How to Clean and Care for Your Stone Tile and Countertops

Precautions

• Use coasters under all glasses, particularly those containing alcohol or citrus juices. Many common foods and drinks contain acids that will etch or dull the stone surface.
• Do not place hot items directly on your granite countertops or stone tiles. Use trivets or mats under hot dishes and placemats under ceramics, silver, china, or other objects that can scratch the surface.

Cleaning Steps and Advice

Marble, Granite and Travertine Floor Tile

• Dust mop interior floors frequently using a clean non-treated dry dust mop. Sand dirt and grit do the most damage to natural stone tiles due to their abrasiveness. Floor mats or area rugs inside and outside an entrance will help to minimize the sand, dirt and grit that will scratch the stone tile floor. Be sure that the underside of the floor mat or rug is a non-slip surface. Normally, it will take a person about eight steps on a floor surface to remove sand or dirt from the bottom of their shoes. Do not use vacuum cleaners that are worn. The metal or plastic attachments or the wheels may scratch the surface of your stone tile.

Other Natural Stone Surfaces

• Clean natural stone surfaces with a few drops of neutral cleaner, stone soap (available at hardware stores or from your stone dealer) or a mild liquid dishwashing detergent and warm water. Use a clean rag mop on floors and a soft cloth for other stone surfaces for best results. Too much cleaner or soap may leave a film and cause streaks. Do not use products that contain lemon, vinegar or other acids on marble or travertine. Rinse the surface thoroughly after washing with the soap solution and dry with a soft cloth. Change the rinse water frequently. Do not use scouring powders or creams; these products contain abrasives that may scratch the surface.

Bathrooms and Other Wet Areas

• In bathrooms or other wet areas, soap scum can be minimized by using a squeegee after each use. To remove soap scum, use a non-acidic soap scum remover or a solution of ammonia and water (about 1/2 cup ammonia to a gallon of water). Frequent or over-use of an ammonia solution may eventually dull the surface of your stone surfaces.

Bathroom Vanity Countertops

• Bathroom vanity countertops may need to have a penetrating sealer applied. Check with your installer for recommendations. A good quality marble wax or non-yellowing automobile paste wax can be applied to minimize water spotting.

Kitchen Cooking Counters

• In food preparation areas, the stone may need to have a penetrating sealer applied. Check with your installer for recommendations. If a sealer is applied, be sure that it is non-toxic and safe for use on food preparation surfaces. If there are questions, check with the sealer manufacturer.

Outdoor Pool and Patio Areas

• In outdoor pool, patio or hot tub areas, flush with clear water and use a mild bleach solution to remove algae or moss.

Do's and Don'ts

• Do dust mop stone floors frequently
• Do clean stone surfaces with mild detergent or stone soap
• Do thoroughly rinse and dry the surface after washing
• Do blot up spills immediately
• Do protect stone floor tiles with non-slip mats or area rugs and granite countertop surfaces with coasters, trivets or placemats
  
• Don't use vinegar, lemon juice or other cleaners containing acids on marble or travertine surfaces
• Don't use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners or tub & tile cleaners
• Don't use abrasive cleaners such as dry cleansers or soft cleansers
• Don't mix bleach and ammonia; this combination creates a toxic and lethal gas