How To Clean Marble Floors and Cleaning Hacks

Marble is a natural stone from limestone family. It is a non-foliated metamorphic rock millions of years old. It is the most versatile, soft and porous natural stone. It is available in a variety of colors, textures, designs and patterns. Rather than just using it to build temples, tombs, deities etc like ancient times, it is now used as decorative constructions on walls, floors, counter-tops, back-splashes etc. it is a beautiful and magnificent stone. It gives bold and sophisticated look and adds value to the house.

How to Clean Marble Floor

Marble has been used to create elegant floors for thousands of years. Its beauty and sophistication makes it popular even today. It is one of the most beautiful natural stones. However, like all other natural stones, marble should be cleaned regularly and carefully to prevent staining and deterioration. If your marble floor becomes old and dirty then here is how to clean it and bring back its shine again:

• Dry mop the floor to remove dust and dirt.
• Now make a solution by mixing 3 tablespoons of baking soda and a generous amount of dish-washing liquid soap to 1 quarter of warm water. Mix well. Commercial stone cleaner is also another alternate for this purpose
• These DIY steps can help you clean marble flooring efficiently:
  • Fill a bucket with plain tap water.
  • Now dip a soft cloth, nonabrasive sponge or soft bristled scrub brush into the soapy solution and scrub the floor.
  • Rinse the sponge or brush frequently in the plain water. Empty and refill the bucket when the water becomes dirty.
  • Make a paste by mixing 1 cup of plaster, diatomaceous earth, talc or powdered white chalk and water. Stir constantly. Mix well until you get a thick consistency like sour cream.
  • Wet the stained area with distilled water and spread a thick layer of poultice paste on the stains.
  • Cover each stain with the plastic wrap and tape all the edges well to secure the poultice with masking tape.
  • Leave it for approximately 24 to 48 hours, until it completely dries out.
  • Now remove the plastic wrap and wipe out the poultice with wet cloth or sponge.
  • Lastly apply a commercial stone sealant according to the package directions on the floor.
  • Note: a pound of poultice mixture covers 1 square foot approximately.

Fighting Stains on Marble Floors

Marble is a gorgeous but porous natural stone and stains can occur very easily on natural stones. If the floor is unsealed then it can absorb liquids easily, that can leave stains. Many types of liquids can leave stains on marble including water. So its better and important to wipe up the spills and clean the floor immediately before it gets the stain. Poultice treatments are a very gentle way of removing stains. Here are some remedies and treatments to clean stains on marble floors.

• Remedy 1:

First make the paste of baking soda and water (consistency like sour cream). Now absorb the stain to lift as much of the substance as possible. Spray some water on it. Apply a large quantity of baking soda and water paste on it and cover with plastic wrap. Leave it for 24 hours. Baking soda will help to dry and pull up the stain. After 24 hours, remove the paste and wash the area with mild soapy water. You can also apply a fresh paste again if needed.

• Remedy 2:

Mix together 1 cup unbleached flour, 3 TBS liquid dishwashing soap (don’t use bleach, only a gentle liquid soap is required) and water. Make a thick paste of sour cream consistency. Now spread this paste on the stain about ¼ inch thick and cover it with plastic wrap and leave it for 24 hours. Wash off the paste and the surrounding area with soapy water. If stain is still there, reapply the paste and repeat the whole procedure.

• Remedy 3:

Pour 1/8 cup of rubbing alcohol into a 16 oz. spray bottle. Add a couple drops of liquid dishwashing detergent. Now fill the bottle with water. Shake well before use. Spray this liquid on the stain and then wash it.

• Remedy 4:

Fold a piece of cotton gauze to approximately the size of the stain. Soak it with hydrogen peroxide and squeeze out excess. It should be wet but not dripping wet. Apply this cotton gauze on the stained area and cover with plastic wrap. Apply tape on all the edges of the plastic wrap to seal the gauze. Put an object on it to apply some pressure and weight to the stained area. Leave for 24 hours, now check and then reapply if needed.

Caution: it can lighten the color a little bit. So be careful while using on the dark colored marble. Always test on a small area before using it on the entire stain.

