Cleaning slate floors

Slate is one of a number of natural stone tile floors which are becoming increasingly popular in the domestic indoor flooring market.  Slate can, if installed correctly, be the most attractive option and is also reasonably priced while it also offers stain resistance and durability meaning that, if it is looked after correctly, should last for years.

One mistake people make with natural stone floors is the assumption that they require little or no maintenance.  While it is true that the durable nature of slate makes it more resistant to scratches and surface damage, if you fail to clean and maintain the floor your will soon find yourself with a floor which has a dull, uneven or unsatisfactory appearance and with stains that you cannot shift.  Following a few simple steps should allow you to keep your floor looking good for the foreseeable future.

The application of a sealant for the surface of the slate as well as the grout is fundamental for the ongoing protection of the floor.  A sealant offers an additional layer of protection and effectively ‘waterproofs’ the surface of the floor aiding your cleaning efforts.  It is particularly important to seal the grout, as it is an extremely porous substance which will stain easily.  Grout may only make up a small percentage of the surface area of the floor, but if it gets marked you’d be astonished how much it can affect the overall appearance.  A company which specializes in cleaning slate floors will be able to recommend a decent floor sealant for you.

Cleaning itself should not present too much of a problem and can, assuming the sealant has not been damaged or scratched, involve no more than a mop and some warm water with a little detergent.  You should first sweep the floor thoroughly to remove surface dirt and grit (also responsible for surface abrasions) and then with a fine dust mop.  After that simply mop the floor, and remember to rinse to make sure you do not leave any soapy residue.  After the floor has been cleaned you can consider re-sealing the floor to offer ongoing protection, but this does not need to be done every time you clean the floor.

If you wish to use a special cleaning product you should be careful to make sure it does not contain any acid or bleach as this can discolour or stain natural stone and the grout in particular.  Always ask for a recommendation and always follow the instructions.  If you find there is a stain that simply cannot be shifted, you may need to contact a company that deals with cleaning slate floors to restore it for you using equipment unavailable to you.

Stone cleaning

Natural stone tiles have become an increasingly popular choice for indoor flooring due to the eye catching appearance and durability which eases maintenance.  From a purely aesthetic point of view natural stone is available in a wide range of colours, designs and finishes (smooth and polished stones have a different appearance and offer different levels of resistance to staining and slippages) and even shapes which means your floor will have a unique natural finish.  The natural durability of stone means that it will be more resistant to scratches and surface damage than other types of flooring such as fabricated tiles, hardwood and vinyls.  This resistance will aid in your maintenance efforts although there are still some potential pitfalls.

The main way to keep your stone floor clean is to apply a good quality sealant to the surface.  A sealant acts as an additional layer of protection which will help to protect the floor against staining or damage from spillages.  It is important to apply the sealant to an already clean floor (sealants are equally effective at trapping stains in) and to make sure the right type of sealant is applied for the type of stone floor you have.  A stone floor cleaning specialist should be able to recommend a sealant for you.

It is also important to consider the tile grout when thinking about your floor.  Grout is a construction material – it usually consists of a mixture of sand, cement and water and is used to fill voids and seal joints – just like those between tiles.  Grout is a notoriously porous substance and this porosity means that it is extremely susceptible to staining from any type of dirt or spillage.  Even though grout only makes up a small portion of the surface area of the floor it is remarkable how much it can affect the overall appearance.  Grout is difficult to clean (not wipe clean) so you will need to consider prevention as a priority.  The application of a colour grout sealant should ensure your floor maintains an even and clean finish.

Once a floor has been cleaned and sealed you need to protect it from surface scratching.  Scratches occur less easily on natural stone than other surfaces but will still occur if care is not taken.  Most scratches occur (around 80% has been suggested as a probable percentage) as a result of grit and dirt particles walked in on the soles of shoes.  If you doubt this, just take a look at your shoes next time you walk in off the street.  Placing doormats at entrances combined with regular sweeping and vacuuming should reduce the amount of surface grit present which should reduce the risk of abrasions.  You should also consider taking care while moving heavy objects such as furniture as well as with sharp points such as chair legs.  Padded tips can be applied to help deal with this.

Cleaning your floor will be a relatively simple matter and can involve no more than using a mop and warm water with a little detergent or a neutral PH cleaner.  Once the floor has been swept, simply mop the floor to clean it.  You can concentrate on any stains there are but if you clean regularly these should come straight off.  Make sure to rinse the mop with clean water to make sure there is no soapy residue on the surface and then leave it to dry naturally – this process should be done weekly at least to be effective.  Periodically you should re-apply the sealant once the floor is clean and dry to facilitate future cleaning efforts.

If you find a stain you cannot shift or you notice a dulling or uneven appearance, it is possible that, due to negligence, that layers of bacteria resulting from spillages have built up over time to form a stain that is not easy to shift – or that the surface has become stained directly as a result of damage to the sealant.  In these cases you may wish to consult a stone cleaning company which will be able to effectively restore the floor for you.

Wood floor cleaning

Hard wood floors have been around for many years and were, for a time, a symbol of high class and aristocracy.  For many decades it didn’t prove to be a good investment as poor installation (directly above the ground meaning it rotted and warped from the bottom upwards) meant that it didn’t last long at all, while there was very little understanding of how to care for the wood itself at the time.  The problems of caring for wood remain much the same today as wood has not changed fundamentally in nature – what has changed is the techniques for installation and products available to protect your floor.  Although there is more common knowledge of how to care for wood nowadays, most people are still ignorant to the dangers present.

