Care and Cleaning

The do’s

• Dust mop floors often.
• Clean surfaces with a mild detergent or stone soap.
• Rinse well and dry the surface after washing.
• Blot up spills the moment they happen.
• Protect floors with non-slip mats or rugs, and counters with coasters, trivets, and placemats.

The don’ts

• Don’t use vinegar, lemon juice, or other acidic cleaners on marble, limestone, travertine, or onyx.
• Don’t use bathroom, grout, or tub-and-tile cleaners. They contain acid too.
• Don’t scrub with abrasive dry or soft cleansers.
• Never mix bleach and ammonia. The combination makes a toxic, lethal gas.
• Don’t mix chemicals at all unless the directions say to.

Many foods and drinks carry acids that etch or dull stone, so keep coasters under glasses, especially anything with alcohol or citrus. Hot pans need a trivet. China, ceramics, and silver can scratch, so give them a placemat.

Cleaning room by room

Floors

Dust mop with a clean, untreated dry mop. Sand and grit do the most damage to stone because they grind underfoot; it takes about eight steps on a floor to wear the sand off a shoe sole. Mats inside and outside the entrance catch most of it. Check that rug backings don’t slip, and retire worn vacuum heads before their wheels or attachments scratch the surface.

Counters and other surfaces

A few drops of neutral cleaner, stone soap, or mild dish detergent in warm water is all it takes. Use a soft cloth, rinse well, change the rinse water often, and dry. Too much soap leaves film and streaks. Skip scouring powders and creams.

Bath and wet areas

A squeegee after each shower keeps soap scum from building up. To remove scum, use a non-acidic soap scum remover, or about half a cup of ammonia in a gallon of water. Go easy: frequent ammonia washes will dull the stone over time.

Vanity tops

Vanities may need a penetrating sealer; ask your installer. A quality marble wax or a non-yellowing automotive paste wax cuts down on water spotting.

Food prep areas

If the prep surface needs a sealer, make sure it’s non-toxic and rated safe for food contact. When in doubt, check with the sealer manufacturer.

Pool and patio

Outdoors, flush the stone with clear water and use a mild bleach solution to clear algae or moss.