How to Care for Marble, Granite, Travertine, and Other Natural Stone Surfaces and Their Grout

Stone Care Tips

In order to understand how to care for your natural stone, it is helpful to understand what causes a floor or countertop to lose its shine, develop a spot or become stained.

Stone is damaged by one of three actions:

Grinding dust, dirt and grit underfoot or under-mat

Sand paper is the most common thought of abrasive. When dirt is trapped under foot or under a carpet it acts much the same way, carving out small areas of stone to leave a scratch. In most cases these scratches are very small. However once present, that scratch does two things. First, this area of the stone no longer reflects light properly, creating a haziness or dull reflection, and second, this small imperfection on the stone surface no serves to guide the next piece of dirt ground under foot down its length to carve it out more deeply. The net results in that small scratches beget larger scratches over time. Small scratches accumulate to reduce your shine, reflectivity and beauty.

Interaction with acidic materials.

Nobody would KNOWINGLY pour acid onto their floor. Yet, unknowingly it happens every day by accident or on purpose. Fruit juices, shampoos, mixed drinks, vinegar, salad dressing, pet messes, soda and many floor cleaners incorporate acids. Acid dissolves CaCO3. Marble, limestone, saturnia, travertine, terrazzo, and many other natural stones are therefore susceptible to acid etching. Often referred to as water marks or spots when small, these annoying occurences are caused by spot acid spills.

In showers, entire areas of wall can lose their luster due to interactions over time with shampoos containing "natural fruit extracts or acids."

Vinegar is very acidic, yet it has been recommended as a floor cleaner for centuries. Unfortunately, not only does vinegar etch marble, but acidic cleaners of this type will also dissolve and leech out grout dyes slowly fading your grout. Acid has long been recognized as "helpful" in dissolving and removing dirt. Unfortunately it cannot tell the difference between dirt, and stone. Any cleaner needs to specifically state that it is marble-safe before being introduced to your floor or stone. If the cleaner is non-acidic the manufacturer will likely include this claim, as they want their product used widely.

Staining - Absorption of a foreign material

All stone is naturally porous to some extent. If you have ever poured water onto concrete or slate and watched it change color you are seeing the impact of a liquid on a porous substrate. All stone in its natural state will absorb liquids to some extent until sealed or in the case of many counter top slabs today are resinated. In either case, until the stone's pores are sealed or filled they are available to absorb liquids. Sealing a stone is a very quick process resulting in virtually no down time. However stain removal can require patience, repeated application of chemical poultice to remove the stain, significant downtime, all with no guarantee of complete success.

Stone Care Guidelines

Equipped with a basic understanding of what we seek to avoid, there are a few basic guidelines to caring for your stone floors, vanities, walls, counter tops and other stone surfaces.

Managing Dust, Grit & Debris

Dust mop your floors regularly.
When cleaning your floors - remember that unless you are cleaning up a dried spill - you want to work with a damp mop. A damp mop is one that has been wrung out to the point of being almost dry. Just as you might moisten your finger to pick up the corner of a piece of paper, your damp mop is intended to pick-up any lose dust, debris or oil on the floor and transfer it to your mop bucket. A wet mop tends to float dirt into your grout lines accelerating the darkening of your grout.
A welcome mat, preferably one with brushed surface, capable of brushing off lose dirt before your guest enters your home and steps onto your beautiful stone.
If you are managing a hotel or commercial property, consider using an interior walk-off mat that is at least two strides or about 6 feet deep from the door. In a residential environment a carpet in the foyer does much the same thing.
If your carpet has a rough jute backing you will want to add a non-slip mat beneath the carpet. This does two things. First, it prevents the hard jute itself from wearing the floor as the carpet moves back and forth. Second, the soft mat reduces the grinding pressure on any dirt that gets trapped beneath the carpet.
Consider your shoe selections - yes this falls under the case of how far do you want to go, but removing your shoes is the best way to eliminate wear underfoot. However, this becomes a lifestyle choice.

Cleaning While Avoiding Acids - NOTE: Most granites, ceramics and porcelains are NOT impacted by acids. However, the grout still is. Acids can dissolve and leech out the dyes used to color the grout, slowly fading the color.

No vinegar - The use of vinegar as a stone cleaner dates back centuries. However, it is not recommended for use on a polished stone surface.
All cleaning products that come in contact with your stone, must be non-acidic, and should state explicitly that they are marble-safe. MARBLELIFE manufactures a full line of marble, granite and tile safe products ranging from cleaners, polishes, soap removers, etch removers, and sealers.
Keep mops, rags, sponges, dust mops and other supplies to clean the marble separate from other cleaning supplies. Acid transfer from one cleaning job to another will impact your finish over time.