• Remedy 5:

Spray distilled water lightly on the stain. Now sprinkle a thick layer of cornstarch. Leave for 24hours. Now remove it and reapply if needed.

For a greasy stain, immediately sprinkle corn starch on it and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. Then wash it with mild soapy water. Cornstarch will lift the stain effortlessly.

Recommended and best Cleaners for Marble Floors

It’s important for marble floors to look clean, elegant and beautiful. So regular cleaning and maintenance is necessary for this purpose. When talking about cleaners for marble floors, always avoid acidic cleaners like vinegar, ammonia, lemons and bleaches etc, they will damage the marble because they are too harsh for it. They will scratch the marble and it will lose its shine as well as it will strip the sealer and the high gloss finished marble will be etched. It is important to use a cleaner that is pH neutral. Clean the marble floors with a highly diluted mixture of pH neutral products and water or a diluted solution of dish-washing soap and water. You can use windex, baking soda, light dish-washing detergent, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol etc. All pH neutral cleaners can be used to clean marble floors.

Is steam cleaning the right option for cleaning marble floors?

Marble is a popular stone because of its exceptional beauty and elegance. Proper care and maintenance is required to keep it looking its best. Marble can absorb dirt and it can attract bacteria easily due to its porous nature. So you should need an effective cleaning equipment to clean it. Therefore, the steam cleaners can be the perfect cleaning machine for all types of marble floors.

Marble floors cannot be effectively cleaned by using conventional cleaning methods. Mop cleaning and cleaning with chemicals can be harmful for both people around and floor because of the exposure of the toxic and harmful traces of the chemicals. The scrubbing with hard brushes will also damage the marble and scratch it. So steam cleaners are highly recommended as they can clean faster and more efficiently. Steam cleaners have the power of heated steam which will help to remove all types of dirt without using harsh detergents and chemicals.

Steam cleaners are the best machines for marble floor cleaning because the advanced technologies offered by the machine can clean, disinfect and sanitize the marble floor without any manual effort. Following are the steps that will help to clean marble floors with steam cleaners:

• First understand the working of a steam cleaner properly. The water is heated in a closed boiler in the steam cleaner until it reaches to a certain temperature to turn it into steam. The time taken for this process depends upon the machine and the technology used in it. A steam gun is attached to the steam cleaner which is used to release the hot steam in measured quantities. The higher is the steam pressure, the quicker the release rate. This helps to remove and dissolve the tough dirt marks, grime and deposits from marble floor without manually scrubbing and moping.
• Now set up the steam cleaner. Make sure to read the user manual supplied with the steam cleaner. Carefully read it and set the machine properly according to the instructions. Make sure to tighten up the inlets, outlets and the connections securely and properly. This is the key to obtain the optimum working power of the machine because if the connections are loose then it will affect the performance of the machine. Keep an eye on the fuel of the machine as well before the cleaning application is commenced because the machines that are powered or heated by fuel or gasoline must have the adequate levels of the fuel.
• Then proceed to the cleaning process of the marble floor. Remove all the furniture and other items that can be an obstacle in the cleaning process. Use a broom to remove the loose dirt particles. Keep the steam gun at an appropriate distance from the floor surface. Start the steamer machine from the corner of the room to the central area, by focusing on the places where the dirt is tough to remove. Use microfiber mops to remove the remaining or left over dirt. Steam cleaners with vacuum will automatically empty the contents into the extraction tank.

Tips:

• Make use of the right accessories provided with the machine for faster and appropriate cleaning.
• Buy the steam cleaner of a reputable and proven brands for best results that will assure the long term performance and durability.
• The steam cleaner machine can eliminate bacteria and germs so you don’t need to buy and use expensive cleaning solutions.

Grout Cleaning of Marble Floors

Floors made of marble have an attractive and glossy finish that improves or enriches the appearance of the rooms wherever it is installed. Marble is a porous and soft natural stone.

It can absorb liquids which dry out or evaporate and leave a stain behind on the marble floor.  Its surface can get scratches even if a little friction is applied. The grout between the marble tiles becomes dirty and discolored with the passage of time. The grout can be cleaned with harsh chemicals and equipment. Be careful not to damage the marble while cleaning the grout.

