Possible risks with Limestone cleaning

Limestone is one variety of natural stone which is commonly used for tiled floors, and has a number of benefits.  Like all natural stone, it offers a unique finish, both in terms of the stone itself and the type of finish, and offers a rustic, timeless look that will enhance any area.  It is a less durable substance than certain other types of natural stone such as slate, but is not a ‘soft’ material and is much more durable than often thought.

Many people choose limestone for purely aesthetic reasons, but it should be noted that limestone is not suitable for all locations and areas where spillages are a possibility, such as bathrooms and kitchens, should not be considered.  As limestone monuments show, exposure to liquids can mark limestone relatively easily, so if you are considering a limestone floor, bear that in mind.  If you already have a limestone floor, you will already be aware of its eye-pleasing appearance, but you will need to clean and maintain it carefully in order to keep it looking good – if you do so, it will last for many years to come.

One of the keys to maintaining your floor is protecting it.  It is important to seal the floor (after it has been properly cleaned) to offer protection and ‘waterproof’ it in case of any spillages.  It is important to choose the right type of sealant (you do not want a wax based sealant on a floor with slip resistant qualities, for example) and make sure that a grout sealant is also applied.  If you have doubts as to which type of sealant to use, a limestone cleaning specialist will be able to recommend one for you.

When your floor has been sealed it is important to protect the sealant, so regular sweeping and vacuuming (to remove any surface dirt and grit particles present) is highly recommended.  It is also important to take care when moving heavy objects such as furniture, and to take care with chair legs etc.  Surface scratching can remove the sealant, rendering it ineffective so it is recommendable to apply padded tips to the corners of pieces of furniture or chair legs.  Sealants should be periodically re-applied in any case top offer ongoing protection.

As for cleaning, assuming the sealant has been correctly applied and cared for, this should involve nothing more than a mop with warm water and a little detergent or a neutral PH cleaning product.  As a general rule, if you plan to use cleaning product – it I advisable to avoid products with any acidic content or bleached based products.  If you have any trouble cleaning and maintaining your limestone floor, a limestone cleaning company should be contacted.

Commercial floor cleaning – the process and when it is needed

The same types of floors that are used in domestic settings can also be found in commercial locations, but very often the choice of flooring in a commercial environment can very much depend on the type of use and exposure it gets rather than purely aesthetic reasons.  Commercial locations will often experience a great deal of traffic in comparison, and for this reason it is important to consider a floor which is resistant and durable, while the maintenance and cleaning becomes a far more difficult task.

No matter what type of flooring is used, hardwood, vinyl, natural or fabricated tiles, one factor in common is that without proper care and maintenance, a floor can quickly lose its visual appeal.  Commercial locations can be extreme as factories, but even an office will present far more difficulties than a common household.  

You may have scores of people arriving, leaving for lunch and tasks, visitors, deliveries and any number of other factors which can introduce dirt grit from the street.  Coffee is made and carried to desks, more furniture is present.  Another important element to consider is that people in an office will not care for the floor as they would in their own home, which may mean that spillages are not cleaned up, furniture is dragged instead of lifted etc.

General maintenance tips often include regular sweeping and vacuuming, washing with a mop, warm water and an appropriate cleaner and basically being careful.  Sealants are important but in a commercial environment this is especially the case and a good quality sealant will go a long way to maintaining your floor – a commercial floor cleaning company will be able to recommend and apply one for you.

Although maintenance and regular cleaning is important (in a commercial environment it is likely that there are cleaners on a daily basis) it is important to have the floor professionally cleaned from time to time.  A professional commercial floor cleaning company will be able to take advantage of modern technology and techniques including heat and pressure cleaning and waste capture to leave the floor looking like new.  This is important when considering that, due to general traffic, a floor will need to be periodically resealed – especially in a busy location.  Regular cleaning will be effective for a while, but any scratches to the floor can expose the surface and cause staining or discolouring to occur.

A commercial floor cleaning specialist will be able to restore any type of hard floor while also offering advice on maintenance, types of sealants and effective cleaning tips to help keep the floor protected and looking good throughout the year.

Advice on cleaning stone floors

Stone floors are a great choice for many locations, both domestic and commercial and offer a great range of qualities.  Aesthetically, the different types of stone (including, but not limited to, limestone, marble and slate) are naturally occurring and are therefore available in a limitless range of designs, colours and shapes.  The surface textures are variable and eye catching and often stone is chosen for this reason.  Alternatively, natural stone is a highly durable material which, if treated carefully and maintained correctly, should last for many years – an important consideration given the size of the investment.

Natural stone is certainly not the most difficult floor to clean and maintain (especially compared to alternative hard floors) – but one still needs to be careful to make sure that the floor is looked after and therefore maintains its eye pleasing appearance.  Following a few prevention tips and then simple cleaning steps should ensure you have a lovely finish for many years to come.

Assuming the floor has been correctly and professionally installed, the first stage of maintenance is the application of a good quality commercial sealant which offers an additional layer of protection, especially against spillages.  The sealer must be applied to an already clean floor (an amazingly common oversight) and must be the correct type of sealant for both the tile surface and the grout.  If you have any doubts consult a company which specializes in cleaning stone floors.

