Contents

Know more about this
(or any other) subject?

Show off your know-how at Quamut Wiki.

Learn more with these titles from Barnes & Noble

Haley's Cleaning Hints

Green This! Volume 1: Greening Your Cleaning

Sink Reflections

Good Housekeeping Stain Rescue!: The A-Z Guide to Removing Smudges, Spots and Other Spills

Previous:
How to Clean Wood Floors

Next:
How to Clean Laminate Floors

How to Clean Stone Floors

Stone floors lend strength and durability to your home. If you have stone floors, you have two major tasks: to protect your stone from stains and to maintain the floor’s finish.

Hard Stone Floors

Hard stone floors are made from siliceous stone such as granite, slate, quartz, or sandstone. These are harder and less porous than other types of stone and are less susceptible to staining and chipping, but they are still susceptible to stains.

Sealing: Sealants offer hard stone floors some protection from stains. Clean floors thoroughly with a stone cleaner, let them dry, and apply a penetrating sealer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Reapply sealants once per year.
Dusting: Use an untreated dry dust mop or a synthetic dust mop to remove dirt and dust. Never use a stiff-bristled broom or a vacuum cleaner with a beater brush—they can scratch the finish on even the hardest stone floors.
Mopping: Use a pH-neutral cleaner designed for stone and a slightly damp mop to wash hard stone floors. Avoid alkaline cleansers, which can damage the stone.

Soft Stone Floors

Marble, limestone, onyx, and travertine belong to the calcareous family of stones, which are softer and more porous than siliceous stones. Calcareous stones stain and chip easily and can be damaged by acidic cleaning agents.

Sealing: All soft stone floors should be sealed to protect them against moisture and stains. Ask your dealer whether the flooring was sealed prior to installation, or just sprinkle a few drops of water onto your existing floor—if the stone absorbs the water, then the stone either was never sealed or needs resealing.
Dusting: Remove surface dirt from soft stone with an untreated dust mop. Vacuums and stiff-bristled brooms can scratch the stone, so avoid using them.
Mopping: Vinegar and other acidic cleaners can etch marble, which ruins its appearance and requires costly repairs. Use a few drops of mild dishwashing detergent in a bucketful of water to mop marble flooring, or purchase a pH-neutral stone cleaner from a hardware store or flooring dealer.