Cleaning Sandstone

Sandstone can vary greatly in porosity and hardness. Generally sandstone is soft and porous – meaning it can absorb large quantities of water – which often results in staining. For this reason, Slique recommends sealing sandstone with a Stain-Guarding treatment.

This sandstone cleaning regime will not recover sandstone that is very stained, mouldy or has a heavy build-up. Slique can provide professional sandstone cleaning, and protect your surface if necessary – contact Slique for a free consultation.
 

Cleaning Sandstone – regular cleaning

  1. Vacuum
  2. Vacuum or wipe the surface to remove loose dust and grit from the surface.

  3. Damp clean
  4. Clean using a microfibre mop or cloth dampened with warm water (no chemicals are necessary when using good-quality microfibre). As most sandstone is honed or textured, use a microfibre string mop which can more easily enter the texture of the sandstone. The mop or cloth will ‘grab’ the surface and lift off most daily grime. Use some pressure to work the microfibre – floating it lightly over the surface will not be so productive!
    Spot clean (if necessary)

    Spot clean any spills, marks or stains using a neutral pH chemical such as Slique Cleansing Fluid. After spot cleaning, rinse the surface lightly with clean water.

  5. Dry
  6. DO NOT leave to dry naturally – dry using an old towel or a clean, dry mop.
    Note: continued use of this sandstone cleaning regime will improve heavily contaminated sandstone over time, but faster recovery can be achieved using intensive cleaning.

 

Cleaning Sandstone – intensive cleaning

Intensive sandstone cleaning should only be undertaken on a sealed sandstone surface – if the sandstone has not been sealed, this intensive cleaning process can soak too much water into the surface and cause it to discolour.

  1. Vacuum
  2. Vacuum or sweep the sandstone to remove loose grit from the surface.

  3. Scrub
  4. Scrub a small area (about 3-4 square metres) using a light solution of stone cleaner suitable for your sandstone, such as Slique’s Heavy Duty Tile cleaner. Your local tile shop will have something suitable for home use sandstone cleaning. Use a soft brush or broom to work the solution into the pores of the stone and grout. Continue to complete small areas until the entire surface has been scrubbed.

  5. Soak
  6. Leave the solution to work for several minutes, then scrub again.

  7. Extract
  8. When the solution has lifted out the dirt, remove the liquid and dirt using an old towel or clean, dry mop.

  9. Rinse
  10. Pour clean water over the surface to rinse.

  11. Dry
  12. DO NOT leave the surface to dry naturally. Use a clean cloth or mop to soak up any water. With sandstone you may even want to hire a wet vacuum to extract all moisture, or run a dehumidifier in the area, until the sandstone is dry.