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.