First, remember the 4 main “enemies” of your newly polished floor. Easy to remember, AAAA: Acids, Abrasions, Apathy, and Animals. All four of these come into play with your maintenance, so let’s discuss them as we talk about how to maintain your floor. (You can also scroll down to the end if you want to get to the maintenance tips right away).
Acids. Be very careful of what products you use to clean with, as anything acidic will kill the polish of the stone. Learn more about what kinds of cleaning products to avoid here. Never use vinegar. Also, high alkaline products are not good for the stone either, as they can leave a residue buildup and degrade the sealer on the stone.
Also, any kind of accidental spill will cause damage. Pet urine, coffee, wine, lemons, etc. All of those are acidic as well. Neutralize such soils as soon as possible by blotting them up with a little dish soap (non-acidic) and water with a paper towel. However, even with an acid-resistant sealer, such spills can take off the polish on contact.
Abrasions. The biggest service you can do for your floor is to “dust” it twice a week. Or daily, depending on traffic levels. Use a rectuangular microfiber flat mop. Make sure to have a wool rug by any door entrances to help trap dirt particles and keep shoes clean from outside debris.
Apathy. This usually doesn’t come from truly not caring. It comes from just being too busy. If you are of the income level where you have a house cleaner in more than once a week, and they are compensated well for keeping your home in pristine order, then this area isn’t a problem for you. But for everyone else, maintaining beautiful marble, in a home that you live in and use, takes work. If you can’t spend the time or hire someone to take care of it, then the beautiful look is probably not going to last too long.
Animals. I’m not saying don’t let animals on your marble floor. This is your home, and you should be able to enjoy it and walk wherever and whenever you want without worrying. But just know that the more animal traffic you have on your floor, the more acid and abrasions you will have to your floor.
Now, for our maintenance tips:
1) Dust your floor with a dry microfiber rectangular flat mop twice a week, or more often, depending on traffic. Collect the dust and debris into a corner and use a vacuum attachment to suck it up. Do not run any kind of vacuum over the surface, as you risk the vacuum causing abrasion to the marble.
2) Twice a month, or as needed, use the same type of mop for a wet cleaning. Use a product that has a neutral pH, that says it is safe for marble, and that does NOT contain the word “polish” on it. We recommend products from MBStone. If you don’t have access to a neutral cleaner, use plain warm water instead. Once word of advice: do not leave puddles of standing water on the stone. Using the flat microfiber will help you avoid that.
3) Yearly, or every few years, have your marble professionally cleaned, buffed, and resealed.
And when it comes time for the last one, our Marble Makeover division at Clean Interiors is here to help. Just give us a call or email.
