Natural stone tiles have been used to protect walls and floors for centuries, but as with any type of decorative surface, they need regular cleaning and maintenance to ensure they continue to look fresh and new.
However, due to their nature, cleaning stone tiles correctly can often prove tricky, especially if you want to avoid damaging their surface or tile sealant. Fortunately, with the right know-how, it’s very easy to learn how to clean a stone floor properly.
So, to get your natural stone tiles looking their best and protect them against future dirt, here is everything you need to know about how to clean stone tiles once you’ve set them down.
Steps to take before cleaning stone tiles
While you can begin washing down your stone tiles immediately, we recommend doing all of the following steps first to get the best cleaning finish:
Dust the area – it’s always a good idea to dust and hoover the area you’re about to clean before you get started, that way you’ll get a better finish and polish on your tiles.
Mop the floor – we recommend carrying out a quick initial mop with clean water beforehand, to wipe away any loose dirt or stains, letting you focus on the dirtiest areas first when the cleaning really begins.
Test your cleaning solution – due to its porous nature, it’s always wise to test out the stone cleaning solution you’ve chosen to use on an inconspicuous area of your floor, or a spare tile. That way you can see how effective it will be and if it’s suitable for your tiles.
How to clean natural stone floor tiles
When it comes to learning how to clean stone floors, there are a few different approaches you can take, with some being more suited to dirtier floors than others.
Giving your stone tiles a light clean
For floors that only need a light clean, you can turn your preliminary mop into the entire washdown process. Simply fill your bucket with a mix of warm water and very mild, non-acidic detergent, and mop the floor from one corner to the other. Once finished, rinse your floor with clean water and leave it to dry. Repeat this process until your floors are clean.
Removing persistent dirt and grime
Alternatively, if your floor is home to persistent stains, you can turn to using a specialist floor cleaning solution. Naturally, this solution must be designed for use with your type of stone flooring, and you should always follow the instructions provided on the bottle to avoid using too much.
Here at Stone Superstore, we recommend using LTP products. They are experts in producing high-quality soaps, sealants and protectors for all types of natural stone, including polished marble tiles and tumbled limestone.
And once you’re done removing the stubborn stains, buffing your stone with a dry soft cloth to help to achieve a polished finish.
What if my floor is still stained?
If, after trying both these methods, your floor is still stained, then you will need to repeat the advised process again until the stains are faded or gone. However, if your floor is suffering from grout haze, then we suggest reading our article on how to remove grout haze.
What to avoid when cleaning stone tiles
As we’ve already mentioned, natural stone tiles are often very porous, meaning they absorb liquids rapidly. For this reason, you should avoid cleaning your stone tiles with anything that has acidic properties, such as lemon juice and vinegar, and avoid any abrasive cleaners altogether.
And whatever you do, do not use bleach to clean natural stone tiles as this may irreparably damage them.
Other steps to take to protect stone tiles
While you should now know to clean stone floor tiles, as the old saying goes, prevention is better than the cure.
So, to prevent your stone tiles from getting dirty to begin with, you should:
- Always try to clean up any spills and stains as soon as possible before they have a chance to dry and sink into the stone.
- Ensure your stone tiles are sealed against stains to begin with, preventing them from being absorbed. All stone tiles should be sealed during and after installation, however, this seal isn’t permanent and should be renewed every 2-3 years to keep its coat consistent.
- Clean your tiles with LTP Grimex to remove any lingering grease, dirt, and grime. This prevents impurities from being sealed into the pores of the tile, and instead allows those pores to fill with sealer, which in turn with make sure the sealer works effectively.
As for what type of sealer you use, we recommend LTP Mattstone for honed and tumbled surfaces, and LTP MPG sealers for shiny polished natural stone, such as our polished marble ranges.
And with that, you should now have a good idea of how to clean a stone floor. But, of course, stone floors aren’t the only tiling option for your home. If you have porcelain tiles instead, you can find out how to clean them properly in our guide on how to clean porcelain tiles.
You can also browse our tile maintenance advice guides for more insightful articles like this, and don’t hesitate to contact the Stone Superstore team if you have any further questions.