A mixture of white vinegar and water can help remove any stubborn dirt. Baking soda can also lift dirt, and is best used with warm water and an abrasive brush. Avoid using harsh cleaning products like bleach around plants, and make sure you rinse your landscaping rocks thoroughly before placing them back in your yard.
Many collectors choose to remove calcite from rock and mineral specimens. Calcite often forms over quartz and other more desirable crystals and is more difficult to remove. Use household vinegar to help dissolve calcite from your finds before displaying.
First Approach: Soap, Brush, and Water
The first thing to try is a scrub brush and a bit of dish soap. You can clean them under running water, but I've found that a small bucket is usually the best approach.
Rocks that contain calcium carbonate can erode when they encounter acids, and limestone contains calcium carbonate. Vinegar is acetic acid, and limestone is a base. An acid plus a base causes a chemical reaction. So, vinegar combined with limestone creates a chemical reaction.
Let your decorative rocks sit in the solution for a few hours or more, depending on how much cleaning needs to be done. Another option is to apply the vinegar directly on the garden rocks using a spray bottle. The idea here is to do an occasional light cleaning with the vinegar between more significant cleanings.
If you are cleaning your natural stone floor or counter top like Marble, Limestone, Granite, Slate, Quartz or Travertine ect. if you use white vinegar on the natural stone it will react with the lime in the stone and etch or take off a layer of the stone and make it look dull and take away the beauty of the stone.
Clean stone surfaces with warm water and a mild soap such as a clear Dawn Liquid Soap. Do not use products that contain lemon, vinegar or other acids on marble or limestone. Rinse the surface thoroughly after washing with the soap solution and dry with a soft cloth. Change the rinse water frequently.
Mechanical- Hydrogen peroxide bubbles can dislodge dust, clay, and other remnants left behind from digging the stone out. It works better than just soap and water in many cases, especially when you've got a lot of small cracks and crevices to deal with.
Create a solution of water and vinegar.
Mix the solution thoroughly. Pad the bottom of your sink or bucket with a soft towel to prevent the crystal from getting damaged. Vinegar will help remove cloudiness from crystal as well as add a beautiful shine. You can also substitute ammonia for vinegar.
The Benefits of Using Vinegar in Laundry
To use it, soak the stained item for at least 30 minutes up to overnight in a solution of white vinegar and 1 Tbsp. liquid laundry detergent before laundering.
Water-based Silicone or Polycrylic
Spray silicone coatings penetrate rocks to produce a shiny, wet look. However, a silicone spray finish may dull over time. A more permanent shine may be attained with a polycrylic or polyurethane coating.
Clean stone surfaces with a neutral cleaner, stone soap, or a mild liquid dishwashing detergent and warm water. Similar to any item cleaned in your home, an excessive concentration of cleaner or soap may leave a film and cause streaks. Follow manufacturer recommendations.
Car wax is applied in the same way that it is applied to your vehicle. Using a wet, delicate cloth, apply to clean, dry stones. Allow each layer to dry completely before buffing lightly. To get a high shine, use 2-3 coats.
Rocks that contain calcium carbonate can erode when they come in contact with acids, and chalk contains calcium carbonate. Vinegar is acetic acid, and chalk is a base. An acid plus a base causes a chemical reaction. So, vinegar combined with chalk creates a chemical reaction.
A mixture of white vinegar and water can help remove any stubborn dirt. Baking soda can also lift dirt, and is best used with warm water and an abrasive brush. Avoid using harsh cleaning products like bleach around plants, and make sure you rinse your landscaping rocks thoroughly before placing them back in your yard.
Whilst vinegar will not directly dissolve concrete itself, but it will degrade the cement that binds your concrete slabs or flags together. Extended exposure to vinegar will also cause any polish or sealant on your pavers to erode over time, leading to bleaching, stains and weathering.
Vinegar is very acidic and can cause the quartz to discolour or disintegrate. If you need to use vinegar for cleaning quartz, always make sure you dilute it with water. Lysol wipes may be acceptable for quick cleaning as long as they are bleach free but use them sparingly.
Quartz-Safe Cleaners Can Not Remove Hard Water Spots
Quartz countertops are combined with acid-sensitive resins during their manufacturing, meaning they are vulnerable to chemical damage. This causes acidic products such as vinegar, lemon juice, or acidic cleaners to eat through the resins, "etching" the surface.
The baking soda solution can leave white stains on the crystals, but they're easily removed with a drip in warm distilled water or white vinegar. If any orange tint remains you may be able to remove it with a very weak acid like vinegar, but serious stains may require another round of Iron Out.
This means avoiding using vinegar. Stones like limestone, marble, or travertine will react to vinegar because it's an acidic cleaner with harsh effects. It can even lead to burning or etching to occur on the surface of the stone. Instead, cleaners should have a neutral pH level of 7 for natural stone cleaning.
Clean with bleach or hydrogen peroxide (light colored stone only!) or lacquer thinner or acetone (dark stones only!) Small amounts can be removed with lacquer thinner or scraped off carefully with a razorblade.
Use denatured alcohol to melt the wax off of stones by soaking the stones in a small jar filled with it. Make sure the jar has a good air tight lid. You do not want to spill any of the alcohol and it also evaporates.
It's possible to clean rocks with vinegar alone by leaving them to soak in a cup of vinegar for 2-3 days. If you find that your stone starts to produce tiny bubbles when you add it to the vinegar, this is probably because it contains calcite.
Acidic commercial cleaners and those containing harsh chemicals, like bleach, can damage and dull natural stone surfaces.
⇒ If you want to remove vinegar stains from the natural stone surface, then make a paste of baking soda and acetone. Apply it to the stain and leave it for 24 hours. Now, rinse it with clean water.