Limestone cleaning – Avoid staining and marking

Limestone is one variety of natural stone which is commonly used for floor tiles, almost always indoors, and as long as it offers a rustic, timeless quality it will continue to be popular for many years to come.  Limestone is often seen as a ‘soft’ stone which is a little misleading as, although it is amongst the softer types of stone, it is still very durable.  It does, however, have a propensity to stain and mark over time if it is not carefully looked after so it is important to take care of it.

One of the first factors to consider when talking about limestone is that it does not like water and in particular any type of liquid which has an acidic content.  Limestone has often been used for monuments and you can immediately see the effect of rain on the statues – a reason why limestone is virtually never located outside.  When located inside it is not recommended in areas where spillages are likely, so avoid installation in bathrooms and kitchens.

Limestone needs to be cleaned, like any other floor, to keep it looking good, but in this case you may need to take a bit more care than you would with other materials.  The best place to start is to seal the floor with a good quality commercial sealant.  A sealant is useful to prevent damage from spillages thus avoiding possible staining and marking.  The sealant essentially acts as a barrier to prevent spillages from touching the surface, and will also aid future cleaning efforts.  It is important that the floor is clean before the sealant is applied, and also that the right sealant is chosen.  If you are not sure, a limestone cleaning specialist will be able to advise you.

Once the floor has been properly sealed cleaning can involve no more than a mop and some warm water.  If you wish to add a cleaning product make sure it contains no acid or bleach as this can mark or discolour the stone – if in doubt as to what to use, you can just add a little detergent to the water (being sure to rinse) or any neutral PH cleaner.

It is also important to protect the floor against surface scratching and abrasions as this can remove the sealant and expose the surface and cause marking or result in an uneven appearance.  Placing doormats at entrances and using them as well as regular sweeping and vacuuming should remove the majority of surface grit and dirt which is principally responsible for surface scratching.  The sealant should also be periodically re-applied, but if you have any doubts as to how to clean or care for your floor you can always contact a professional limestone cleaning company for advice.