Tips for Cleaning & Maintaining Natural Stone

To best ensure that your natural stone sustains a lifetime of aesthetics and durability, proper care and maintenance is essential. Natural stone is typically more porous than other cermaics, requiring a more intricate approach to cleaning and upkeep.

Many of the cleaners commonly used used for ceramic tile can end up staining or damaging stone. It's thus important when cleaning a natural stone, such as granite, you use a cleaning solution that's free of acids and chemicals. Even a light mixture of vinegar and water can potential harm natural stone over time.

In addition to what you use to clean and maintain natural stone, how you clean the natural stone is equally important. Because stone is more fragile than ceramics, small granules of dirt and sand can actually scratch the surface when cleaning. Therefore, you should always sweep the natural stone surface prior to cleaning it.

Cleaning Natural Stone

It is important that you only use cleaners that are specifically designed for natural stone. These types of cleaners will be acid-free and are concentrated neutral pH cleaners. This will ensure that the existing seal or wax-type coating is not blemished during the cleaning process.

Before cleaning granite or any natural stone, make sure the surface of the stone is dampened with clear water. This will help the cleaning solution to be more effective. The best way to apply stone cleaners is using a sponge or mop (typically for natural tile flooring) or by using a spray bottle or mister (typically for granite or natural stone countertops.) Once applied, allow the cleaning solution to sit for manufacturer's suggested amount of time. Next, carefull scrub the natural stone surface with a with a clean sponge, mop, or soft bristle brush.

Finishing Natural Stone

Once the natural stone has been effectively cleaned, you can periodically apply a finish or wax to further enhance the beauty of polished stone. First, apply the finish with a spray bottle and immediately buff the surface with a nylon pad. Depending on the age of the granite or natural stone, re-apply the polish or wax finishing solution as often as needed. You can typically find granite polish and sealants in retail stores our on the web.

Heavy-Duty Natural Stone Cleaning

In some areas where natural stone has been neglected, you may need to resort to a more heavy-duty stone cleaner to effectively remove dirt, grease, and floor finishes. In these case, try to find a heavy-duty granite or marble cleaner that has low amounts of concentrated organic cleaning compounds. These types of cleaning products are ideally concentrated to deeply clean natural stone without causing any harm or damage. You can also look into some refinishing kits that include everything you need for heavy-duty natural stone cleaning.

Maintaining and cleaning natural stone is an ongoing endeavor that takes the righe approach as well as diligence. We hop these tips will help you keep your granite or marble surfaces shining for many years to come.