Whilst the weather is starting to perk up, it seems everyone is coming out of hibernation looking to get their floors refinished. Now is the time to freshen up the marble, granite, terrazzo, slate, and/or limestone in your home or property, so be sure to book early!
Here are some tips to keep your floors in tip-top shape, from our 20+ years of experience:
Dry dust mop your floors.
Small abrasives such as sand, salt, and rocks can damage your floors.
Keep an eye out for cracks.
They can start occurring because of the rapid and volatile changes in temperature.
Use a rug, a mat, or a runner.
These minimize the amount of abrasives that enter your home or building. Clean under them periodically to get rid of dirt and moisture buildup. April showers bring May flowers, and that also means more moisture!
Wet mop your floors.
Use an unbleached cotton mop and a neutral cleaner/mild dishwashing detergent to clean your floors. Rinse thoroughly and dry with an unbleached microfiber cloth.
Seal your stone.
Sealing is an added protection at resisting stains, but doesn't prevent spills from settling into the stone. When spills occur, blot (don't rub), rinse thoroughly, and lightly buff dry.
Consider sun protection.
As the sun stays out longer these days, it might be time to consider sun protection for your floors. The UV rays from the sun can actually change the color of the stone over time.
Interestingly enough, we’ve recently come across uric acid stains in working with homes and hotels. It’s something that happens in all of our bathrooms and it’s preventable! These companies make floor protectors as seen here and here that are reasonably priced. The mats trap uric acid, bacteria and water before they reach the stone. They can also be cleaned weekly with disinfectant and hot water. Rinse and reuse once or twice!
Spot, surface, and occasionally deep cleaning will help keep all of your stone in tip-top shape, just in time for Spring. For further information and to contact us for your annual cleaning and sealing of your stone, please contact us at (773) 685-2500 or at sunglossmarble@gmail.com.