Hardwood floors are increasingly popular and have been growing in popularity since the 1950s.  Although there is a substantial investment involved (good wood is not cheap) a well protected floor simply looks classy and sophisticated and will add to any environment.  Following a few simple maintenance tips will aid your cleaning efforts and keep the floor looking good for years to come.

The best way to keep any floor clean is to stop it getting dirty.  This may sound obvious but you would be amazed how often it simply doesn’t happen.  The first stage to keeping the floor clean is to seal it, a stage which is recommended for all hard floors but is particularly relevant for hard wood.  A good sealer will protect the surface meaning that any staining will not affect the wood directly and it offers a protective layer which prevents liquid from seeping into the wood itself or into the joints between pieces.  You should make sure that you choose a good quality sealant and a wood floor cleaning specialist will be able to recommend one for you.

Protecting the floor means keeping it scratch and abrasion free.  Scratching damages the sealant and exposes the surface, but also damages the wood itself, allows a place for bacteria and grime to build up over time and also affects the overall look of the floor.  You will need to consider regular sweeping and vacuuming, use of doormats at entrances, padded tips on chair legs and taking care while moving heavy objects and furniture.

If you find that there is a stain on the floor you cannot shift, or that the floor becomes dulled or uneven in appearance it is possible that the sealant has worn and the wood itself has become damaged.  It is also possible that the staining is as a result of a surface build-up over time so you will need to contact a professional wood floor cleaning company to advise you.  You will need to be careful as once the wood has been marked, surface sanding, polishing and re-sealing will be necessary – and this can be an expensive process.

DIY – Cleaning slate floors

Slate is one of a number of natural stone floors which has become increasingly popular as a choice for indoor flooring.  Slate offers a number of advantages – aesthetically it offers a naturally beautiful and unique design which is visually appealing while in terms of maintenance it is a naturally durable and resistant material which is more resistant to staining and scratching than the majority of floors.

This piece is about DIY maintenance but it would be prudent to start with something that you shouldn’t do yourself and that is concerned with the installation.  It is highly recommended that slate be installed by an experienced professional who will install over a solid foundation and place directly over a layer of grout, before proceeding to apply grout to the gaps between the tiles.  This is notoriously difficult to do, and if not done correctly can lead to future maintenance problems.

Once the floor has been installed, the application of a sealant is a priority, and this is something you can do yourself.  Liquid sealants with seal the surface of the tiles can usually just be applied with a mop, but should be applied in various stages – just make sure you follow the instructions.  A separate sealant (colour grout sealant) should be applied to the grout, and you can consult a specialist in cleaning slate floors for a recommendation.  Just remember to make sure the floor is clean before you apply the sealant.

After the sealant has been applied you should mainly concern yourself with protecting the floor against damage, as the sealant will facilitate your cleaning efforts.  Spillages should, of course, be cleaned up as soon as they occur, but if possible you should try and avoid surface scratches which can damage the surface of the floor but also the sealant which protects it.  Surface scratches are usually caused by grit and dirt particles walked in on the soles of shoes so placing and using doormats is a good start as well as regular sweeping and vacuuming.

Once the floor has been swept – cleaning can involve no more than mopping with warm water and a little detergent or a neutral PH cleaner.  Just make sure you clean all parts of the floor, spending a little extra time on surface marks, and rinse regularly with clean water to remove any residue which may be left.  If you want to use a cleaning product be sure to avoid any with a bleach or acid content as this can discolour or mark natural stone – and ask a company specializing in cleaning slate floors to recommend one for you.

If you do find there is a surface build-up of staining which you cannot remove or that the floor has become damaged you may need to consult a professional but by following simple steps you may not have to for many years.

Professional stone floor cleaners

Stone floors are becoming increasingly popular for indoor flooring and certainly offer certain advantages in terms of appearance and durability.  Appearance wise, the type of look will depend on the material you choose – the most common affordable options being sandstone, limestone, granite and slate.  The variety available means that the floor can come in a wide range of colours, sizes, shapes and finishes.  In terms of durability and maintenance – natural stone can vary depending on which type you have chosen but they are almost always more durable and hard-wearing than many other types of available flooring.

Despite the obvious durability and increased resistance to surface scratching, you will still need to look after your stone floor to ensure that it keeps looking good for years to come.  Once you find that regular cleaning efforts cease to be effective you may be forced to call in professional stone floor cleaners to assist you – so following certain steps will aid you in avoiding this. 

As with so many things, prevention is the key to maintenance and it all starts with the installation.  Things can quickly go wrong if stone tiles are not installed correctly.  Stone should ideally be installed over a solid base foundation onto a layer of grout.  This grout (a construction material consisting of sand, water and cement) should then be used to fill the gaps between the tiles – which can be difficult to do correctly.  If all this is done correctly it should aid your maintenance which becomes little more than quick routine maintenance and cleaning.

The surface of the tiles should be sealed with a good quality sealant to protect it from build-up of grime and staining which can occur as a result of spillages.  It is important that a grout sealant is also applied to the tile grout as it is a porous substance meaning it will stain easily.  Make sure that the sealant is applied to an already clean floor and that the right type of sealant is chosen.  Any professional stone floor cleaners will be able to recommend one for you.

Cleaning should involve regular sweeping and vacuuming to remove surface dirt and grit (usually walked in on the soles of shoes) which should be done as often as possible.  After that the floor should be mopped with a fine dust mop and then simply washed with a mop, warm water and a little detergent.  Be careful to rinse so that there isn’t any residue from the detergent left on the floor and consult a specialist if you wish to utilize a certain cleaning product.  Periodically, after you have washed the floor, you should re-apply the surface sealant for ongoing protection.