Combine about 45 grams of baking soda with about a liter of water and mix well in a medium-sized bowl. Use a clean cloth to apply the mixture to the surface. Allow the paste to dry for about 5 hours, then use a microfiber cloth and warm water to rinse. Dry buff with a clean microfiber or chamois cloth.
Spray your pebbles with white vinegar and let sit for about 10 minutes. Then, simply scrub and rinse. Pebble floors can look daunting at first glance, but with relative ease, you can keep yours looking amazing for decades to come.
Clean with a microfiber towel or nylon pad.
To avoid detrimental scratches, clean tile and stone with softer sponges. Nylon, microfiber, and soft brushes will help clean stone without damaging its sealant. You can also keep a microfiber towel near the shower to easily soak-up and remove excess water after each use.
While stone is a hardy and durable material for use in and around your home, you will need to be mindful of the cleaners you use and the way in which you keep it spotless. Fortunately, it's not actually too difficult and our step-by-step guide will break down everything you need to know about stone shower cleaning.
A one-to-one mixture of bleach and water in a spray bottle will work perfectly. Spray the affected area; scrub it with your gentle brush, and wipe it clean. Using bleach against mold spots is often better than only using your stone cleaner. The bleach will kill spores and help prevent any resurgence of mold.
“Vinegar and bleach are harsh,” adds Gregg Laviolette, owner of Stone Restoration Services in Troy, Michigan. “They will etch or burn the surface of your stone.” While some chemicals may not noticeably damage durable stones such as granite, they can break down any sealers that have been applied to the stone.
Natural stone should be cleaned once a week with a pH-neutral cleaning product like Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner. The powerful cleaner dissolves tough soils and buildup without damaging your beautiful stone surfaces, and removes soap scum, body oils and greases, bath oils, soap, and shampoo oils.
Apply a paste of baking soda and water over the stain and leave it for 24 hours. Gently scrub the area and rinse it with plain water. Stains on Sandstone pavers, Travertine floor tiles, and Marble floors can easily be cleaned with a baking soda solution.
Fill a recepient of warm water and use only water, or mix it with a small amount of neutral liquid “All-Purpose-Cleaner”, detergent or cleaning solutions specific for stone. Change the solution when it starts to get dirty. Dip a microfiber towel, a duster or a mop into the water mixture and start cleaning.
If you have natural stone tiles anywhere in your house, avoid cleaning them with vinegar, lemon, or ammonia. The acidity in the products etches and dulls the stone, says Elena Ledoux, owner of Superb Maids in Las Vegas, Nevada. To repair, it will require a very expensive re-polishing process.
Most cleaning experts recommend using a pH-neutral, stone safe cleaner. Spray the product onto the surface and allow some time for it to break down the compounds of the residue. Use a soft cloth or a non-scratch pad to rub and scour the area as it helps to even the surface.
Not all types of scrubbing bubbles are suitable for cleaning pebble floors, which is why before using you need to make sure that you get the right kind of scrubbing bubbles to clean the floor and in no way harm the stones and the shower stall in general.
If you see a white, powdery residue on your stone, it may be a sign of efflorescence. It's a clear indication of water damage. The sooner you catch it, the fewer repairs you'll have to do.
Agitate the Dirt Away from the Grout
Spray the stone-safe grout cleaner along the grout lines and allow to sit for two or three minutes before scrubbing the grout with the nylon brush, then rinse with water. Make sure you don't use anything abrasive that can scratch 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.
Magic Erasers will damage your natural stone countertop or even your floor. If you have polished marble or granite countertops, or even natural stone tile, don't use a Magic Eraser to clean it, according to Countertop Specialty.
DON'T: Use harsh or abrasive cleaners and sponges.
Windex; acidic cleaners, like vinegar, lemon, lime; or anything with ammonia or bleach should be avoided. Frequent use of these chemicals will dull and weaken the sealant over time.
Apply solution. Leave on heavy soils for 1-2 minutes. Scrub if needed. Rinse or damp-wipe with clean water.
Once natural stone has been sealed, maintenance should be easy and performed on a regular basis. This will ensure it's kept looking its best, even in high-traffic spaces. The Fila Tile and Stone Cleaner has a pH neutral formula and is gentle enough to use on all types of natural stone.
It looks great on shower walls, ceilings, and floors, as well as on the floor outside the shower. Where it's not so great is the areas of performance and maintenance. Stone must be sealed regularly, and it can be difficult to clean if it's highly textured or has wide grout lines.
Keep the Tiles Clean
It is important to avoid products with acid or ammonia, both of which can damage the natural stone. With Rock Doctor's Granite and Quartz Cleaner, you can safely clean all of your natural stone surfaces—even the pesky shower tiles.
When cleaning natural stones like marble, limestone, and onyx, you can't reach for your regular cleaners like white vinegar, lemon juice, bleach, or abrasive cleansers. These cleaners are too acidic for natural stone and can damage or etch the stone (although some can help remove rust from concrete).
It's essential to only use cleaners which are appropriate for natural stone surfaces. This means avoiding using vinegar. Stones like limestone, marble, or travertine will react to vinegar because it's an acidic cleaner with harsh effects.