Cleaning & Sealing
Marble is softer and more porous than most stone; it not only
scratches easily, but also etches easily. Marble is sensitive to
acids in many different food items (including citrus products,
sodas, etc.) and the chelating agents in household cleaners.
Just like ceramic tile, natural stone is one of the most abused and
overlooked floor and wall surfaces in the home simply because of the
care involved in cleaning it. An etch mark in a polished marble or
travertine floor can be a constant reminder that grandmother wasn't
always right about the merits of cleaning with a solution of vinegar
and water.
The good news is Universal Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore can make short
work of this task. Whether you have natural stone in your kitchen,
bathroom, or some other area of your home, those stubborn stains and
etch marks don't stand a chance. Your natural stone will look very
much as it did the day it was installed.
At Universal Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore we are dedicated to helping
you keep your home healthy, clean, and always looking its best. The
solution to difficult natural stone honing, polishing, cleaning &
sealing is just a phone call away.
Trust Universal Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore for all those difficult
and unpopular projects. You really will be glad you did.
Maintenance:
General cleaners not specifically formulated for natural stone or
tile are never recommended. These can breakdown the sealer, thereby
removing its protective properties and making the stone and tile
grout susceptible to stains. Worse yet, many cleaning products,
including those that contain lemon, vinegar, bleach or ammonia can
etch away the polish, discolor the surface, or even scratch your
stone.
Many cleaners have what is called a chelating agent in them. This
agent breaks down and dissolves minerals in hard water. Since all
stone is made up of minerals, these types of cleaners will dissolve
and cause streaks over prolonged use. Universal Carpet Cleaning of
Baltimore offers the complete line of StoneTech Professional™ Products.
Limestone
Limestone is similar to marble in that it is sensitive to acids and
household cleaners containing chelating agents. It varies in
hardness and sometimes will have fossil imprints. Clean As A Whistle
offers cleaning, honing, polishing, and sealing of limestone. For
best results, have your limestone sealed and use a neutral stone
cleaner such as StoneTech Professional™ stone and tile cleaner
available through Universal Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore.
Marble
Marble is softer and more porous than most stone; it not only
scratches easily, but also etches easily. Marble is sensitive
to acids in many different food items (including citrus products,
sodas, etc.) and the chelating agents in household cleaners.
See the section marked maintenance for more on
chelating agents. Universal Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore offers rust
and stain removal as well as cleaning, polishing, and sealing of
marble floors and countertops. For best results, have your
marble sealed and use a neutral stone cleaner such as StoneTech
Professional™ stone and tile cleaner available through Universal
Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore.
Travertine
Travertine is limestone that has been formed by hot springs. Water
movement caused erosion of the stone creating numerous holes of
varying sizes. Travertine is similar to marble in that it can be
polished, and is sensitive to acids and household cleaners with
chelating agents. Universal Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore offers
cleaning, honing, polishing, sealing and enhancement sealers for
Travertine. For best results, have your travertine sealed and use a
neutral stone cleaner such as StoneTech Professional™ stone and tile
cleaner available through Universal Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore.
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained metamorphic stone usually black, gray or
green. Slate is not acid sensitive but prolonged use of household
cleaners with chelating agents can cause streaking and dullness.
Universal Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore offers slate cleaning, sealing
or enhancers that bring out the deep rich natural color of slate.
For best results, have your slate sealed and use a neutral stone
cleaner such as StoneTech Professional™ stone and tile cleaner
available through Universal Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore. .
Granite
Granite is an extremely hard natural stone and is not as porous as
other natural stones. Though not acid sensitive, prolonged use of
household cleaners with chelating agents will cause streaking and
can be a homeowner’s nightmare. Universal Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore
offers cleaning and sealing of granite countertops and floors. For
best results, have your granite sealed and use StoneTech
Professional™ Revitalizer™, which is available through Universal
Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore
Terrazzo
Terrazzo appears more uniform than most natural stones and is
available in tile form or by a pouring application on the slab.
Terrazzo is a mixture of Portland cement and marble chips; these
chips can range in size from a fraction of an inch to as large as
several inches. Universal Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore offers Terrazzo
cleaning, polishing and sealing. For best results, have your
terrazzo sealed and use a neutral stone cleaner such as StoneTech
Professional™ stone and tile cleaner available through Universal
Carpet Cleaning of Baltimore.
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STONE CARE Do's and Don'ts
- Do dust mop floors frequently.
- Do clean surfaces with a neutral stone cleaner.
- Do thoroughly rinse and dry the surface after washing.
- Do blot up spills immediately.
- Do protect floor surfaces with non-slip mats or area rugs
and counter top surfaces with coasters, trivets or place mats,
particularly under those containing alcohol or citrus juices.
Many common foods and drinks contain acids that will etch or
dull the stone surface.
- Don't place hot items directly on the stone surface. Use
trivets or mats under hot dishes and place mats under china,
ceramics, silver or other objects that can scratch the surface.
- 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.
- Don't mix bleach and ammonia; this combination creates a
toxic and lethal gas.
Natural Stone Cleaning Process
Pre-Inspection
All Natural Stone cleaning and restoration as well as sealing jobs
must be preceded by a thorough pre-inspection. Here we determine a
customized care plan to meet your specific needs for your specific
floor.
Preparation
Because your home is important to you it is important to us; we will
take the necessary precautions to protect all areas surrounding your
floors with 24” plastic sheets and blue tape.
Cleaning
Cleaning Processes vary from floor to floor, many variables include
make-up, maintenance, soiling conditions, traffic, use, etc… When
cleaning any stone floor we use the most scientifically advanced
cleaning products and the floor is then machine or hand scrubbed and
brushed. Finally the new SX-12 floor cleaning tool, connected to a
truck-mounted hot water extraction system is used, achieving maximum
soil removal and best overall cleaning results.
Diamond Grinding
Stone that is etched, scuffed and scratched can be restored only by
the use of mechanical abrasives underneath a rotary machine. Diamond
abrasives resurface/remove a slight amount of stone (just enough to
get below the etch marks and scratches). All diamond grinding is
performed with the use of water to contain dust. The surfacing
procedures that follow will determine the desired surface sheen.
Honing
Stone is mechanically resurfaced using diamond abrasives and water
to achieve a uniformly honed surface sheen. Filler within travertine
stone that looks cloudy, splotchy or dirty becomes uniform with our
finishing techniques. If desired, polished marble, granite,
travertine or limestone can be mechanically honed to remove
pre-existing surface polish.
Polishing
Stone is mechanically finished to produce a high gloss shine. Very
light etches, scuffs and scratches may be removed with the polishing
process, but diamond grinding is needed if the stone surface has
medium deep etches, scuffs and scratches.