We have incredibly hard water, no softener and lots of mineral deposits on everything that touches water for any length of time. The solution is incredibly simple: white vinegar. It very simply and easily and gently dissolves the minerals. We had a shower head that my husband was ready to replace because the mineral deposits had clogged it. I unscrewed the head, submerged it in a cup of vinegar for 24 hours, rinsed it off and screwed it back on. Voila! Like new! I have tried CLR: worthless. I have tried abrasives: all they do is scratch and don't get rid of the deposits. Another spot where minerals accumulate is around the kitchen faucet. I take a bunch of paper towels, soak them in vinegar, then pack them around the faucet over the mineral deposits, keeping them good and wet with vinegar and let them sit for about a day, more or less. Rinse and wipe clean, will look like new! Our cat loves water. His favorite thing in the world is if I fill the bathroom sink with water and let him play in it. What happens? Water spots all over the mirror. Wet a cloth, add a dash of vinegar to the cloth, wipe the mirror... clean and shiny!

Hello there, You could start with concealing the concrete niche as it is with prelam boards and laminated plywood on the sides only. This will preserve the slabs as well. You could paste laminated plywood on existing concrete walls as well. This would be incredibly cost effective and wouldn't need for demolition etc. Regards, Aurum Ideas and Spaces Bhubaneswar

Dear Mr Venugopal, Hope your flooring project has come out elegant. Hope you spend some quality time with your new project. @Ms. Preeti, thank you for your compliments. These comments truly mean a lot to us and this is what keeps the team motivated and going. For your knack of reading, I recommend you check the following ethnic styles. for flooring/ceiling/wall options : 1. Jaipur cobalt blue based porcelain products or blue pigments as wall paint/ceiling paint A lost art, remnant of Persian influence, promoted by ancient Moroccan immigrant artiste. 2. Bishnupur/ Haripur terracotta tiles- mughal art form on indian clay palette. Incredibly beautiful to behold and imparts a timeless elegance to ethnic structures. 3. Odisha terracotta art panels- Remnant of same Mughal dynasty. Artiste carve objects of delight using modern clay kilns. Districts- Kendujhar, Sonepur, Khordha and Balangir. 4. Bidriware ceiling tiles - Metallic panels with heavy inlay work . Remnants of Persian Artefacts. 5. Marble inlay works and marble floor medallions- Mughal architecture, colorful setting often inspired by flora and fauna or geometric islamic patterns. Craftsmen mostly from Rajasthan. 6. Khiching Black chlorite floor medallions/ wall panels/ Stone Bathtub and Sinks- Traditional odia ethnic patterns hand carved on Black Chlorite stone. One of the hardest stone in India. Objects include large format floor tiles and solid stone bathtubs. Imparts a stunningly modern perspective to structures. Exclusive to Mayurbhanj district, Odisha . (We are soon to start an export house on the stone based bathware/wall panels/ floor panels) 7. Stone jaalis of Jaipur -Indo-Persian architectural element- intricately carved geometric/floral jaalis for wall panels and cutouts. 8. Compressed Bamboo tiles from Assam- Traditional material with modern technologies- excellent insulating properties and easy to lay-an alternative to wooden flooring. 9. Mother of pearl inlay/ wall tiles -Iridiscent tiles for ultra-luxury -Persian element- Supposedly interacts with the body to calm the senses. Skilled craftsmen from Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Lucknow. 10. South Indian Oxide flooring in traditional floral motifs and geomtric patterns- Red, Blue and Yellow are primary oxides. Available as Athangudi tiles . 11. Limestone paste , mud and cowdung flooring for sustainable buildings -zero energy flooring , pest repellent and could be used over existing floor slabs with proper sealing. Compatible with mud houses and concrete as well. Incredibly rustic and long lasting element. 12. Odisha stone wall panels/tiles - Made traditionally of sandstone, chlorite or granites . Traditional odia motifs hand carved over stones. Labour intensive process and recommended for contemporary fusion settings. Found in Khordha, Puri and Mayurbhanj districts. 13. Wooden floor/wall motifs - Mughal element of geometric patterns and floral designs. adds definite interest to any wooden flooring/ wall panelling. Skilled craftsmen available in UP- Shahranpur, Agra, Lucknow and throughout Jammu and Kashmir. These are only a few popular elements. For further research, books on traditional temple architecture, Mughal architecture are recommended. Regards, Aurum Ideas and Spaces Bhubaneswar

@Rock Doc: Are you addressing this to me? I haven't actually bought these tiles yet - when I do, I will definitely be going for the handmade ones. They're a work of art and irreplaceable in my opinion. However, there are also screen-printed tiles available in the market in more or less the same patterns; the workmanship is of course different, but you get them cheaper, and they're also more easily available. You could give that a shot. I'd recommend Aakaar Flooring Solutions - they're here on Houzz and are able to provide both the above-mentioned types.