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Cleaning and maintaining marble floors correctly is easy if you know the pros and cons of what we do. When we have a marble floor in our establishment, we always run into a problem, how to keep the marble floor clean and shiny, how to maintain the marble properly, how to clean the marble floor, how to keep the marble floor shiny and how no, a multitude of solutions which may or may not be effective.
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The marble is a unique natural stone widely used in construction and decoration; one of the essential issues is maintenance. Due to its excellent aesthetic appeal and durability, the applications of marble stone are endless, floors, bars, countertops, tables, showers, fireplaces, which easily justifies its popularity as one of the most favoured stones on the market. Marble not only adds a touch of class and luxury to any building, but it is a very resistant stone, easy to maintain, and that can last a long time without losing its spectacular appearance.
The most popular use of marble is for floors. The different types of marble on the market can add class and elegance to your establishment, with shades of black, brown, grey, beige, green, white, and even red. You cannot find marble that matches your taste, and aesthetics is practically impossible. The dense, complex, and crystallised marble texture makes it suitable for floors since its innate abilities generally allow it to remain free of stains, cracks and wear as soon as we take care of its maintenance.
Marble is a metamorphic form of limestone that has undergone a process of recrystallisation by heat or pressure to achieve its dense crystalline structure that allows the possibility of a smooth and polished surface, very easy to maintain, available in more than three thousand types and in a great variety of tones and colours that go from the highly muted tones to the brightest, from whites and creams to pinks, greens, greys, browns, yellows and reds, thus covering the entire spectrum of colours and providing a wide range to choose from according to your taste.
As for its finishes, that is, once we have them installed in our establishment, several different ways are depending on the taste or type of aesthetics that you want to achieve:
- Marble with polished and glossy finish: when with the proper process we obtain a shiny surface, almost like a mirror, that shows the color and design of the marbles to their full potential. The process results in a less porous surface, which gives the marble stone a shiny appearance. It is an excellent choice for indoor use, however its use for exterior decorative purposes is discouraged due to its slightly slippery nature.
- Marble with a polished and satin finish: when with the appropriate process we achieve a totally smooth surface, as in the previous process, with an important difference that the finish results in a matte, velvety and smooth surface without any shine. This process is mainly used to repair the damage done to the stone, therefore this process makes the marble less prone to spoiling or damage. The fact of satin shine has nothing to do with the reflection of the marble, if the process is correct, the marble should reflect deeply and give a feeling of more light and reflection.
- Marble with a textured finish: this process is carried out directly in the marble shops and with the appropriate machinery and involves the use of different techniques to give the marble an elegant surface. Flamed, aged, bush hammered, sandblasted are some of the more popular textured finishes.
Marble is very robust and delicate simultaneously, so it must be treated with care, since poor handling of the stone can make it more prone to deterioration and lose its original elegant appearance, so know the cleaning techniques proper is a must to maintain all its appeal.
Let’s see how to better maintain and clean marble before proceeding to subject it to new polishes; we must try to avoid them as much as possible:
When We Use the Mop:
- We should not: use completely soaked cotton mops to clean spills or stains on the marble as excessively soaked mops leave traces of water or product on the surface of the marble drying on it with the consequent accumulation on the surface. These excesses, once dry, remain on the surface eliminating shine and the natural appearance of the marble.
- We should: use suitable mops, preferably slightly damp microfiber to clean marble floors instead of cotton mops. Also, be sure to use low-application, water-based mopping products, as they do less damage to the surface of marble stones. Marble’s permeability makes it prone to damage from liquids such as wine, coffee, or juice, so it is important to clean the spill area immediately before permanent discoloration occurs. The slightly damp microfiber mop has the ability to leave the surface of the marble dry at the same time that we use it.
When we dry clean:
- We should not: use simple rags or sponges with oily products or with built-in waxes. Marble is a porous stone and due to its structure it is prone to the absorption of liquids and solvents. If we use this type of instruments and products there is a high probability that the residues that we leave on the surface will be absorbed into the permeable structure of the stone and cause permanent stains or discolorations. We should not use oil-based mopping products.
- We should: Clean the marble floor as soon as possible with adry microfiber mop or clothas soon as something spills onto the floor. The use of dry or slightly damp but absorbent microfiber will not only help to leave no residue and prevent long-term damage, but it will also prevent excess liquid residue from sinking into the pores of the stone. If we can use light spray water-based mopping products.
The Cleaning Products We Use:
- We should not: clean marble floors with cleaning products bought in any store without knowing the cause, since they contain acids, alkalis and chemicals that can be harmful to the permeable structure of natural stones. Common shop cleaners are typically highly acidic or highly alkaline, which can make marble more susceptible to discoloration, greatly reducing the strength of marble stone tiles. Eliminate the use of ammonia and bleach, both of which eliminate the original appearance of the marble very quickly.
- We should: use neutral stone cleaning products or neutral synthetic cleaners with pH 7.00, since if they are formulated with non-aggressive components, they will not only prevent abrasion and stains, but will also keep your marble floor in optimal condition and also prolong the life of your marble.
