Natural stones are becoming more popular among home owners that requires more elegance to their homes, these types of material is usually used as flooring, walls, or even kitchen counter tops. Having natural stones as the main material of your kitchen/shower also came with a caveat: stains and other nastiness.

First of, you have to know what type of stones that you're dealing with in order to use the correct cleaning method, and maintenance method. Knowing full well of your stone's characteristic can extend your stone's lifespan and keep it in top order for years to come.

Types of stones

Calcareous stone is usually characterized with porous materials, composed mainly of calcium carbonate. This type of stone is really sensitive to acidity so it is highly recommended to use a non acidic cleaner product. These types of stones includes: Marble, Limestsone.

Siliceous stone, is one composed primarily of silicates, such as quartz, feldspar, mica, etc. as such. This type of stone is generally acid resistant, hence the wide usage as kitchenware, still, using acidic cleaner product is not recommended as the stone still contain trace ammount of acid-sensitive compounds. These types of stones includes: Granite, Sandstone.

Cleaning Method

It's important to note that natural stones should be treated and cleaned regularly, and although some stone will do just fine with conventional cleaner products, having a specialized natural stones cleaner product with neutral/high pH such as reflecto's Spotless Family can save you precious time and even preserves your natural stones for a really long time!

General Steps for any kind of Natural Stone Surface:

• Sweep to remove any dirt particles.
• Fill a recepient of warm water and use only water, or mix it with a small amount of pH neutral liquid, detergent or cleaning solutions specific for stone such as reflecto's Daily Floor Care. Change the solution when it starts to get dirty.
• Dip a microfiber towel, a duster or a mop into the water mixture and start cleaning.
• Wash the area by starting at the corner of the room and working methodically towards the room exit.
• Allow air circulation in the room for a quick drying.

Stain Removal:

• Remove any loose debris.
• Wiping the area will spread the spill.
• Flush the area with plain water and mild soap and rinse several times.
• Dry the area thoroughly with a soft cloth.
• Repeat as necessary.
• If the stain persists or for problems that appear too difficult to treat, call your stone care professional specialist.

Natural Stone Care Tips

In addition of cleaning and maintaining, having a good habits around taking care of your natural stones also contributes to the longevity of your natural stones surfaces, here's some tips you can follow:

• Use mats and coaster for every dish and drinks that has high acidity, such as citrus juices or alcohol, using mats generally also lower the risk of spills and stains on your natural stones
• Dust the surface regularly to avoid micro-scratches and dust build ups.
• Avoid sharp plastics and metal from scraping the surface.
• Using anti-scratches solution such as reflecto's stain shield.

Knowing how to care and clean your natural stones will absolutely keep them beautiful for long periods of time, and more importantly, saves you huge amount of money