If you live east of I-95, you've probably noticed a hazy film on your sliding glass doors a few days after you clean them. That is salt carried in on the ocean breeze. It sticks to glass, balcony railings, patio furniture and screen frames, and it holds onto dust once it's there.
Inland homes get their share too. Humidity runs high most of the year, and summer brings near-daily afternoon thunderstorms. Moisture that sits in a shower or behind a toilet turns into mildew in grout and caulk. Add hard water and beach sand, and you've got the four things South Florida homes fight all year.
What Helps Between Visits
- Rinse salt film off outdoor glass and railings with fresh water first
- Wipe railings with mild soap and water, then dry them
- Squeegee your shower glass after each shower to cut down hard-water spots
- Run your bathroom fan during and after showers
- Leave the shower door or curtain open so it can dry
- Wipe soap scum off grout lines once a week before it darkens
- Put a mat outside and inside every door to catch beach sand
- Vacuum slider tracks, since sand grinds down the rollers
- Shake out car mats and beach bags outside, not in the garage
- Keep vinegar and acidic cleaners off marble, which they can etch
- Keep bleach away from vinegar and ammonia, since the mix gives off harmful fumes
Rainy Season and Your Grout
South Florida's rainy season runs from about late May into October. That's when grout and caulk change color fastest. Running your AC helps, because it dries the air as it cools. Closets with the doors shut can trap damp air. Crack them open once in a while, especially in a guest room nobody's using.
Hard water's a separate fight. It leaves white spots on shower glass, faucets and the edge of your sink. A daily squeegee helps more than any weekly scrub. If spots have built up for months, it usually takes a deep clean to get them off.
Most of this is easy to stay ahead of once your home's caught up. If you'd like help getting there, a deep clean resets the grout, the glass and the tracks. A recurring schedule keeps it that way.