Best Cleaning Equipment for Natural Stone Floors

3 METHODS FOR CLEANING NATURAL STONE FLOORS

In Cleaning & Maintenance by Charles

Natural stone floors such as Marble, Granite, Limestone and Slate should be regularly cleaned the same as other floor surface materials but more so with polished Marble, Granite and Limestone floors.

Here are 3 different methods for regular cleaning of a natural stone floor, and the benefits of each method. Whether you have a small apartment or 5-bedroom house one or two of these methods will be suitable for you. All 3 methods are suitable for polished, mat finish and sealed floors.

QUICK LINKS

DIRT AND GRIT WILL LEAD TO SCRATCHES

If you leave bits of dirt and grit on the floor as the area is walked on and those particles are worked into the stone, it will contribute to scratching and pitting of the stone. The scratches and pitting are very fine and most of these scratches are not visible to the naked eye. When you have enough of them the floor will look dull and dirty even after cleaning.

Dry Flat Mop

To avoid or delay costly re-polishing and/or restoration works it is a good idea to at least regularly sweep, dry mop or vacuum these areas even if it does not appear to be dirty. Do not assume a shiny floor is clean, a simple test of wiping an area that looks clean with a clean dry paper towel will show you how much dust, dirt and grit etc that can accumulate in just one day.

Correct Vacuum Floor Tool Setting For Stone Floors
Correct Vacuum Floor Tool Setting For Stone Floors

DITCH THE OLD MOP AND BUCKET

Most of us when we leave home will move into a small flat maybe just 1 bedroom, kitchen and bathroom etc and we buy a mop and bucket to clean the place. We will then move to a larger property 2 or 3 bed apartment with two bathrooms etc or a small house and still have just a little mop and bucket for cleaning. Things are great, you buy a bigger house extend the kitchen with a conservatory as well and you now have 5 bathrooms, a marble hallway floor and all the rest of it but still use just the little mop and bucket. You buy the house next door and knock through……  Well you can see where I am going here!

I am sure most of you or your domestic staff will change the water in the bucket as you move from room to room cleaning your property but, it is still the same mop head, and in my experience, it is very rare for households to have a different mop for each type of surface. Using the old-fashioned mop and bucket method you are basically spreading the dirt thinner and as soon as you dip you mop in the bucket the second time you are just spreading dirty water across your floors.  I say ditch the mop and bucket and move to a flat mop system.

FIRST METHOD: BUY A FLAT MOP AND SEVERAL MOP HEADS

One of the best ways to clean a polished hallway marble floor in my opinion is to sweep or vacuum the floor first.  Mix a solution of warm or hot water and a mild detergant suitable for a stone floor. In the UK and Europe brands like Lithofin and HG have suitable products for stone floors.

HALLWAY STONE FLOOR

Starting at your entrance which is generally the worst area spray a fine mist of your solution on an area of no more than 2 square metres and mop the area before it dries crucially as you move through your marble or limestone hallway floor change the mop head before it becomes saturated with the dirt and your cleaning solution.  Depending on the length of your hallway you will have used two, three or four flat mop heads.

KITCHEN FLOOR

In your kitchen it is unlikely that you will have a polished marble floor, but Limestone, Granite and Slate are popular in these areas for homes that I have visited. I find in the larger kitchens it is best to use one mop head in front of the cooker another in front of the sink then change it again for the area in front of the fridge finally one or two for the remaining areas of the kitchen. In a small galley kitchen go over the area two or three times After each application you will see the mop heads are cleaner or have less dirt on them after use indicating that you are removing all the dirt. A small kitchen will only take you a couple of minutes using this method.

WASH AND DRY

Once you have moved through your property cleaning all the floors in the same manner, gather together all the used mop heads wash and dry them with your other cleaning cloths and the next time you clean your property it will be with clean and fresh mop heads and cloths etc. Rather than the same old dirty mop head that you may have had for weeks or months.

The Benefits of using a flat mop:

SECOND METHOD: BUY A STEAM CLEANER

A VERSATILE MACHINE THAT CAN BE USED ALL AROUND THE HOUSE
GOOD INVESTMENT

The second method I would suggest to you is to use a steam cleaner there are many different brands available and most are supplied with a floor attachment for hard floor surfaces. Just like the flat mop system you should buy several of the microfibre floor cloths enough to do all the rooms in your property, however, they can be expensive for what they are. I have personally just bought loads of ordinary microfibre cloths from the super market and found a way to quickly attach them to the floor tool, depending on the model you choose I am sure you will too, you can also cut up old towels to use and they work just as well

QUICK AND EASY

Steam cleaners a very quick and easy to use for cleaning floors, simply fill with cold water and switch them on. While you are sweeping or vacuuming the floor it will heat up and will indicate to you when it is ready for use. As you steam an area it lifts the dirt which stays on the cloth, within a minute or two the area is dry and ready for use.