Once the floor has been sealed, cleaning becomes much simpler.  One of the keys to cleaning a stone floor is to remember that stone is a durable substance, but can mark surprisingly easily.  Limestone for example is highly susceptible to acids, so any cleaning products with an acidic content should, as a general rule, be avoided – as should products with bleach.  These products may not actually damage your floor per se, but they can discolour or mark the floor.

Cleaning can usually be done with a little warm water and detergent or a neutral PH cleaner, before which you should sweep and vacuum the floor (regularly in all fairness) to remove any surface dirt or bits of grit.  If you notice any staining or an uneven appearance – then it is possible that your surface cleaning hasn’t been thorough or that the sealant has been damaged in some way.  A specialist in cleaning stone floors will be able to advise you on the best way to deal with this problem.

Basic floor care: Hardwood flooring

Hardwood is a material which has been used for flooring for centuries – indeed if hardwood is seen as offering a classy finish to any setting, it is probably due to the fact that for such a long time it could only be afforded by the upper middle and high classes in society and was a symbol of status as much as anything else.  Nowadays of course, this type of floor is much more affordable yet still offers the same classy finish as long as you can keep it clean and maintain it properly.  Hardwood is, unfortunately, very prone to marking and staining from any form of spillage and is not ‘wipe-cleanable’ like ceramic tiles – meaning that over time hardwood can very quickly acquire an unsatisfactory finish.

The basics of caring for your hardwood floor focus very much on prevention and being proactive.  The most important element is to avoid spillages altogether, easier said than done as spillages are, of course, accidental in nature.  For this reason it is not common to find hardwood in areas where spillages are more likely such as washrooms and bathrooms.  If a spillage does occur, it is vital to clean it up immediately.  Pets and small children can also cause problems and won’t advise, so it is always possible that a spillage can go unnoticed for some time.

The first step to protecting your floor is the application of a high quality commercial sealant, a small step given the considerable investment made on the floor.  A sealant offers an additional layer of protection, reducing the chances of liquid seeping into the wood or seeping into joints.  Your floor may already have a sealant applied, just let a drop of water fall on the surface and see if it ‘floats’ on the surface, it should be obviously if it has a decent sealant or not.  It is always useful to know what has been previously applied to the floor so make sure to keep track.  If you decide to apply a sealant it is important to make sure that the floor is clean before the sealant is applied, and that the right type of sealant is chosen.  A floor care specialist will be able to recommend a good one for you.

Once a sealant has been applied it is important to protect it as any damage will expose the surface below and allow for bacteria, dirt, grime or any staining to build-up over time.  The main damage to sealants and the surface itself comes in the form of small surface scratches and abrasions, so avoiding these as much as possible is a great step.  Most scratches come from dirt and grit walked in on the soles of shoes, so placing doormats at entrances, a simple step, and using them should reduce the amount coming into the location.  Regular sweeping and vacuuming should remove any surface dirt present.

Scratches can also come from dragging or banging heavy objects such as furniture, or the scraping of chair legs.  In these cases care should be taken when moving these objects, and padded tips for the corners and sharp points are also recommended. In any case floors should be periodically re-sealed to offer ongoing protection as surface staining can involve a complicated sanding process to restore it.  If you have any doubts feel free to consult a professional floor care company which will be able to assist you.

Protect your slate floor

Slate floors are becoming increasingly common in both domestic and commercial locations for a number of reasons.  From a purely aesthetic perspective, slate is a naturally occurring rock which offers a range of designs, shapes and colours and can enhance any environment.  Slate is also a highly durable and long lasting material (it is used for roofing for this very reason) so it will last a long time and, relative to alternative flooring types, requires relatively little maintenance.  It is incorrect to assume, however, that you can associate low maintenance with continued good looks, as slate will, like any other type of flooring, deteriorate aesthetically if not cleaned and maintained regularly and correctly.

There are many aspects to slate floor cleaning, but here I would like to focus on protection and prevention, which can substantially reduce the amount of maintenance and cleaning you will need to do.  It is important with slate (more so than with other hard floor types) that the tiles are professionally installed and the grout professionally applied as this is notoriously difficult to do.  Then the main step to prevention is to apply a good quality commercial sealant.

Sealants offer an additional layer of protection and can essentially waterproof the surface of the slate, which will prevent markings and staining from spillages.  The surface of the tiles will require a certain type of sealant, but so will the grout, which is often overlooked.  There are several factors to consider when applying a sealant and the very first is to make sure the floor is actually clean before the floor is sealed – it is amazing how many times it isn’t.

If the floor has been correctly cleaned, then the next stage is to choose an appropriate sealant.  For example, slate often has a smooth finish which offers a slip resistant quality – so it makes little sense to apply a wax based sealant which will nullify this slip resistant quality.  The grout will also need to be sealed and there are a number of transparent and colour grout sealants available – a slate floor cleaning specialist will be able to recommend one for you.

Once the sealant has been applied it is important to protect the sealant from scratching and general wear and tear.  Tiny surface scratching and abrasions can damage and remove the sealant exposing the surface underneath, while wear from general traffic can thin and remove the sealant over time.  It is important to sweep and vacuum regularly and place doormats at entrances to reduce the amount of dirt and grit which can cause this scratching.  General wear is inevitable and for this reason a slate floor cleaning company will recommend periodic resealing to offer ongoing protection and facilitate your cleaning efforts.