The One Mistake To Avoid When Cleaning Natural Stone Flooring

As a rule of thumb, we know everyone wants their flooring to look as good after a few years as it did the day it was freshly installed and sealed. However, there is one single mistake we see time and again on natural flooring that has been installed for some time, and this is over-cleaning.

Obviously, it goes without saying that to keep floors clean, you need to regularly wash them, but ultimately too much cleaning can do the opposite and damage your flooring if you’re not using the right quantity and products. Over-cleaning natural floor tiles with excessive product can lead to a cloudy appearance and discolouration of the tiles.

For any natural stone installation, we recommend a PH neutral cleaner and it’s really important to follow the instructions. FILA Cleaner Pro is a PH neutral, non-abrasive and eco-friendly cleaning product that can be used weekly or twice weekly without affecting treated or delicate surfaces. We do not recommend using cleaners that are not PH neutral as they can permanently damage your stone due to the acidic chemicals used.

One question we get asked a lot is whether the use of steam cleaning is possible with natural flooring. Unfortunately due to the sealing process, it’s not possible to use a steam cleaner as this will strip the floor of its protective sealer layer and leave it vulnerable to stains and spillages.

For occasional deeper clean treatments, we recommend (and use in our showrooms) the FILA PS87 Pro treatment. This is meant for periodic use rather than general everyday use, due to the highly concentrated detergent. Once this product has been used, the flooring will need to be re-sealed as it removes the sealer protection, so we recommend perhaps every few years depending on traffic in the space.

To avoid the need to deep clean so often, the best thing to do is regular general cleaning of the stone flooring to sweep or lightly vacuum the areas daily / every other day to remove dust and dirt.

When mopping the floors please be aware to only use clean water, and once the water becomes dirty, tip away and start again to prevent simply moving dirty water around. Using a microfibre mop can also help stop dirt transferring due to the material holding onto more whilst in use.

Essentially, the trick with keeping natural stone flooring looking good over the years is to 1) clean regularly, 2) use the correct dosage / dilution ratio and 3) only deep clean periodically and remember to re-seal afterward.

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For advice on which flooring would be most suitable for your home, we are pleased to offer design advice at any stage of your project. Please contact us by email to info@hmflooringlibrary.co.uk or call us on 01371 821300. Take a look at our Instagram for more design inspiration.