Travertine can be either filled or unfilled. Unfilled travertine is harder to keep clean as the unfilled pock marks gather dirt.
This travertine cleaning regime will not recover travertine that is dull or marked. However Slique treatments are able to professionally clean your travertine, restore gleam to a dull surface, and seal or apply a coating to protect your travertine.
Cleaning travertine – regular cleaning
- Vacuum
- Spot clean (if necessary)
- Dry
Vacuum or wipe the travertine to remove loose dust and grit from the surface.
Damp clean
Clean using a microfibre mop or cloth dampened with warm water (no chemicals are necessary when using good-quality microfibre). 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!
If your travertine is unfilled, use a soft brush (such as a toothbrush) and a small amount of warm water to scrub inside the pock marks. Once the water has liquidized the dirt, use a towel to soak the water out of the pock mark.
If your travertine is filled, the grout-based fill is likely to be more porous than the stone. Refer to our Cleaning grout guidelines to clean any pieces of fill that need attention.
DO NOT leave to dry naturally – dry using an old towel or a clean, dry mop.
Cleaning travertine – intensive cleaning
- Vacuum
- Scrub
- Soak
- Rinse
- Dry
Vacuum or sweep the travertine to remove loose grit from the surface.
Scrub a small area (about 3-4 square metres) using a light solution of stone cleaner suitable for your travertine, such as Slique’s Heavy Duty Tile cleaner. Your local tile shop will have something suitable for home use travertine cleaning. Use a soft brush or broom to work the solution into the pores of the stone and grout, paying particular attention to pock marks if your travertine is unfilled. Continue to complete small areas until the entire surface has been scrubbed.
Leave the solution to work for several minutes, then scrub again.
Extract
When the solution has lifted out the dirt, remove the liquid and dirt using an old towel or clean, dry mop. Make sure the liquid is completely removed from any unfilled pock marks – if it’s left to dry in there, it will discolour quickly.
Pour clean water over the surface to rinse.
DO NOT leave the surface to dry naturally. Use a clean cloth or mop to soak up any water. With unfilled travertine you may even want to hire a wet vacuum to extract all moisture from the pock marks.