It goes without saying that one of the key reasons many of us opt for black granite and quartz, over other forms of natural stone tiles, is their reflective shine and elegant shading.
But the shine on even the best black granite and quartz will eventually fade over time, especially if your tiles are placed in a high-traffic area, like your kitchen or bathroom.
Fortunately, it doesn’t actually take a lot of effort to restore granite and quartz to a showroom-level quality. So, if your tiles are looking a little scuffed, you can follow our quartz and black granite cleaning tips to get them sparkling again.
What is the best way to clean black granite floors?
When it comes to cleaning a granite floor and maintaining its appearance, the best solution is to carry out a regular weekly clean. This will let you stay on top of the dirt without taking too much time out of your schedule.
For this sort of light clean:
1. Take a bucket of warm soapy water and a soft cloth or mop and wipe your tiles down.
2. Once cleaned, you can then buff away any remaining water spots, so they don’t leave a mark (these marks can also be avoided by wringing your mop or cloth regularly as you clean).
And that’s it! In most cases, this will be enough to keep your granite floor clean; though if it’s been a long time, then a dedicated black granite floor cleaning product is a great option for removing persistent stains. And as an added bonus, it will also return the shine to your tiles.
What is the best way to clean quartz floor tiles?
When it comes to cleaning quartz floor tiles, as with black granite, the process is actually very simple!
1. Take your bucket of warm, soapy water and proceed to mop or wipe down your tiled area, being careful to wring your mop or cloth out at regular intervals and drying up large water spots to prevent staining.
2. Once you’re finished, take a glass cleaning product that is quartz tile friendly and proceed to follow the instructions on the product. This will get rid of lasting stains and return the shine to your tiles.
Other tips for cleaning a granite floor and quartz tiles
While our tips so far have covered what to do when cleaning a granite floor or quartz tiles that are already dirty, what about things you can do to avoid staining your floors in the first place?
Address spills straight away
When cleaning granite floors or quartz tiles, it’s essential to wipe up any spills as soon as possible to minimise the odds of them staining. If you do spill something, just take a damp cloth, paper towel, or other non-abrasive product and blot the affected area immediately.
Food and drink can stain
Of course, we know that not every stain can be caught right away, but you should be particularly wary of leaving red wine, coffee, soda, or grease stains on your tiles for too long, as all of these can dull the surface of your tiles over time.
Don’t cut corners
And as for the tile cleaning process itself, while it might be tempting to quickly remove stains using a generic cleaning product and abrasive scrubber, you should really avoid using these items at all costs.
Not only can they permanently mark your quartz and granite with scratches that can house stains later down the line, but they will also remove the sealer that protects your tiles from staining in the first place.
If you do recognise scuffs on your stone, though, we have a dedicated guide to getting scratches out of tiles.
Seal your stone
And speaking of sealant, you should always apply a sealer on natural stone tiles as an extra layer of protection against staining. Sealers soak into natural stone tiles to create a barrier, which in turn prevents your tiles from absorbing any liquids into the stone.
Typically, your installer should do this for you in the first instance. Once this has been done, you’ll only need to reseal your tiles every 3-5 years. Once this has been done, you need to use the right cleaning products as general household cleaners can take the seal out of the tiles over a period of time, making them more susceptible to moisture and dirt absorption.
Consider calling in a professional
If you’re unsure how to approach cleaning your natural stone flooring, it’s always useful to consider using a professional cleaning company for your tiles. This will guarantee a high-quality finish and ensures your stone sealant remains intact.
And that’s it - you should now have a good idea of how to clean black granite and quartz tiles.
Of course, if you have any more questions then don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of experts, or browse our full selection of tile maintenance advice guides for more cleaning and care tips – including how to clean porcelain tiles.