All of my friends and family know that I am a mess. Messy house, cluttered rooms, too much going on all the time.
However, after many many listens to Mari Kondo’s Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I started doing a bit of cleaning at a time. My kitchen countertops got cleared off (oops they need another go round), my bedroom got cleared out and my wardrobe has been halved. Little victories and areas of clean inspire more work and focus with new spots to tackle.
Our old bathroom was transformed with classic travertine walls and floor. I found a gorgeous old vanity with marble top and grand wall mirror for it. All was beautiful except for the old tub, which was grungy and dirty. The travertine tile mason (Jason Carroll of Hawaii Kai Custom Stone) recommended that I use a product called Diamond Magic to make the 90 year old tub look like new.
Elbow grease and a power tool help
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Diamond Magic is made here in Hawaii! I bought the product and white scrubbing pad, watched the videos, and then headed out to Re-Use Hawaii to see Ben at the Honolulu Tool Library to borrow a sanding machine that had a velcro attaching disc.
It took a couple of hours of vibrating and sweat. A lot of clean rags that soon became dirty. I used Diamond Magic with the sanding machine and also by hand on inside curves. I also used a pumice stick to remove the stubborn calcium buildup by the drain. I took a break halfway through.
The finish line
Before I knew it, I was done! The tub looks good and my old bathroom sparkles! I don’t have to draw the shower curtain to hide it anymore – though I still might because I use it as a storage space for my overflow of fabric and projects.
Kudos
I love using Diamond Magic and plan to use it on my soap scum challenged glass blocks in my shower as well as on my windows with hard water spots.
Ben over at the Honolulu Tool Library is so helpful with supplying me with the right tool that a senior old lady like me can handle. They are open on Tuesday mornings, Friday afternoons, and on Saturdays. I pay the senior discount rate of just $35 per year and can borrow whatever tool I need for free for a week!
In the past I have borrowed a Gorilla Cart to haul buckets of dirt and rocks, a mini jack hammer to dig out a lemon tree (that didn’t survive), a sawzall to cut away trunks and roots, a staple gun to repair an upholstered chair, and a Dremel sanding kit for polishing up this tub.
I have saved so much time and money there and will continue to do so until I can’t lift and carry a sack of sand. I returned the wonderful Dremel kit on Saturday and borrowed an angle grinder with a diamond wheel so I could cut out a portion of a cement wall. I am also using it to cut off some points on a concrete grass block. It is so very empowering to do it yourself.
Aunty feels macho. And that’s a good thing. Tawanda!
Love the new look of your blog.
Thanks, Gigi!
Wow, you are inspiring me to start a purge like you did. Well, almost. If I sit quietly it might go away again. And congratulations on making that bathroom sparkle! 🙂
Aunty, you never cease to amaze me! Thanks for all the tips. I wonder if Wendell knows about the Tool Library.
He will love it. He pays the discounted senior rate per year, and then you can borrow just about anything for free!
Hey, no kidding? This sounds wonderful. I shall look for Diamond Magic next time we go shopping. Thank you for this needed advice.
You are most welcome! It does the work without too much pressure – 2 – 4 lbs according to the instructions.
I couldn’t find it at the commissary. Could you tell me where you can get it? By the way, I now have 6 of those bottles you like. I’ll just keep saving them. :- ) I’m so happy they’ll have a use one day.
Hi Kay! 6 bottles already? Great!
I got my Diamond Magic from City Mill. I have yet to try it on my glass tiles because I am taking a break, lol.
bath looks great but I don’t think I’d be up to all that elbow grease!
I had been thinking of renting a digger for a clump of bamboo that I cut down but I should check out this tool library. I remember reading about it before but kind of forgot about it.
P.S. saw you on TV about those stupid monster homes. so maddening!
The jack hammer that I borrowed was short – not like the big ones that can be used standing up. The big one is available for rent at Hawaii Rent All on Beretania but I didn’t want to use theirs – much too heavy and bulky. The problem with the short one (which is still kinda heavy to me) is that your back gets sore from bending over to dig down. Bamboo, huh? I like it but not how invasive their root system can be.
I was happy to be on TV – monster house builders have no sense of being part of a neighborhood and just build to make money. It is maddening!
We use Diamond Magic on our glass doors. But, to use it on the tub? I don’t think it will help because we had the tub painted years ago and the paint is chipped. I don’t think we are up to using a sander. Sounds like a lot of work.
Good to know that it can’t be used on a painted tub. We almost opted for that but glad we didn’t. It was a lot of work but each pass showed improvement so it was very motivating and satisfying.