What better activity for a frosty January morning than a bit of cleaning? This is your friendly reminder that it’s time to clean and seal the tile and stone in your home. You might be saying, “ugh!” but this will set you up for the next six months! And this isn’t as daunting a task as most people believe it to be.
Step One: Stone surfaces, such as granite and marble, and grout are porous and need to be cleaned periodically. Over time it’s amazing how quickly stone tiles and/or the grout in your floor and showers can become dirty and make your whole room look dingy. Add a renewed sparkle to your space by giving it a good clean up. Note that ceramic and porcelain tiles, and manufactured quartz surfaces such as Silestone, Caesarstone, Cambria, etc. are not porous, so don’t require this sort of care, but the grout between tiles always does.
To clean your natural stone, use a soft brush or even just a soft cloth. Never use an abrasive pad of any kind. Start with a mild solution of stone floor cleaner and water, and finish with a straight water cleaning to pick up residual detergent. If you have a particularly stubborn stain, such as turmeric or red wine, make a paste of regular flour, a little water, and a dash of dish soap. Apply it with your fingers to the stain; cover with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight (or 2-3 hours). Remove with water. This should pull the stain out of the stone.
For cleaning grout, arguably the toughest part of this chore, try one of these methods:
- The natural way, using a mixture of 3/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide, and 1 tablespoon dish soap. Apply the paste with a stiff brush to the grout, let it sit 15 minutes, rinse and dry.
- Use Goo-Gone Grout Clean and Restore. You spray it on, and it foams up to clean the grout quickly and painlessly.
- For really tough jobs, carefully use Rejuvenator’s Grout Restorer and Rejuvenator product. It’s a non fuming, acidic cleaner, but it’s what the pros use in commercial spaces. Wear a mask, and it will be a quick way to clean the grout to look brand new.
- If you don’t want to end up on your hands and knees cleaning your grout, consider a brush such as this one, which can be attached to a long pole.
Step Two: Sealing the grout and natural stone is actually pretty easy and can be done in one step. You’ll want to get everything good and dry (it’s recommended to wait 12-24 hours after cleaning) before you can apply the sealer. There is really only one product we use:
- Miracle 511 Porous Plus Sealer is great sealant that is okay for food areas, and it’s available online or at Home Depot and Lowes.
Simply wipe it over your grout and natural stone areas. Let the sealant sit a few minutes and with a clean, dry cotton rag, wipe off the excess. Use a light touch here… you’re only picking up excess sealant. Let it sit 8-12 hours undisturbed.
With a little elbow grease, your floors, bathrooms, and kitchens can look as good as new!
