Stone Tile Floors are the good old way of flaunting your floors and the most fool-proof method of guaranteeing durable serviceability. These adorable-looking floors go ideally well with anything and everything, and while they serve us in such a dynamic manner, we’ve got to take the right care of them as much as possible.
With that said, if you’ve just switched to the usage or are pretty concerned about your stone tile floors going dull day by day, we’ve come up with just the right and super practical guide on How To Clean Natural Stone Tile Floor, including all aspects of dealing with them and of course addressing the major and minor issues, too.
Why Cleaning Of Natural Stone Tiles Floors Is Mandatory?
Like every home essential that needs cleaning on a daily basis, natural stone tiles also need cleaning to make your place more appealing. Below are reasons why cleaning natural stone is mandatory. Let’s explore them:
-
Preserve Beauty Of the Natural Stone Tiles
The dirt builds up on the surface of the tiles and dull its appearance. If you want its appearance to remain shiny, you must clean it, as mentioned below.
-
Prevention Of Damage
Cleaning of natural stone tiles will prevent damage from dust and debris. Furthermore, it also protects your floor from breakage.
-
Hygiene
The accumulation of dust and debris on the floor can be the reason for the growth of mold and mildew. Ultimately, it will also minimize health risks.
-
Longevity
The average lifespan of natural floor tiles is about thirty to forty years. Thoroughly cleaning these floors will increase their lifespan up to forty to fifty years.
-
Improve Safety
The spills and stains over the surface of natural floor tiles will increase the chances of the fall. So make sure that water does not accumulate on its surface.
-
Maintain The Property Value
A well-clean, natural stone tile floor installed on your property will increase your property value. So, if you are planning to sell your home, then make sure that the floor is in the best condition.
-
Improve Overall Comfort
A well-maintained natural stone will provide underfoot comfort. So, you can walk barefoot over this floor without hurting your feet.
How To Clean Stone Tile Floors
While stone tile floors might seem sturdy and unaffected by anything, they are prone to damage if dealt with the wrong way. Apart from dedicated commercial cleaners, which are the safest choice, it’s always a good idea to use mild and neutral household cleaning elements.
Here is a general compilation of supplies that you can consider for both day to day as well as detailed cleaning.
Supplies Needed In Cleaning Stone Tiles
- Stone Soap Cleaners
- Neutral Cleaners (with a pH level of 7)
- Dishwashing Detergents
- Clean Soft Fabrics/ Microfiber Mops
Cleaning Different Stone Floor Tiles
Since stone floors come within multiple design and construction types, it’s best to choose corresponding cleaning materials and equipment and never go otherwise.
Some common floor variety instances, along with their maintenance precautions, include:
1. Calcareous Tiles
If your stone floor tiles are calcareous (featuring a high calcium), then you need to strictly avoid their exposure to strong and pungent chemicals (those with acidic or alkaline nature) and only stick with mild and neutral cleaners to not cause any adverse reactions. Marble, Limestone, and Travertine are common examples of Calcareous Tiles.
2. Siliceous Tiles
Siliceous tiles are primarily composed of Silica. While these tiles do not generate a sudden reaction to the acidic elements, long-term exposure can easily cause them to react. Granite, Slate, and Quartzite are the common examples of Siliceous Tiles.
How To Clean Natural Stone Floors
At first sweep the floors with a broom and soft bristles to get rid of any loosened debris. Avoid using a vacuum cleaner at this point because natural stone floors are easily susceptible to scratching.
For cleaning natural stone tile floors, it’s best to go with stone soap cleaners or neutral ones and mix them with warm water, according to the quantity mentioned on the packaging.
Alternatively, you can use a mild dishwashing detergent to mix with warm water and make a cleaning solution.
Opt for a soft and absorbent cleaning fabric or a microfiber mop to dip within the commercial/ DIY cleaning solution and work your way across the entire floor after a proper rinsing.
Let the floor(s) dry out thoroughly, and if you’re running out of time, you can also use a cleaning cloth or towel to wipe off any moisture or cleaner residue.