• Fill a bowl with warm water and lightly wet the bristles of a stiff bristled tooth brush and then take a small quantity of baking soda on it.
• Scrub the grout between the marble tiles with the tooth brush. Use gentle back and forth motions to clean the grout only. Try to avoid getting the baking soda on marble and brush it with the tooth brush.
• Now rinse the grout with warm water and immediately dry it using a soft absorbent cloth.
• Mix together the baking soda and water to make a paste (consistency of a tooth paste)
• Place a small amount of this mixture on the tooth brush and carefully rub it into the grout. Don’t let the mixture to get on the marble. Wipe up any mixture that gets on the marble. Let the mixture to remain in the grout and leave it to dry completely.
• Now rinse the mixture off by cleaning it with a moistened cloth with clean, warm water. Immediately wipe off the mixture that gets on the marble with a clean, soft and absorbent cloth. Now continue rinsing the grout as many times as needed to remove the cleaning mixture.

Polishing Marble Floor

Marble gives a touch of fascination and elegance to any interior, but the beauty of this natural stone can deteriorate by the passage of time, if not handled with care. The use of harsh chemicals for the cleaning purposes and the wear and tear can harm the marble and make it dull. Proper maintenance is required to preserve the beauty and elegance of this natural stone. So polishing the marble is an easy task to make it look beautiful and lustrous.

Before polishing, remove any stains from the marble floor. Always use a clean and dry microfiber cloth to remove any remaining dust and grit. Avoid hard scrubbing. Rinse the floor with a damp and clean microfiber cloth. Dry the surface of the floor completely. Now polish it by using a mixture of baking soda and water as a polish.

Maintenance

Marble floors and surfaces can be renewed and returned to their original state, if maintained properly, then your marble floor will last a lifetime. Here are a few tips to maintain marble floors:

• Cleaning:

Cleaning on a regular basis is the key to maintain marble floors so clean the marble floor frequently and on time. Use a soft cloth and mop. Don’t use harsh chemicals like acidic solutions on the marble for cleaning. Always use a pH neutral solutions for marble floor cleaning. Be sure to clean the dust mop to avoid reapplication of dirt the next time.

• Use mats and rugs:

Place mats, runners and rugs on high traffic areas and on entrances to avoid scratching of the marble. Wipe your feet before entry. This will help to keep small rocks and debris from damaging the marble floors. For safety purpose use rugs with non-skid backing.

• Vacuum Cleaner:

If you use vacuum cleaner on marble floor then be sure to use only brush attachments. Don’t use plastic or metal attachments. It is recommended to never use an upright vacuum on marble floor as the wheels will scratch and damage the finish.

• Clean the spills immediately:

Its important to clean and blot the spills as soon as possible to avoid staining on the marble. Once blotted, clean the area with pH neutral cleaners and then wipe to remove the solution and dry with a soft cloth.

• Polishing and shine:

Maintain the shine of the marble floor between polishing by running a dry, clean soft cloth or dust mop on the floor.

• Precautions w.r.t cleaning products:

Always read instructions and safety guidelines on any product of cleaning before using on the marble floors. Patch test it on a small area first to avoid any damage to the stone. Use only pH neutral cleaners on marble floors. Use only soft cloth for cleaning rather than rough cloths. If you have an upright vacuum cleaner then avoid using it on marble floor. Don’t use powdered or granular soap to clean the marble to avoid scratches.

• Grout cleaning tips:

Clean the marble and grout on regular basis with a soft microfiber cloth to prevent dirt accumulation in the grout. Clean the spills immediately. Never use the soap or soapy solution stronger than a dish-washing soap to clean the grout between marble tiles.

• Stain removal tips:

Wipe up or blot spills immediately from the marble floor. The quicker you blot or wipe up the spills, the easier it is to remove. Do a spot test before applying any solution on marble floor. Before applying the treatment again, examine the stain closely. If the mark is still there but is lighter or reduced then the treatment is working. Keep applying until it will be completely gone. Don’t use commercial cleaning products around marble.