Read More: How To Clean Your Apartment Or House Quickly And Efficiently?
Be careful with the use of homemade products:
- We should not: use non-cleaning products or home remedies such as vinegar, milk, lemon or ammonia to clean marble surfaces, as they are very acidic or very alkaline and can partially or totally destroy the surface of the marble. There is no home remedy with the proper pH for cleaning marble. If there are cleaning products that come from products such as citrus that are suitable for cleaning, but after a suitable and chemical process.
- We should: use suitable cleaning products designed specifically for cleaning marble floors rather than opting for home remedies. Unlike a product designed not to damage marble, home remedies do not offer any guarantee, so the risks of damage to marble are potentially increased and it is very difficult to later recover marble damaged by the use of inappropriate products.
Water Caution:
- We shouldn’t: use water as the sole agent to clean a marble floor, as its continued use can make the marble look dull and unattractive and also affect its durability. In areas with high water hardness, due to the rest of lime that we leave on the surface, the marble becomes opaque more quickly.
- We should:use suitable cleaning agents, non-acidic or alkaline, preferably neutral synthetic with pH7 for the cleaning of marble and absorbent microfiber mops if the use of scrubbing machines is not possible. If we put the diluted neutral cleaner in a suitable sprayer, which gives us a light and soft spray on the floor, with a single liter we can spray many meters on the floor, it will be a non-dirty product as from the scrubbing bucket, it will always be active when it comes into contact with the marble and then we remove it with a very wrung out microfiber mop. It’s another scrubbing technique, just as fast but more effective than traditional mop and bucket scrubbing (we never change the water as it’s dirty and sticks to marble) and will help keep your marble floor looking radiant for longer.
Check out our House Cleaning, Office Cleaning, Commercial, Residencial Cleaning Service In Quebec, Canada.
If we want to seal a marble floor:
- We shouldn’t: use urethane topical sealers, wax-like acrylics, stone penetrants, and the like. We will seal the floor, but its short-term effects are worse than our intention to protect the marble floor. They can discolor the stone, give a slight yellow color, without proper maintenance it absorbs dirt much faster and requires specific and professional treatments afterwards.
- We should: sealing a marble floor is always recommended, as it not only increases the strength of the marble stone, but also limits damage or staining caused by spills. Periodically sealing your marble with a good quality sealer will ensure that your marble floors remain in pristine condition and will also add years to their useful life. Today there are water-based impregnation sealants that are lightly sprayed on the marble and when the water evaporates, an invisible and breathable layer remains that protects the stone. Depending on the type of marble stone installed, you must apply sealant to maintain its effectiveness, nothing is permanent.
Protect and Prevent the Marble Floor:
- We should not: leave heavy furniture directly on the surface of the marble floors, that is, tables, chairs and sofas without protection since with time and movement they will damage the marble. We should never drag heavy furniture or sharp items on marble floors, this will cause permanent abrasions and scratches.
- We should: to avoid damage due to the weight of the furniture on a marble floor, try placing tips, felts or skids for heavier ones, this will greatly reduce the risk of damaging the marble. They are very easy to install and are currently sold in many stores, in addition, they greatly reduce the noise caused, for example, by the movement of chairs.
Beware of Abrasive Materials:
- We should not: use abrasive materials or cleaning products that are not designed for this purpose as they will not help to keep the marble floor clean, only apparently and in the short term they will cause obvious damage to the marble. Acidic or alkaline cleaners as well as most aerosols are examples of cleaners to avoid when cleaning marble.
- We should: use neutral cleaners specifically designed for cleaning marble and other types of floors that do not damage stone. Protect the floor entrances with mats since 80% of the dirt that the floors receive comes from the outside through the shoes, even tiny stones enter the soles of the same that end up grating the marble.
Should or shouldn’t we polish and polish a marble floor :
- We should not: avoid polishing a marble floor when necessary, there are multiple reasons for this, including keeping the pore of the marble as closed as possible to avoid absorption. It should also be noted that over-polishing marble can be almost as bad as not polishing it at all.
- We should: polish and polish the marble floor to decrease the extent to which the marble absorbs stains or spills, improving the appearance of the stone and its properties.
In summary:
The best way to avoid permanently damaging natural stone is to act immediately; time is of the essence to prevent discolouration and staining. Marble stains very quickly, so the best way to keep it in perfect condition is to be extremely careful in its maintenance.
Marble is a sturdy stone that can last a long time if it is cleaned regularly and maintained properly. However, the durability of marble also depends on its quality. Factors such as climate, chemical agents, heat and humidity play an essential role in the durability and resistance of the stone. Despite being hard rock, it is a very porous rock that can absorb spills and collect dirt in your pores if not cleaned properly. Even in all its splendour, well polished and polished, acidic, alkaline or oily cleaners, even water, can stain and ruin marble stone when its porous structure absorbs these products.
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