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.
'Never clean marble countertops with baking soda. This could damage or wear down the sealant over time, causing it to lose its shiny sheen,' the expert says. 'Additionally, since natural stone such as marble, quartz, or any other type is an expensive material, any damage may be expensive to restore. '
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.
Add undiluted vinegar to a bucket and apply it to your stone with the plastic brush. See if it removes the white residue. If it does then you don't need to use muriatic acid. If you need the muriatic acid you'll have to dilute it according to the directions on the bottle.
An oil-based stain will darken the stone and normally must be chemically dissolved so the source of the stain can be flushed or rinsed away. Clean gently with a soft, liquid cleanser with bleach OR household detergent OR ammonia OR mineral spirits OR acetone.
Use a 1/2 cup of any of the following: ammonia, bleach, or hydrogen peroxide and a gallon of water. Reminder: do not mix bleach and ammonia. On light colored stones, clean with bleach or hydrogen peroxide. On dark colored stones, clean with lacquer thinner or acetone.
Efflorescence is a white, chalky substance that may appear on the surface of natural stone, clay brick, concrete pavers or any other porous building material.
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.
What you should Not Do: Don't use vinegar, lemon juice, or other cleaners containing acids on marble, limestone, travertine, or onyx surfaces. Don't use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners, or tub & tile cleaners. Don't use abrasive cleaners such as dry cleansers or soft cleansers.
Diluted hydrogen peroxide works well on Sandstone, Marble, Bluestone, and Travertine. In the case of Granite floor, simply brush the area in dry condition. No solution is required to cleanse moulds or algae from Granite floor.
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.
Maintenance and Cleaning of Natural Stone Surfaces
Never use abrasive cleansers, “soft scrub” products, or harsh/acidic chemicals on any stone as these can scratch or dull the polished finish. This includes substances like ammonia or many common liquid cleaners, such as Windex.
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.
Baking Soda + Vinegar
We're calling you out, Pinterest: Although these pantry staples are handy on their own — both baking soda and vinegar can help clean all over the house — you should skip any DIY cleaner recipe that involves this not-so-dynamic duo. "Baking soda is basic and vinegar is acidic," says Bock.
And in this case, this mixture does not work well with the natural stone countertops. Due to the fact that vinegar is acidic substance and baking soda is caustic, the result of mixing the two can have an unstable effect on stones that are porous.
Countertops. If you want to keep your stone countertops looking beautiful, don't reach for vinegar. The acid etches and dulls natural stone such as marble and limestone. It can slowly dissolve them, according to Beckman.
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.
The safest liquid to try first is water with a little dish soap. Soak your finds in soapy water for a day to loosen any packed-in dirt, and wipe or brush them clean. An abrasive toothpaste can also dislodge grime from smaller surfaces. Many collectors choose to remove calcite from rock and mineral specimens.
We also NEVER recommend using OxiClean or Mr. Clean Magic Eraser as a cleaner on any type of natural stone.
Acidic commercial cleaners and those containing harsh chemicals, like bleach, can damage and dull natural stone surfaces.