Avoiding Stains

Seal your stone surfaces every year or two as needed. For many people remembering is the most difficult part of their maintenance effort. Call MARBLELIFE and ask to be added to their bi-annual maintenance mailer and you will receive a bi-annual reminder, or sign-up for MARBLELIFE's annual maintenance check-up. MARBLELIFE can stop in to clean your tile and stone, address any spot etches, and seal your surfaces to insure your stone maintains its finish and appearance for years to come. As always, a little periodic maintenance can save you a ton in the long run.

Periodic Maintenance

Set up a Professional Maintenance Program with MARBLELIFE to schedule your periodic maintenance procedures. MARBLELIFE maintains more hotels and commercial properties than anyone else in the country. MARBLELIFE has high traffic commercial and hotel properties that have been maintained successfully without the need for further restoration for more than 15 years.
Let us help you manage the details.

Cleaning Procedures & Recommendations

General Cleaning

Clean stone surfaces with a neutral cleaner such as MARBLELIFE's Intercare Marble or Granite Cleaner designated safe for natural stone.
Use a clean mop on floors and a soft cloth for other surfaces for best results.
Don't use more than the recomended amount of any cleaning product. Too much may leave a film or streak.
Change rinse water frequently. A good rule of thumb is if you cannot see the bottom of your bucket, it is time to change the water. Failure to change the water will result in a gradual darkening and staining of your grout lines, as dirt is moved from the tile surface to the grout lines.
Do not use products that contain lemon, fruit extracts, vinegar or other acids on marble, travertine or limestone as these can spot or etch the surface of the stone.
Do not use scouring powders or creams; these products contain abrasives that may scratch the surface. If seeking to remove soap scum from shower walls, consider MARBLELIFE's SoapScum Remover to safely remove soap without risk of scratching your surface.

Floor Surfaces

Dust mop interior floors frequently using a clean non-treated dry dust mop. Sand, dirt and grit do the most damage to natural stone surfaces due to their abrasiveness.
Mats or area rugs inside and outside an entrance will help to minimize the sand, dirt and grit that can scratch a stone floor.
Be sure that the underside of the mat or rug is a non-slip flexible surface.
Do not use vacuum cleaners that are worn, the metal or plastic attachments may scratch the surface.

Showers

Minimize soap scum build-up by using a squeegee after each use.
Clean with a non-acidic cleaner such as MARBLELIFE Intercare marble or granite cleaner only.
If you need to remove Soap Scum consider MARBLELIFE's SoapScum Remover to safely dissolve and remove soap scum without scratching the marble.

Counter, Vanity and Bar Surfaces

Clean your countertops daily with a soft cloth or paper towel and a residue free non-acidic stone cleaner such as MARBLELIFE Intercare Marble or Granite Cleaner
Polish with MARBLELIFE Marble or Granite Polish

How to Manage Spills

Blot (do not wipe as this expands the contact area) up spills immediately.
Clean with Intercare Marble or Granite Cleaner. MARBLELIFE's Intercare Cleaner is formulated to not only clean but to neutralize residual acids, effectively halting the etching effect of any acid.
Clean with a clean cloth or rag.

Stain Treatment and Other Issues

Blot (do not wipe as this expands the contact area) up spills immediately.
Clean with Intercare Marble or Granite Cleaner. MARBLELIFE's Intercare Cleaner is formulated to not only clean but to neutralize residual acids, effectively halting the etching effect of any acid.
Clean with a clean cloth or rag.If possible, immediately blot spills with a clean paper towel.
If something has soaked into the stone and stained it, a poultice may need to be applied to draw the staining material back out of the stone. Visit www.marblelife.com to secure our Stain Removal Guide in order to define the appropriate poultice solution for your particular stain. Each stain may require a different poultice to solvate the stain in the stone effectively.

Sealing

Clean the surface with MARBLELIFE Intercare Marble or Granite Cleaner.
Apply MARBLELIFE STONE Sealer to a clean rag so that it is damp. Wipe the surface making sure to get the entire area wet.
Immediately go over the area again with a dry rag. Remember we are seeking to get the sealer INTO any open pores, but do not want any residual sealer left ON TOP of the stone or grout. By wiping the surface we are removing any excess sealer.
Sealers will typically take as long as 7 days to fully cure. However one can begin to see results within a few days.
Keep in mind that applying a seal and sealing a stone do not mean the same things. It may take several seal applications to seal a stone for the first time.

As always if you have questions give us a call (303-320-7815), MARBLELIFE does not charge for advice, or for on-site evaluations. We are here to help you get the most enjoyment from your stone investments.