GRANITE – MARBLE – LIMESTONE – SLATE - CERAMIC

Maintenance of natural stone is not much more different than other surfaces you are familiar with. The difference is mostly in the cleaning agents, since stone such as marble, granite, travertine, etc have a delicate chemistry that may interact in a damaging way with the chemistry of cleaning solutions that were not specifically formulated for the task.

VICTORIAN FLOOR TILES

Tiles are grouted with gray, non-pigmented cement-based grout, Coloured grouts, including black, are likely to stain the tiles and should not be used.
Victorian floor tiles are unglazed and can therefore be stained by grease, oil, wine etc. We therefore recommend that in normal indoor domestic installations they be sealed with a wax or acrylic surface coating before the floor is used. Special care should be taken not to apply more than the tiles can absorb.

SPILLS

Most spills can be damaging to stone if left unattended. Fruit juices, wine, liquor, tomato sauce, vinegar, yogurt, salad dressing, perfume, aftershave lotion or wrong cleaning agents most likely won’t damage granite and green marble surfaces; however these type of spills will damage/etch polished marble, travertine, onyx and alabaster.
PICK UP ANY SPILL AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

FLOORS

Do not damp mop your floor immediately after installation and grouting. While you wouldn’t do any real damage the fine powder left on the floor will be trapped in the water and may leave ugly and hard to remove streaks all over its surface. For the first week or so, just vacuum and dust mop your floor as often as you can. You will know when it’s ready to be washed when your hand remains dust free after rubbing it on the floor. After that damp mop your floor regularly. Don’t just use water as it won’t cut through the dirt and it will leave streaks.

We recommend using a solution of water and MB-1 Marble, Granite and More Floor Cleaner, in the proportions listed on the label. (Don’t use more cleaner than indicated. While no damage will occur, a film will remain on the floor surface that will require rinsing, thus taking more time. MB-1 when used as directed requires no rinsing since the formulation includes specially selected organic salts that are meant to be left on stone surfaces and act as moisturizers as well as optical brighteners.

DON’T damp mop your floor using a solution of water with just any commercial cleaner unless it specifically indicates that it is safe for use on natural marble.
DON’T damp mop your floor using a solution of water and vinegar. Vinegar is not a real cleaning agent and is highly acidic; therefore, it can be very damaging on marble and travertine.

In high traffic areas, such as areas with direct outdoors access use proper floor mats. The leather or rubber soles of your footwear will not damage your floor, but the tracked in dirt will. “Astroturf” mats (heavy duty outside the door and finer inside) are one of the best. Clean floor mats often.

To preserve the finish on a newly installed or newly restored floor, regular waxing is a must. We recommend MB-7 Marble, Granite and More Polish preserver. If used regularly as directed, MB-7 will allow your floor to age gracefully and retain the finish.

VANITY TOP

Clean vanity tops regularly with MB-5 Marble, Granite and More Spray Cleaner. For the light duty cleaning necessary on vanity tops, MB-5 can be diluted 2 to 1 with tap water in any clean spray bottle.

Clean the mirrors over vanity tops with the same MB-5 solution – do not take chances with regular glass cleaners since over spraying will land on the vanity top and eventually damage it – over spraying with the MB-5 solution will not cause any damage.

DON’T use any powder and or cream cleanser on vanity tops. AVOID using nail polisher remover, nail polish, and hair colouring and perm products on or near vanity. Use a vanity tray to display perfume, colognes and aftershave lotions – do not place directly on vanity top.

KITCHEN COUNTER TOPS

Kitchen counter tops should be sealed with a good quality impregnator-type penetrating sealer such as MB-4. Even though commercial/generic all-purpose spray cleaners may not damage nature stone tiles, they will be harmful to the sealer and could eventually lead to staining on an unprotected counter top.

After MB-4 penetrating sealer has been applied it is recommended to clean kitchen counter tops regularly with MB-5 Marble, Granite and More Spray Cleaner, full strength, especially on counter tops in close proximity to cooking areas. Once again, do not allow spills to sit for too long – clean spills as quickly as possible.

SHOWER STALLS

DO NOT use any of the following products:
powder or cream cleanser
Tilex mildew stain remover
Tilex soap scum remover
x-14 mildew stain remover
x-14 soap scum remover
any self cleaner such as scrub free
any harsh disinfectant such as lysol

The easiest way to keep your shower stall clean is to use a diluted solution of water and MB-5.

Spray walls and floor with the MB-5 solution and using a squeegee scrub swiftly with the scrubbing net side then go over surfaces quickly with the squeegee blade.

Eventually you will have an accumulation of soap film, especially on the lower part of the walls and on the floor. We recommend using MB=3 Soap Film Remover, which has been specifically formulated to remove/clean away soap scum and mineral deposits while not interacting with the chemistry of natural stone.

If, over time, mildew appears on the grout lines of the shower stall, clean with MB-9 Mildew Stain Remover, safe for natural stone and effective at removing mildew and other biological stains.

An instruction booklet is available which contains detailed information on cleaning procedures and the proper tools for cleaning each type of stone. Please contact our office by e-mail, telephone or fax and one will be forwarded to you immediately.

If you have specific problems or questions, just go to our problem solver.