Commercial stone floors are beautiful and classic, but cleaning and maintaining these surfaces can be a challenge. After all, most commercial establishments are the hub of activity for shopping, eating, or general workplace foot traffic. When it comes to stone floor cleaning, doing things right is important to protect your investment.

Without proper cleaning and maintenance, commercial stone flooring can be subject to wear and tear and dirt and stains that only get worse over time if not addressed properly. The result is a worn-out looking floor that could bring down the aesthetics of the building — a definite drawback that impacts how consumers feel about visiting the establishment.

We recommend the following stone floor cleaning steps to keep your floors clean and in good condition.

How to Maintain Stone Floors

Maintaining stone floors is hard work, and different stones need different levels of care. Common stone floor materials include marble, granite, travertine, sandstone, quartzite, limestone, and slate.

For example, marble flooring is much more delicate than granite and should be sealed about twice a year. Granite, on the other hand, can get away with being sealed every other year. Marble can be stained more easily because of its more porous nature, especially from acidic liquids.

Across the board, coarse materials that can grind down the stone are going to be the biggest worry for any type of natural stone flooring. Sand, dirt, and other kinds of grit and grime can eat away at the porous stones. Frequent stone floor cleaning is recommended to keep these destructive materials off the floor.

Stone Floor Cleaning Products and Chemicals to Avoid

Before we get into the proper stone floor cleaning methods, it’s important to know what not to do. Stone floors, despite being hard, long-lasting material, can be easily damaged with the wrong cleaners or if they are not properly maintained. Stay away from these common cleaners:

• Bleach: Bleach and cleaners that contain bleach can etch stone surfaces and leave marks.
• Hydrogen peroxide: It can leave spots or marks on the surface.
• Acidic or citrus cleaners: These can etch marble and damage the surface of stone floors.
• Vinegar: It’s acidic and can damage or mar the stone.
• Lemon Juice: The acidity can corrode the calcite in granite and leave a stain.
• Ammonia-based cleaners: This can dull your beautiful stone floors.
• Gritty materials (steel wool, sandpaper, etc.): The stone is already porous. Scratching the surface will leave unsightly marks and open the stone for mildew, mold, and grime to grow.

Stone Floor Cleaning Recommendations

Staying on top of cleaning will help maintain the look and longevity of any surface, but this is especially true when it comes to stone floors. Using the proper materials and a professional service can ensure your floors look their best for many years to come. Follow these guidelines for a spotless stone floor:

• Regular maintenance: A daily dry dust mop can help wick away dust and dirt to avoid erosion on stone flooring. A deeper, monthly cleaning, like Enviro-Master Services professional tile and grout cleaning, removes deeper bacteria, tile lines, and pesky grime that can wreak havoc on stone.
• Stone Cleaner: Use a cleaner specifically made for natural stone. This way, harmful substances mentioned above won’t be mixed in.
• Natural cleaners: pH-neutral cleaners or stone soap can be used for regular maintenance and to keep dust off stone floors.
• Leave it to the professionals: Professional cleaning services know how to handle every kind of tile and grout, are trained in dealing with commercial stone floors, have the products to care for them, and take a difficult job off your hands

Contact the Stone Floor Cleaning Experts at Enviro-Master

Let the professionals at Enviro-Master Services handle the tough and sensitive job of stone floor cleaning. We deep clean tile flooring monthly, breathing new life into heavily used floors. Our non-toxic and non-corrosive tile and grout cleaning service leaves floors sparkling clean and sanitized. We have a variety of specialized cleaning products we will match for your tile type. Our professionals use commercial-grade extractors and low water pressure to safely scrub any tile surface.

Maintaining stone floors is more than just the tiles. Grout can hold onto odors, mold, mildew, and more. We use only safe, industrial-strength grout cleaners that can wipe away unsightly discoloration, buildup, and hazardous grease.

To learn more about our services and to get a free estimate, please contact Enviro-Master Services.