Cleaning Natural Stone, Marble, Granite, Slate

Sherrie
by Sherrie
Cleaning granite, marble, slate, sandstone, travertine tile require special care. So how do you do that? If you keep the manufactories guidelines start with their directions. For everyone else I will give you the generic version. Which means I will tell you the safest way possible to clean it.
Counter Tops: use a neutral cleaner, stone soap, or a drop or two of mild dish soap such as Ivory. To much clean will leave a film on your counter tops. Use a clean soft cloth such as a micro fiber cloth. I love them! And rinse often.
Do not use vinegar, lemon juice or other acids, do not use scouring powers such as Comet, or soft abrasive cleans such as Soft Scrub on Marble, or Limestone.
Flooring: Dust Mop, vacuum with a hardwood attachment or turn off the roller bars on your vacuum cleaners.
Clean water and a PH 7 Cleaner, soapless cleaners are the best, or you can use a phosphate free dish soap or you can use a stone soap but unless you really rinse it will leave a film. I use a micro fiber mop, Rinse, rinse, rinse. Cleaners leave streaks unless they are PH 7 cleaners. I still even rinse them. Dry it! With a soft cloth or dry micro-fiber mop.
Showers-Baths: When you squeegee it after each use it will prevent build up of soap scum. Use a non-acidic cleaner, or a little bit of mild dish soap. Or if its really really bad you can use 1/2 cup ammonia to a gallon of water. If you over use this it will due the stone. This is a emergency for a lot of build up. I use mild dish soap and a soft scrub brush and rinse and dry.
Cleaning Marble, Granite, Slate
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  2 questions
  • Geraldine Chislett Geraldine Chislett on Mar 01, 2016
    Do you know how to make a homemade cleaner for Onyx???
  • Stacey Stacey on Sep 29, 2022

    I have a marble floor in my shower. The marble is in good continue but the white grout is getting discolored. What type of abrasive can I use to clean this? Once it’s clean what type of sealer should I use to seal the ground? Thanks in advance and the tile is little 2” tiles in herringbone pattern so it may be hard to paint on.

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