Do’s & Dont’s in Natural Stone Care

DO’S & DONT’S IN STONE CARE

Natural stone in your home or office is an investment that will give you many years of beautiful services. Stone is a natural product and simple care and maintenance will keep it looking beautiful. Here are some recommendations for routine care and cleaning.

Precautions

There are a few most important things that you can do to keep you natural stone surface healthy and beautiful for years to come.

Remove any dust, grit, and sand from the stone’s surface.
Clean up accidental spills as soon as possible.
Use coasters under all glasses, particularly those containing alcohol or citrus juices. Many common foods and drinks contain acids that will etch or dull the stone surface. This is especially true for calcareous natural stones such as marble, onyx, and travertine.
Daily cleanings should be accompanied by periodic deep cleanings.

Do not place hot items directly on the stone surface. Use trivets or mats under hot dishes and placemats under china, ceramics, silver or other objects that can scratch the surface
DON”T use vinegar, lemon juice, or other acid containing cleaners such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners, or tub & tile cleaners on your stone.
DON’T use abrasive cleaners such as dry cleansers or soft cleansers.
DON’T mix bleach and ammonia; this combination creates a toxic and lethal gas.
DON’T ever mix chemicals together unless directions specifically instruct you to do so.

Protect your natural stone floors near entry ways with non slip mats or area rugs. This helps to remove any loose dirt or sand from shoes.
Frequent dust mopping, vacuuming, and sweeping of your natural stone floors will prevent the accumulation of grit and grime. This will also slow the rate of deterioration caused by foot traffic grinding in dirt, sand, or grit.
Wet mop using a mild vegetable soap and water solution OR a stone cleaner made especially for stone. Many qualified stone technicians believe that damp mopping with clear water EVERY day to clean soiled areas is all that is necessary to keep your stone floor clean. Most often, the floor will be damp mopped less frequently and a soap and water or stone cleansers should be used.
Quick daily cleanings should be accompanied by periodic deep cleanings. How often you deep clean your stone will depend on the usage. Having children and pets will require more frequent deep cleanings.
Daily spot cleaning. This is simply wiping up any accidental spills promptly. If you do get a stain, attend to it as soon as possible with a slightly stronger solution of detergent and then a poultice if the detergent cleaner is unsuccessful.

DO NOT

Damp mop your floor with vinegar, lemon juice, or other cleaners containing acids on Marble, Travertine, Limestone, or Onyx surfaces. This can seriously damage your stone.
Damp mop your floor with a commercially available cleaner unless it indicates it’s SAFE for your Granite and Marble care.
Use a vacuum cleaner with worn or missing wheels.

Wipe up any spills as soon as possible. If left unattended, the spills can etch the polish and dull the finish of the stone. Beverages such as coke and orange juice contain acidic materials that when in contact with calcium based stones (marble, limestone, travertine, and onyx) can deteriorate the stone. This doesn’t burn a hole through your stone, it just loses its finish in the area of contact.
Use coasters or placemats on your natural stone surfaces. Rinse and dry your natural stone surface after washing. This is very effective on dark stones to get rid of streaks. Miracle cloths are very effective for drying your darker stone to a streak free finish.
Daily spot cleaning is simply wiping up any accidental spills promptly. If you do get a stain, attend to it as soon as possible with a slightly stronger solution of detergent and then a poultice if the detergent cleaner is unsuccessful

DO NOT

Use products that contain lemon, vinegar, or other acids on Marble, Limestone, Onyx, or Travertine.
Use scouring powders or creams.
Use more cleanser than recommended.

Clean your bathroom vanity top regularly with a Marble and
Granite Cleaner, intended for Natural Stone.
Clean your mirrors with the same solution.
Apply a penetrating sealer if needed.

DO NOT

Clean Marble, Travertine, Limestone, or Onyx Surfaces with vinegar, lemon juice, or other cleaners containing acids.
Use bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners, or tub and tile cleaners that contain acids.
Clean with dry or soft cleansers that contain abrasive.
Clean your vanity mirror with a household cleaner if it’s above a Natural Stone vanity.
Use any powder cleaner, or any cream cleaner, such as Soft Scrub®.
Paint your nails on your Marble vanity top, or perm your hair anywhere near it.
Put any wet bottle, such as perfume and after shave, on top of a Marble vanity.

Always Remove Soap Scum with a product intended for Marble or Granite.
Monitor your grout and caulk lines periodically and address any problems immediately.

DO NOT

Use just any cleanser, either in a powdery or creamy form.
Frequently use ammonia solutions. Your surface will dull over time.
Clean your Granite or Marble shower walls with any generic soap film removers.
Use any generic mildew stain removers such as TILEX MILDEW STAIN REMOVERyour polished stone shower wall.
Scrub with any magic self-cleaner such as Scrub Free® or any harsh disinfectant such as Lysol®.