Modern steam cleaners are light and heat up very quickly, about the same time or quicker than an electric kettle.  I use a larger model with a small refillable water tank for continuous steam so do your research and buy one that best suits the size of your property. Steam cleaners are also perfect for cleaning the grout joints in tiled walls and floors, cleaning around taps, removing the grease from your cooker hob and many other uses around your property so they are a good investment.

NO CHEMICALS NEEDED

Another benefit of using steam cleaners is you do not need any chemicals. The steam effortlessly cuts through dirt and grease as it cleans and sanitizes the area. The same as with the flat mops do not allow the floor cloths to become saturated with water and dirt change the as often as you can, remember steam quickly turn to water as it cools.

If you wish to use a cleaning agent, mix up a small bottle of cleaning solution with water.  Working in small areas at a time, mist spray the area and steam clean it straight away.  This works well for heavily soiled areas and you can repeat the process as many times as possible until it is clean, also remember to change the cloth frequently. Never add any chemicals to the water tank of your steam cleaner as it may spoil the heating element inside it. Always read and follow the manufactures guidelines.

The Benefits of using a Steam Cleaner:

THIRD METHOD: BUY A WET-VAC

A WET-VAC is a vacuum cleaner that sucks up water as opposed to dust and dirt etc. The 2 main differences are it has a water float inside the base of the vacuum instead of a dust filter and bag. The float protects the electric motor from water. The second thing you will notice is the floor tool has a rubber squeegee fitted instead of the floor brush.

BEST FOR LARGER PROPERTIES

The third and final method is mainly aimed at the larger and busier households with a little extra storage space. You may have some children, pets and areas coming off the garden that get a little muddy. You can buy wet-vacs that are about the same size as the Red Henry Vacuums that we all familiar with. Wet-Vacs as well as being useful for cleaning floors they are handy to have around if you have major spillage or a burst water pipe. You can use them to clear a lot of standing water you can even use them to dry a spillage on a carpet or rug and in that respect, they could save you a lot of money as they are very reasonably priced in my view.

USING THE WET-VAC

The method for using a wet-vac is to wet the area with just hot water no chemicals should be used, agitate the area with a soft broom or brush and immediately dry the floor with your wet-vac. You should work in small areas of about 2 square metres at a time until the area is clean. This method is a little slower, but you have the advantage of not having to sweep or vacuuming the floor first. Once you wet the floor and loosened the dirt with your broom the wet-vac just sucks everything up and the floor is dried straight away leaving the area safe and ready for use.

HONED LIMESTONE AND RIVEN SLATE

It is one of the best methods for cleaning porous Natural Stone floors like unfilled and honed Travertine, and other types of honed Limestone and Marble.  When you have loosened the dirt with hot water the wet-vac just sucks all the dirt out of the stone.  I also use them to great effect on riven slate floors and other areas with a textured finish.

LOW FOAMING CLEANING CHEMICALS

If you wish to use cleaning chemicals, be careful to only use low foaming cleaning chemicals with your wet-vac as it causes bubbles which may spoil the motor. HG Neutral Cleaner is stated by the manufacture to be suitable for such machines. I would suggest just using a small amount and do not exceed the manufacturers recommended dosage.

Wet-vacs can be used in addition to one of the other methods and are also a good way of keeping the grout clean if used regularly. Cement based grout is more porous than most natural stones and wet-vacs are good for drawing the dirt out of them.

The Benefits of using a Wet-Vac

CLEANING CHEMICALS FOR DAILY USE

When selecting a product for regular or daily cleaning of a natural stone floor use chemicals that are described as being neutral. Avoid any products that contain acids or bleach and any other chemicals which could affect the polish or seal on a stone. Acid based products will eat into the stone and remove a shine in seconds. Bleach will cause a polished stone to lose its shine over a longer period and will slowly remove a seal or wax finish.

If it is described as mildly alkaline it is suitable for natural stone, but it should not be used in concentrated form.

I prefer not to use products that are described as a shine restorer as these generally contain additives like wax that build up on the stone and eventually must be stripped off. Any products described as deep clean, power clean or extreme clean are not suitable for daily cleaning.

The two products I use regularly are HG Neutral Cleaner and Lithofin Easy Care both are readily available in tile shops, DIY centres and online.

Lithofin Easy Care is best used with the flat mop system as described above, as it should be left to dry on the surface of the stone for best results.

HG Neutral Cleaner is suitable for use with a wet-vac as it is low foaming, it is also suitable for use with a steam cleaner (but not in it) and a flat mop HG Neutral Cleaner does not require that some of the product must dry on the surface of the stone for the best results.