Limestone, granite, sandstone, and flagstone are natural stones that can lend a hint of luxury to your apartment’s entryway foyer, dining countertops, washstand, and fireplace surround. Natural Stone Cleaning Services are ultimately required as even regular cleaning leaves grime in the grout lines often.
However, most people avoid permeable stones since acid-based foodstuffs and detergents can cause peeling, which results in dull lines and small fractures. The great news is that appropriate attention and upkeep can help to prevent etching and discoloration caused by normal use and abuse.
Professional cleaning takes care of all the possible mishaps that can happen with stone installations. This blog outlines the process used by professional cleaners for natural stone cleaning.
Steps Followed For Natural Stone Cleaning Services
1. Preparation Of The Area
First, the area to be cleaned is prepared. All the furniture and unnecessary objects are moved to a safe place. Sometimes, natural stone floor cleaning companies near you might ask you to prepare the area in advance.
While some of the cleaning agencies assist with the bigger pieces of furniture which you cannot manage alone. This comes for an added cost of course.
While moving the furniture and other objects away from the natural stone tiles, care must be taken. Sharp ends and tips can make scratches on the tile surface. This can aggravate the situation of the tiles as more scratches and fractures can trap dirt and make the tile look dull.
2. Deep Cleaning Of Natural Stone
For general cleaning of natural stone tiles, first, the loose dust is removed by using a vacuum cleaner. Then, an all-purpose cleaner is used in combination with water to mop the tiles. Alternatively, a stone-specific cleaning agent might also be used.
Natural stone care and restoration entail the removal of various stains as well. Now, these professional cleaners first judge the stain and then use the solution accordingly. For example, an organic stain like tea or coffee requires a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia topped with the poultice.
Stains such as rust demand the use of more acidic cleaners like ammonium oxalate or sodium citrate with glycerin.
3. Honing The Tiles
The term “honed” refers to a stone block that has been sanded to a smooth, level, and uniform texture. This finishing is achieved by pausing close to the final polishing step, delivering the stone having a non-shiny, matte appearance and a velvety feel.
A natural stone cleaning company knows the right amount of diamond cutting or in layman terms, sanding is required for your stone.
Only the application of motorized cutting tools underneath a rotary machine may repair etching, scraped, and worn stone. Abrasives made of diamonds resurface/erase a few stones (just sufficient to reach beneath the scrapes and etch markings).
To keep the dirt down, most diamond grinding is done using water. The required surface gloss will be determined by the resurfacing operations that follow.
4. Sealing The Natural Stone
Natural sealers maintain the natural appearance of your stone. Natural sealers do not discolor the stone, change its color, or offer any form of sheen. They’re ideal for use with polished stone.
Based on whether the stone is buffed, chiseled, or flamed, suppliers may specify various processes or quantities of sealer. Any items that you wouldn’t want sealer on should be protected (i.e. faucets, sinks, stovetops, or walls).
Bubble wrap could be used to hide utilities, and a newspaper page can be used to conceal the gap between both the walls and the stones. Because “curing” time varies by product, natural stone floor cleaning companies observe the company’s directions.
Although the stone soaks part of the sealer, there is always some remaining on the top. Wipe up any surplus with a microfiber towel. You wouldn’t want any excess sealer to dry on the countertop since it will stain it.
5. Polishing The Stone
Polishing provides the stone layer with a semi-shine or gloss appearance. Commercial diamonds with greater granularity than honing abrasives are used to polish stones. A polish can restore the gloss to stone surfaces that are in good shape.
For polishing natural stones, the professionals begin by removing any staining, scuffs, dull areas, or technical scars. Next, we remove any residue that has resulted from previous wax or any similar protective coatings.
Later we revive your stone’s natural polish, which truly illuminates the entire area owing to the fresh sheen. Lastly, we compress the top of your stone’s porosity in order to make it simpler to wipe and preserve your stone in the long term.
What is the best way to clean natural stone?
To clean a natural stone, the best way is to sweep away surface dust first. Then, using a mild cleaning agent with warm water, gently mop or wipe the surface. This should be done on a regular basis to maintain the cleanliness of the stone surface.
For natural stone cleaning which is really dirty and scratched, you might need a professional natural stone cleaning service. Book our top-rated services from ASAP Carpet Cleaning. Our high-end equipment and techniques make the entire process very smooth. Our trained professionals work on your stone surface to provide great cleaning results every single time.
