Maintenance Tips for Marble Floor
Marble floors are gorgeous, whether it’s in the home or business. A brilliant natural stone, it is a popular choice around Australia, and indeed, the world. There are certain directives that you should follow to ensure that your marble floor remains staying stunning for as long as possible. It’s not too difficult – if you do it right.
Avoid acidic cleaning agents
Marble is a calcareous stone which means that it is highly susceptible to damage from acidic cleaners. These cleaners will eat away at the surface of the stone, producing unwanted effects on marble.
These acidic cleaners include:
- Vinegar (acetic acid)
- Lemon, lime, orange, etc. (citric acids)
- Cream of tartar (tartaric acid)
- Sodium bisulfate
- Oxalic acid
- Muriatic acid
- Hydrochloric acid
- Sulfuric acid
These acids may be sold on their own as cleaning agents, or as ingredients in other household cleaners.
Read Also: Mixing Different Marbles Effectively in Your Home
Use a speciality marble floor cleaner for the best results
Instead of using a regular cleaning agent, which may contain a hidden acid that you didn’t know about in the list of ingredients, it is best to choose a cleaner that is made specifically for marble floors. These types of cleaners will ensure that you keep your marble in the best condition possible, while still giving it the best possible clean.
Speciality stone stores, along with larger hardware chains will carry a range of cleaners that are specifically suited to clean marble floors, without having to worry about checking lists of ingredients.
Use mats, rugs and carpets in entryways
Dirt from the bottom of shoes, over time, will damage the surface of a marble floor by etching into the stone. If you have a home where you don’t remove your shoes in your entryway, then you can help stop the degradation of your marble by adding mats, rugs, or carpets in entryways. This will remove the majority of dirt from the soles of everyone’s shoes, and ensure that it doesn’t keep getting trampled around the home, spreading it further.
Removing stains
Similar to carpet cleaning, the first thing that you should do when you have a staining substance on your marble floor is to blot it with a clean, dry cloth, until no more comes off on the cloth. After this, rinse the marble with water and a little bit of regular soap. After you have rinsed multiple times with water, dry the marble completely with a dry cloth. You may need to do this a few times.
If the stain persists, you may need to consult a professional marble cleaner.
Water rings and water damage
If you are noticing that your marble has become stained with water, then you should buff the surface gently with very fine grade (0000) steel wool. This will remove the surface stain, as long as it hasn’t sunk too deeply into the stone.
Sealing your marble
Sealing your marble floors is a brilliant idea to help protect it from damage, stains, and spills. Because the stone is a very porous surface, this means that it soaks up anything it comes into contact with it. A sealant will add a layer to the top of the stone that creates a barrier – so that it can no longer soak up everything.
There are speciality marble sealants that you can use to protect your marble floors. While you can do this sealing yourself, it is often easiest to have a professional do it for you to make sure that the job is done right.
This means that the sealant will be even and at the correct thickness throughout. Sealants will need to be reapplied every few years or so after regular wear.
If you have marble at home or are considering getting marble flooring put down, then it is important to correctly follow the care and maintenance tips to keep your marble in tip top condition.
