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MAINTENANCE & CLEANING Maintenance of stone tiles is not difficult, nor does it have to be taxing. It is however, very often overlooked. The most common misconception is that, when the tiler has finished, and the stone is fitted and sealed, no further care is required. Your tiler should advise you on what to do next. You can also ask your retailer for advice on how to treat your tiles. On this page we have provided useful information of the main areas of day to day cleaning and longer-term maintenance. There are two categories of cleaning and maintenance products when dealing with stone. The first is the everyday cleaners. The second are the renovating, or problem solving products. Paying attention to the using the correct everyday cleaners, will significantly reduce the need for the second type of product. The following is a straight forward question and answer list for people to use as a guide to the do’s and don'ts of stone tile cleaning. Q - My tiler has finished, the floor is dusty, should I mop it clean. A - No, DON’T damp-mop your floor immediately after installation and grouting. While you would not cause any real damage, the fine powder most likely left on the floor will be trapped in the water and may leave ugly and hard-to-remove streaks all over its surface. For the first week or so, just vacuum being careful not to use a vacuum which might scratch the floor. Dust mop your floor a few times as well. You will know it is ready to be washed when your hand remains clean (no whitish powder) after rubbing it on the floor. Q - When my floor is ready for mopping can I use my normal floor cleaner A - No, DON’T use your everyday cleaning products on natural stone. Most high street brands of floor and wall tile cleaning products are harmful to both the protective sealer, as well as your stone. The sealer that has been applied can be broken down by bleach over time. This leaves the natural stone “exposed” and more susceptible to staining. Specialist stone wash can be purchase as not much more cost than normal cleaners. These are more mild detergents which both preserve and re enforce the sealer which has been applied, as well as clean stone tiles. LTP Wax Wash, and LTP Floor Shine are great example of good quality stone cleaning products. LTP Wax Wash is ideal for use on honed limestone, travertine, or any porous stone tiles, which have had only impregnating sealers applied. Use Waxwash on floors sealed with LTP Matt Stone, LTP Colour Intensifier, MPG Sealer and tiles sealed with linseed oil. Floorshire is reserved for used on glazed tiles, polished floors, or floors which have been sealed with acrylic based sealers, like some waxes. The cleaner actually contains a small amount of acrylic which helps develop a surface shell as the floor is being washed. Q - My Tiles are very dirty. What can I use that is safe on stone, but will also clean the tiles and renovate my floor. A - Intensive cleaners are available for natural stone tiles. There are three types of intensive cleaning products. Removal of lime-based stains, cement films, residual grout stains, plaster stains is possible with LTP Grout Stain Remover. Removal of general dirt, oil, grease, old wax layers, old sealer etc is best done using a product called LTP Grimex. NB: Grimex removes sealer as well as dirt from stone tiles, so you will need to seal the stone again afterwards. Grimex is a good product for general renovation of stone tiles. For the highest intensity cleaning of heavily contaminated floors, LTP Power Stripper is the best selection. NB Often it is best to try using the Grimex prior to Power Stripper, which is usually kept as a last resort. For any of the products mentioned above, we recommend you read the instruction before applying to your tiles. The information is made available as a guide for reference and information purposes only. |
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