5 Things To Avoid When Caring For Marble Floors

Nothing can compare to the natural and ethereal beauty of marble floors. These beautiful, polished, and natural stone floors can breathe life into any room. As such, they require very careful maintenance and regulation to help preserve its beauty for many years to come. 

You might have already taken some steps to clean your marble; however, are you aware that there are actually a few cleaning techniques you must avoid when caring for marble? Because marble is quite delicate, it requires delicate cleaning methods as well. 

In this article, we’ll be telling you all about five things you need to avoid when caring for marble. These include the following:

• Allowing spills to sit
• Using acidic cleaning products
• Not sealing your stone
• Not mopping regularly
• Forgetting to regularly clean

1). Allowing Spills To Sit

Allowing spills to sit is more damaging than you realise. Since marble is a porous stone, it can easily absorb liquids which can deeply penetrate and ultimately stain the stone. Additionally, if liquids seep into the marble this can lead to bacteria buildup which is detrimental to your health. 

In order to avoid this, make sure to clean up spillages right away to prevent spots and further damage. In fact, even water can leave temporary dark spots if it is not cleaned up right away, especially on an unsealed surface.

2). Using Acidic Cleaning Products

Rule number one of cleaning marble: never use acidic cleaning solutions. Acidic cleaning solutions can lead to permanent damage to your marble because the acid reacts with the calcium carbonate component of the marble. 

Using acidic solutions can dull the professional finish, corrode the surface of the marble, and lead to etching. Etching appears as watermarks or surface stains that are actually chemical burns. If etching is severe enough, your marble will need to seek professional natural stone restoration service to return your marble to its natural best.

As such, instead of using acidic cleaning products consider using a cleaning solution that has a balanced pH. Additionally, make sure that you do not spill acidic foods on marble floors. Acidic ingredients to stay away from include vinegar, lemon juice, alcohol, and tomato juice.

3).  Not Sealing Your Stone

One of the first steps of marble maintenance is to have your marble floors sealed. Given that marble is more porous than granite, it is important to have your marble regularly sealed to prevent stains and increase liquid resistance. 

Sealing marble is a relatively simple process. You can start by thoroughly cleaning the floors before spraying on the sealer in a 3-foot section. Before the sealer dries on the surface, wipe the sealer into the marble with a lint-free cloth. Buff out the surface to dry with a clean lint-free cloth and let the sealer cure.

A word of advice: you might want to avoid polishing your marble floors because they can become very slippery. 

4). Not Mopping Regularly

Over time, marble floors, or floors in general, can accumulate dust, debris, and dirt from outside. However, all of these particulates can be abrasive on marble floors and lead to scratches and imperfections. 

In order to remove dirt and debris, it is recommended to use a dry, cleaning dust mop to clean your floors to help prevent debris buildup. A dry mop can catch dirt without scratching the surface like, say, a vacuum. Run the mop in a single direction (not back and forth) to sweep up debris.

It is also recommended to place doormats as the first line of defence in preventing dirt build up on your marble floors.

5). Forgetting To Regularly Clean

If you are not able to regularly clean your marble floors then the beauty and appearance of your marble flooring can wear out over time. Regularly cleaning your marble entails mopping regularly and avoiding cleaners that have acidic ingredients in them. With routine cleaning, your marble won’t suffer the harsh consequences of dirt build-up, etching, and foot traffic damage.

Summary

Marble flooring requires delicate care and caution. As a natural stone, it is easily prone to long-term damage if it is not properly looked after. As such, there are five main important things to avoid when caring for your marble flooring: allowing spills to sit, using acidic cleaning products, not sealing your stone, not mopping regularly, and forgetting to regularly clean.

If you need more advice on cleaning, sealing or restoring marble, please speak to us at SLIQUE for all your marble needs. We are Sydney’s number one authority in all things marble.

Please call SLIQUE today on 02 9648 0395, or you can leave an inquiry.