How To Clean Ceramic Tile Floor
Start by lightly sweeping the ceramic tile floor with either a vacuum or, at best, a microfiber duster so as to pick up any of the surface buildup or hair.
For cleaning ceramic tile floors, mix an all-purpose cleaner or simply dish soap with warm water. For a homemade cleaner recipe, you can also stick to using vinegar since ceramic tiles are generally sturdy and resistant in nature.
Dip your rag or mop into the cleaning mixture and squeeze it well to eliminate most of the liquid. You should only work with a damp mop and never a wet one.
Go over the entire floor space with gentle and uniform strokes while being careful about changing both the mop pads and cleaning batches as soon as they turn dirty. At this point, you can also carry out grout cleaning, if necessary, with either a commercial grout cleaner or simply a bleach mixture, letting it stay for a couple of minutes, followed by rinsing it off.
Wipe off the entire floor space with a clean cloth, carefully addressing all the moisture or cleaner residue-containing areas.
You May Need To Know How To Clean Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring?
How To Clean Porcelain Tile Floor
Start by sweeping your floors thoroughly and you can make use of both a broom set or a vacuum cleaner for this purpose, as long as you’re satisfied with the effectiveness.
For cleaning porcelain tile floors, a mixture of up to one gallon of warm water and around one-fourth cup of vinegar will be the most efficient approach, as besides general cleaning, this will help get rid of any of the staining, too.
You can either make use of a large mop or a sponge for cleaning your floors with the vinegar solution, whatever you find to be the most effective for gentle and effective scrubbing.
Go over the entire floor with clean water to rinse the vinegar solution residue. You can also do that with the help of a damp cloth.
Finish off by wiping the entire area with a clean and dry fabric or let the floor get dry on its own.
You May Need To Know How To Clean Floors Without Mop?
How To Clean Rough Stone Tile?
Textured or rough stone tiles are likely to become a little demanding when it comes to cleaning them since the surface you’ll be working with isn’t even or level. The same goes for grout on such floors.
However, you can try out this simple method and expect impressive outcomes from it.
- Start by vacuuming or sweeping the loose dirt by following the path of the tiles in the first place. Then, work in a diagonal direction so as to achieve a thorough cleaning.
- Remember, if there is a tile sealer or polish present, you’ll need to use a removal product before moving to the cleaning.
- Make a somewhat loose paste of Baking soda and water and scrub it onto the tile with the help of a handheld scrubbing brush while mainly focusing on the grout as well as visible staining.
- Let the paste sit on the floor while you go to prepare the vinegar solution. Add 50-50 proportion of water and distilled vinegar to the spray bottle, then spray it thoroughly over the Baking soda paste.
- To ensure a rich saturation, you’ll notice a fizzing up as the vinegar and baking soda react together, which is, in other words, a reaction of an acidic and alkaline nature.
- Give the floor another round of good scrubbing just as the fizz-up appears, then let the mixture stay on the floor for 5 minutes.
- Finish off by rinsing the treated area with a particularly clean and damp mop while ensuring no dirt transfer with either the mop or water batch by changing them repeatedly.
You May Need To Know How To Clean Brick Floors?
Dos And Don’ts Of Cleaning Stone Tile Floors
There are several factors that you particularly need to consider while cleaning the stone tile floors to retain both their look and beauty.
- Consider regular dust mopping of your stone tile floors to not let the situation become adverse over time. Also, do ensure using welcome or door mats at entrance spaces to stop dirt transfer to the floors.
- Don’t forget to clean up the entire space with plenty of water, post any soap or detergent usage, and allow maximum time for the floors to dry.
- Avoid abrasive cleaners (soft/dry cleaners) and mixing harsh chemicals without sound knowledge or appropriate recommendations. When using vacuum cleaners, remove the plastic or metal attachments before cleaning to avoid scratching.
- Do ensure protecting the stone floor surface with stone sealers, as this will not just keep water and oil damage at bay but will also prevent any cleaner reaction from taking place and harming the tile construction.
- For extremely stubborn stains, particularly those that fail all your cleaning techniques, don’t hesitate to consider professional assistance rather than continuing wrong cleaning attempts.
