Stone walled walk in shower maintenance

I'm in the process of fixing up a house I inherited and the master bathroom shower needs a good bit of attention. I'm not sure what to do with the shower walls. They look like some kind of stone but they are dull and have some light scratches on them. They seem to attract water marks and soap scum very easilly.

Can anyone identify what type of stone or material they're made of? Also, what would be the best way to clean them to remove the haze and get a glossy type finish? They don't look bad wet but when they dry they have a dull dry powdery look. Is there some type of clear coat or sealer that would help?

 

If you are certain that it is more stone like I'd say it's a quartz type product. This would be very hard like stone and difficult to scratch. There are also plastics like Corian and cultured marble that can look like your photo and they are much more easily scratched and more prone to damage from chemicals.

Regular cleaning is key. Some will even keep a squeegee in the shower to wipe down the walls to prevent water spots. I would start by thoroughly cleaning your shower with a non-abrasive cleaner. Then dry the walls and look at them again to see if it's dirt/soap scum or fine scratches causing the hazing. If it's soap scum... more cleaning. If they are fine scratches they will have to be polished out.

 

I agree with PD. I'm betting it's a quartz type product.
Use something like Bon-Ami (a non-abrasive cleaner).

 

I'm not sure if it's real solid stone or a cultured type material. Since I'm already removing all the very old caulk, I did get up and test the top non visible edge with a dull knife and dull razor blade and they both left a white scratch. So is it safe to assume that it's not solid stone?

I'm not too worried about cleaning it, that shouldn't be an issue. However, I'd like to get a decent shine on it. From what I've read, cultured stone has a gel coat that can be buffed out with a buffer and automotive compound then a polish. Alternately, I also read that there's some kind of gel coat that you rub on to recoat the surface. What would you recommend to get a glossy shine after a good cleaning?

 

It sounds like you have a cultured marble or other plastic/synthetic material. So, it is easily scratched. To restore the shine you may have to use a buffer and compound. Just like on a car you start coarse and go to finer and finer grit until you get the polish that you want. I have never tried applying a clear coat or any other finish on top to restore the shine but they do exist so you could give one of them a try.