Limestone is a popular flooring choice due to its versatility – the natural earthy tones compliment almost any colour palette. To keep your stone looking as good as the day it was installed here’s a few top tips for limestone maintenance.
The first step for limestone maintenance is all about prevention. It is important with any stone floor to try to keep it clear of anything that could scratch the surface. Although surface scratching can be fully restored, the finish will last much longer with just a few simple steps.
We advise installing good quality matting at each entrance to the property. This will pick up a lot of the dirt, sand and small stones, which can scratch your floors. It is important to clean these mats regularly, especially the outdoor ones. When they become saturated in dirt they will cease to do their job. Having a ‘shoes off policy’ in the house will also help to reduce the amount of abrasion to a stone surface from foot traffic.
Making limestone maintenance part of your daily routine doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact, it couldn’t be easier. We advise avoiding using a vacuum cleaner on your stone floors. The head of the vacuum often has residue from other floors and can actually scratch the surface of your stone. Daily sweeping is not only kinder to your limestone, but much easier too. We recommend using a soft, long-hair Swiffer, combined with a silicone molt-net spray. This will remove a lot of the small particulates which can scratch and dull your floor. Spray the underside of the Swiffer and leave to dry for five minutes. When you then apply the Swiffer to the floor it will attract dirt, hair, dust and loose debris.
No matter how diligent you are with your daily limestone maintenance, the floor will need to be cleaned. The most important thing to remember is to keep your limestone as dry as possible. Mopping too often, over-wetting with a mop, or use of a steam-cleaner can reduce the lifespan of the sealant and actually make the floor dirtier.
Use of pH neutral cleaning detergent is vital. Many common household cleaners are acidic and will damage your stone. Acidic products react with the calcium carbonate in marble, limestone and travertine, causing a chemical burn known as an etch mark. On the other hand, heavy duty cleaning concentrates are often alkaline in make up. They work very well to remove dirt, however will react with the sealant applied to protect your stone. This can make the floor more porous and susceptible to staining and dirt ingress. Fila Cleaner Pro is our recommendation for a limestone maintenance cleaner that is pH neutral and very effective
The ease of limestone maintenance will depend not only on the living situation but also the stone itself. For large areas and very porous limestones, mopping can prove difficult and ineffective. For these situations we recommend investing in a domestic sized scrubber drier machine. There are many different sizes and designs of scrubber driers, but they are all designed to apply a cleaning solution, scrub the surface with a brush and vacuum up the waste slurry into a separate tank. For large areas these machines will reduce labour time and increase effectiveness of maintenance cleaning.
For floors treated with a surface wax, we recommend reapplication of this wax periodically as part of your limestone maintenance. It is important that this is only after a thorough clean. This will help to maintain the level of protection and to enhance the aesthetics. Regular mopping without reapplication of the wax will eventually cause this wax layer to get thinner. As a sacrificial layer, the wax will be impacted by spillages and foot traffic. We recommend waxes from Fila that are available in satin or matt finish. To reapply either product, dilute the liquid wax 1:10 with warm water and simply mop the solution to the floor. Leave it to dry naturally, and allow 48 hours before you next mop the floor to enable it to cure.
If you are ever unsure about any aspects of limestone maintenance, we are only a phone call away. You can also submit photographs via our online form, and we can advise on the best regime for your stone. It is also recommended to invest in a regular professional maintenance clean. This will refresh the surface of your stone. Not only does this enhance the aesthetics but also includes the reapplication of an impregnating sealant which will help to protect your limestone so that it will continue to elegantly endure.
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