Marble Floor Cleaning - Care and Maintenance
Marble is a natural flooring choice, created from limestone over millions of years, quarried, cut into chunks and then further cut to create marble tiles.
Generally there are two types of marble flooring, traditional and tumbled. Proper marble flooring maintenance depends on the type of marble flooring and the finish (if any).
Cleaning Marble Flooring
Daily maintenance will help keep the look of a marble floor beautiful and help to avoid dullness.
In order to reduce the amount of dirt, dust, sand or even salt (which will pit marble over time), it is important to keep mats at all entranceways.
To remove dirt and dust a gentle sweeping with a dust mop is all that is needed. To wash a marble floor, use a cotton string mop and warm water
Maintaining Marble Flooring
For any marble flooring maintenance beyond dust mopping and mopping with a string mop and warm water, it is imperative that you know what type of finish is applied to your marble and how the manufacturer recommends performing regular maintenance.
Substances such as oil, grease, tobacco, iron and copper will stain marble. Scrubbing these stains can potentially damage the floor, so it is best to consult a professional marble cleaner to determine which poultice will effectively dissolve the stain.
Marble is very sensitive to acid and commercial cleaners, solvents, and even vinegar will damage it, so it is important to be aware of the type of marble finish and which products are suitable.
When and if it comes time to refinish marble flooring, it is a job that should be performed by professionals.
Marble Floor Maintenance Do's
Keep doormats at all entranceways to minimize dirt and dust, and especially salt from reaching your marble floor.
Daily cleaning will help keep substances from the floor which can scratch marble. Use only dust mops and string cloth mops.
Clean up spills immediately to avoid stains.
Use furniture pads or place furniture on rugs or carpets to protect the floor. Marble is easily scratched.
Use only cleaning products that are approved by the marble tile manufacturer to clean or spot remove.
If your type of marble floor has a polish that must be reapplied ever so often, be sure to follow directions. It may be necessary to hire a professional to perform this.
Marble Floor Maintenance Don’ts
Don’t use traditional brooms to clean debris from the floor as marble is easy to scratch.
Never use any type of acid-based cleaner on marble as it can deteriorate the tile and cause pitting.
Never drag furniture across the floor as it will scratch the marble.
Never leave food or drink spills on the floor as marble is very porous and can become discoloured easily.
Never apply a sealer without professional advice. The wrong one could result in permanent damage or require professional stripping which will only add to the cost of maintenance.
Marble flooring maintenance is generally not difficult and when proper care is taken to protect the floor from damage, it can last for many years and provide an increase in the value of your home.
Please remember the above is just a guide and you should seek professional advice.