Additional Tips for Cleaning Natural Stone Tile Floor
When dealing with particular staining of stone tile floors, a little and regular effort with a pro flooring guide can save you from considerable trouble in the future and will also restrain minor issues from getting big.
Look at these smart ways of addressing various types of floor stains.
- Clean spills, splashes, and stains as soon as they take place, as this will stop them from drying out and ultimately be critical to get rid of.
- A general stain removal approach begins by removing any loose debris in the area and flushing it with mild soap and plain water. Use plenty of water to rinse and a soft cloth to wipe off, and you should be able to clear out any basic or minor staining successfully.
- For the oil-based stains, such as grease, milk, makeup, or oil itself, you’ll need to dab the area lightly with a cotton ball soaked in Acetone, then wiping it off with a damp sponge.
- Opt for using Hydrogen Peroxide (about 12%) and Ammonia (just a drop) to address water-based stains like pet urine, coffee, or tea by rubbing with a soft cloth. Finish off in the same way by wiping with a damp sponge. Hydrogen peroxide also works for moss, fungi, and algae.
- For Resistant Stains, you’ll need to use a Poultice made from a cleaner and any powder you choose, such as powdered chalk, dry kaolin clay, or simply talc. Spread the mixture over the stain, followed by covering it with plastic wrap and letting it sit for the next 24-48 hours before wiping it off.
- Another remedy for oil stains is to mix and apply half a cup of baking soda and a tablespoon of water. And as for the water-based ones, you can mix and apply half a cup of talc with essentially a tablespoon of Acetone.
FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Maintain Your Natural Stone Floor?
Use area rugs and non-slip mats across the entire space and immediately wipe off all the spills. As for the cleaning, it’s a good idea to make use of either stone soaps or detergents with mild formulas so as to not cast any damage to the floor construction.
Besides, you need to ensure a thorough rinsing as well as drying of the natural stone floor, post cleaning it.
Can You Steam Clean Stone Floors?
Steam cleaning isn’t recommended for stone floors at all, as it is most likely to do more harm than good.
The hot steam from the steam cleaners can cause the removal of the sealer, and the worst-case scenarios include spalling of the floor surface if done excessively or repeatedly.
Instead, you should opt for a basic yet regular cleaning that involves home remedies or, at best, mild and dedicated floor cleaners.
How Can I Remove Soap Scum From Natural Stone?
The best and most appropriate recommendation in this regard is to use a soap-scum remover with a non-acidic formula. Apart from that, you can also make a solution for ammonia by mixing around half a cup of ammonia with a gallon of water.
However, excessive usage of Ammonia can also cause dullness of the stone floor surface, so there does exist a requirement for considerate and infrequent usage.
How Do You Clean Stone Tiles Indoors?
Mopping the indoor stone tiles every week is quite a compelling maintenance idea. Besides, for a proportional idea of making the cleaner, you can take around 2 to 3 capfuls of a mild and neutral stone soap cleaner and mix it into a bucket full of warm water.
Cleaning with this solution will not only help you get rid of all the dirt and dust buildup but will also retain the beauty of your stone tiles.
Is It Okay To Mop A Stone Floor?
Mopping is quite acceptable when it comes to cleaning and maintaining stone floors. Moreover, when using a mop, you can also work well over problematic areas and scrub them well.
Allow your used cleaner to stay on the floor for at least 10 to 15 minutes before you rinse the treated area with clean and warm water several times. Alternatively, you can use a sponge if you haven’t got a mop.
Is It Okay To Use Vinegar On Stone Tiles?
Using vinegar over stone tiles is not, under any circumstances, a good idea since the acidic nature of vinegar can lead to considerable damage. Several stones, such as Limestone, marble, or travertine, generate an adverse reaction due to the acidity of vinegar.
Therefore, its usage isn’t a good idea, even if your online flooring is made of other stones, since the results are meant to be either burning or the stone surface. Therefore, it’s best to play safe and opt for harmless alternatives.
Final Words
From the above discussion on how to clean natural stone tile floor. Ensure you have purchased natural stone tiles from a well-known manufacturer and clean them according to the ways described earlier in the blog. If you are still confused at some point, you can ask in the comment section.
