen table from Room & Board that has a white quartz top. It does occasionally stain with ink, pencil, colored pencil, etc. Normally I use a homemade cleaner with water, alcohol and blue dawn. It gets everything out for me. I did have one stain from the magnet on the back of my phone case which came in contact with water. I used bar keepers friend and it came right off. I am only left with a small mark that was on the table when it was delivered (we were out of the country and someone else received the table and didn’t say anything to the delivery men). It appears to be a small ink mark. We have been able to dull it slightly, but haven’t been successful at removing it. I will try the greased lightning suggested above, and maybe diluted bleach as a last resort.

I am a high-end contractor and have unfortunately installed cement tiles on a number of projects this past year. My installers followed supplier recommendations and on later projects (when we started noticing staining on earlier projects), applied several more coats than recommended. All the floors are covered with stains and my clients feel like they can't relax, as any drop of water needs to be dried immediately or a new stain will be left. I've spent many hours now on my hands and knees sanding out stains, trying new sealers, etc. I'm honestly now exploring options for pouring epoxy over the floors to allow my clients to live on them. I will NEVER AGAIN install cement tiles on a floor (or anywhere that could get exposure to water or any other liquid).