One of the many things that homeowners rely on fabrication professionals to help them learn is how to care for natural stone. Additionally, there are many natural stone care options available to owners of hard surfaces made of natural stone. In this post, we are going to go through a process that is recommended by a well-known natural stone care company. Then, at the conclusion of the post, we will provide some helpful links to informative pages provided by that company.
Techniques & Natural Stone Care
Whether you are dealing with hard materials like granite and quartzite, or softer natural stones like marble and onyx you need to be aware of some characteristics that each stone has. Knowing what makes each stone unique can be a tremendous help in caring for your hard surface. For example, softer stones like marble may contain calcite that gives them their natural “gloss”. However, calcite is susceptible to being dissolved by acidic liquids commonly found in the household environment. Therefore, protection is a key if you have a marble surface.
Stone Care Maintenance Routine
One of the best methods for protecting and cleaning natural stone materials is to routinely apply products designed to protect your stone’s surface and then, use a cleaner that is specially formulated to prevent the breakdown of the protective barrier. This technique is very effective because it is ongoing. Furthermore, it is not time consuming. Finally, it is easy to keep up with since it is not complicated. Consider one natural stone care maintenance routine and see how easily it can be implemented.
The Best Stone Care Routine
Each seller of stone cleaning and care products will no doubt recommend their own products to you. In fact, there may be more than one product that will do the trick when it comes to natural stone care. However, the key lies in the methods you use and the consistency with which you treat your stone surface. According to one granite cleaner producer, the following method is considered the best:
- Seal the Stone
- Clean With A Neutral Cleaner
- Fortify With Polish Regularly
This three step process is explained fully in an article discussing the how to clean stone. That article builds on another article that reasons on why a multi-step process is the best granite cleaner. Yet, this process is just as effective when implemented on other stone materials. In fact, it is really more of a total care program that keeps the appearance of the stone looking its best than it is a cleaning process.
So, always remember that the most effective way to maintain your stone surface is to follow through on a couple of simple points. First, know your stone so that you can treat it the way it needs to be treated. Second, follow a routine that is designed to clean, protect, and maintain the overall appearance of your stone surface.