To clean your limestone floors, you have to wipe off the obvious grime, dust, and debris. Then you can scrub the floors with a natural cleaner. After cleaning, rinse and dry the floors thoroughly. You have to maintain the limestone floors by cleaning them immediately to prevent permanent staining of the floors.
We all spend time decorating our homes because we want to live in an artistic, alluring, and beautiful space that we can call our home. No matter how much time, energy, effort, and money you put in, if your floors are not sparkling clean, it will ruin the entire ambience of the place.
Limestone floors add elegance and grace to your place. However, like any other flooring, limestone floors need to be cleaned regularly. By following the simple steps given below, you can turn your home into a clean place full of life and vigor that reflects your creative style.
Let’s see how to clean limestone floors to keep them scintillating and lustrous.
3 Steps to Clean Limestone Floors
Cleaning your limestone floors is a breeze. You don’t need to call in a professional cleaner – you can easily do it yourself!
Remove the Dirt and Grime
Supplies Needed
- Microfiber Cloth
- Vacuum
Method
- The first thing that you need to do is remove all the obvious dirt and debris on the floor. Take a microfiber cloth and wipe the floor with it thoroughly. This will remove all the dust, spilt food, etc. on your floor.
- You can also use a vacuum to clean the floor. However, limestone gets scratched easily. Vacuums are great for picking up and loosening. However, they are clunky and heavy machines that you have to drag across the floor. Therefore, make sure that you are using a brush attachment that has soft bristles. Moreover, never drag your vacuum across the limestone floor.
Mop The Floor
Supplies Needed
- Water
- Limestone Cleaner
- Cleaning Brush
- Mop
- Towel
Method
- Before you mop the floor, you have to scrub away all the ingrained dirt. Don’t use any detergent to mop the floor. Rather, use one that is specifically designed for limestone. Limestone can be damaged by harsh chemical cleaners. Thus, search for a pH-neutral cleaner. You can buy it online or from your local supermarket.
- Dilute the detergent with water. Mix five parts water with one parts cleaner. Do check the instructions on the box to attain the correct ratio.
- Apply the cleaner to the area where there is obvious grime built up.
- Let the detergent sit for 15 minutes.
- With the help of a soft-bristled cleaning brush, scrub off the dirt and grime. Remember, if you clean the floors regularly, there will not be much built-up dirt.
- Use clean water to wipe the dirty detergent from your floor. Soak a mop in the water and use it to do so. Never leave the cleaning residue on your tiles as this will wear them down.
- Instead of letting your limestone floors air dry, take a clean towel and dry your floors. Don’t let the water pool anywhere on your floor.
Use Sealer On The Floor
Supplies Needed
- Protective Sealer
- Floor Mop
Method
- Limestone floors need a great deal of maintenance and care. A protective layer of sealer will create a barrier on the surface of your floors. This will stop water penetration, spills, etc. dead in the tracks. It will also prevent stains and discoloration.
- Take a clean mop and dip it in the protective sealer. Apply a thin layer on the floor.
How to Maintain Clean Limestone Floors
This is a no-brainer – clean your limestone floors regularly. No matter how fancy your floor looks, it’ll not remain perfect forever as the accumulation of dust and dirt is inevitable.
Avoid Too Much Water
No matter what flooring material you have, you have to mop it with water. However, limestone possesses unique properties and it needs careful and special treatment. The one thing you need to keep in mind is that limestone is very absorbent.
If you get too much water on the floor, it will end up getting soaked into the floor. This will cause stains and discoloration. Don’t use a lot of water while mopping up the floor to prevent seepage. Moreover, wipe up all the excess water with a towel to dry the floors completely.
Clean Up Spills Immediately
As mentioned above, limestone is absorbent and liquid spills are bad for it. Even if only water spills on the floor, it can damage the appearance of the floor. You can assume how bad food spills are for limestone floors, especially if you don’t clean them up immediately.
The more time you take to clean the stains, the worse off your floor will be. It is not only about the porousness of the stone – we know that limestone gets scratched easily. If you let the spills dry, it will take a lot more effort to loosen it all up from the floor and this increases the risk of scratches.
Seal the Limestone Floor Regularly
A good sealer lasts for quite a while, for months at a time. However, you have to check whether the floor is sealed or not. To do this, take a cup of water and dip a paper towel in it. Wipe a small patch of the floor with it. If the water beads, the floor doesn’t need resealing.
Otherwise, apply a layer of protective sealer as discussed above.
FAQs On How To Clean Limestone Floors
How often should I clean my limestone floors?
This depends on how often you use them. As a general rule of thumb, clean the floors once every week. Maintaining your floors weekly would prevent the need for a deep clean.
What do I use to make my limestone floors shine?
You can use mineral oil to polish and shine the floors. Take a clean rag, dip it in mineral oil, and polish to give your floors a nice shine.
