How to clean natural stone flooring? Full guide to maintaining your floor

If you’re searching methods for “how to clean natural stone flooring?” in your house, don’t worry because we have some most accessible ways to clean and maintain your stone floors. Stone floors require daily cleaning and maintenance to upkeep their shine and natural texture. 

Roger Hunt urges caution before you start. ‘Think carefully before renovating an old stone floor. Stone floors may move, crack and become uneven, but they invariably benefit from the patina of age. All these characteristics are easily lost if the floor is lifted, relaid, or inappropriately cleaned.’ 

Full Guide on How to clean natural stone flooring?

Here is the full guide that’ll help you how to clean, maintain and prevent your natural stone flooring from damage:

For cleaning grease and dirt from stone floor:

Following are some tips to remove built-up layers of dirt and grease from your stone floors.

• Avoid general, all-purpose floor cleaners containing lemon juice, vinegar, or other acids on marble, limestone, or travertine; these will ruin the surface.
• Use a water-based product suitable for use on either sealed or unsealed stone.
• Dilute it with warm water according to the manufacturer’s instructions
• You can also use a floor mop or sponge
• Allow the product to work on the surface for 10-15 minutes
• Rinse several times with clean, warm water 
• Allow it to dry thoroughly.

For cleaning the old stone floors:

If you have an old stone natural floor, follow these steps to clean it:

• Avoid over-cleaning it, as this will destroy the aged patina, damaging its natural texture.
• Work gently using a non-acidic cleaner, such as washing soda, a soft scrubbing brush or mop, and clean water, but never soak the floor.’ 
• Wipe up spills instantly.
• Gently clean off inappropriate marks and staining.
• Sweep the floor regularly.

For dry clean stone floor:

The first step is to dry clean a stone floor to remove any loose dust, sand, or grit.

• Brush it with a soft brush, or gently vacuum it with the correct hard floor attachment. 
• Make sure your vacuum is in good condition to avoid being damaged by worn, rough-edged wheels and attachments.

For removing stains on the stone floor:

First, check with your flooring supplier for product-specific advice to remove stains from a stone floor.

• Choose a specialist stone floor cleaner for stubborn stains
• Pour a small amount neat directly onto the stain. 
• Let the product work for 15 minutes, then scrub with a brush to remove the stain. 
• Rinse with warm water 
• Allow it to dry thoroughly.

For cleaning the sealed stone floor:

Natural stone is porous, so sealing will protect it from stains and make it look the best for years to come. Here’s how you can maintain a sealed stone floor

• Sweep or vacuum it regularly to remove surface dirt
• Avoid general household cleaning products; they may be too abrasive and damage sealants, as can good old-fashioned scrubbing. 
• A stone floor will require re-sealing every few years to ensure maximum protection from stains. When you drop a little bit of water on the floor and see if it sits on the surface (as it should do) or starts to absorb into the floor (in which case it might be time to re-seal).

Also, read 10 Easy Minimalist home decor ideas and match your flooring ideas with it.

Things to avoid while cleaning natural stone floors:

• Don’t use patented brands of floor cleaners or soap. Nothing alkaline (bleach) and nothing acidic. 
• Prevent using ammonia-based cleaners; they will dull the surface
• Don’t mop every day 
• Avoid using excessive water, which is unsuitable for any natural material.
• Do not use a soap solution (this will leave a film that will gradually build up).
• Avoid using abrasive materials like steel wool, microfiber scrub pads, scrapers, or abrasive cleansers, as they will scratch the surface.

Conclusion:

By following the guide mentioned above on “how to clean natural stone flooring?”, believe me, you’ll get top-notch results. Maintaining it makes it the best flooring option. There is less possibility of stains and blemishes penetrating the stone and creating irreversible damage, as well as dusty grit and sand cleansing the stone surface, with a regular, gentle cleaning programme.

Also, read WHAT ARE THE BEST FLOORING OPTIONS TO USE IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM?