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. It can even lead to burning or etching to occur on the surface of the stone.
Vinegar spells trouble for granite countertops (and any other natural stone countertop). The acid in vinegar wears away at the protective sealant that prevents spills from penetrating the stone and causing permanent stains. In addition, over time vinegar can cause etching in the granite itself.
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.
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).
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.
Simple Green Granite & Stone Polish is safe for use on granite, marble, travertine, limestone, porcelain, ceramic, quartz, Corian®*, Silestone®*, and other natural and engineered stone surfaces.
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.
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.
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.
Many home cleaning products, particularly bleach and vinegar, are too harsh or acidic to be on natural stone. These cleaners strip down the stone and leave it in a weak, damaged state. Unfortunately, whenever natural stone is damaged it cannot always be repaired back to its original condition.
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.
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.
⇒ 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.
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.
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.
If you want to attempt to remove product residue or hard water build up yourself, spray the stone with a pH-neutral, stone-safe cleaner and allow ample dwell time to soften the residue. Then using gentle pressure and a white Scotch Brite pad or a Dobie pad, clean the stone.
It mixes nicely with lemon, vinegar, and water for cleaning purposes, and is safe for use on any surface, including tile, ceramic, porcelain, slate, marble, granite, and stainless steel. Borax is a great DIY cleaner and here are 10 easy ways you can use it.
When using Dawn Powerwash, you should avoid cleaning porous surfaces such as marble and other soft natural stones or untreated wood. It is also best to keep Dawn Powerwash away from painted surfaces, too.
Rubbing alcohol is a natural bactericide and can also kill fungus and viruses. It has no ill effects on your granite or the seal on your granite so it's an ideal way to keep countertops clean.
To maintain the luster and shine of your natural stone, use a stone-safe polish about once a week. To polish stone, simply spray the polish directly onto the surface, then buff the surface until it's dry with a lint-free cloth or dry paper towel.
Magic Erasers are bad for natural stone surfaces
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.
Products that should never be used on these types of stones include vinegar, Scrubbing Bubbles, Tilex, Comet, etc.
However, there are a few things to be aware of with Zep Grout Cleaner. While every tile owner may want to try this wonder product out, it's not for every type of tile. According to the manufacturer, it is not for use on marble, terrazzo, travertine, natural stone, chrome, stainless steel, brass, or Corian.