Showing posts with label granite maintenance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label granite maintenance. Show all posts

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Marble Maintenance Tips: Facts You Need To Know

Marble has been considered to be a sign of luxury and aristocracy for ages. Earlier it could be used by the people who were rich and had a lot of money to spare for home decor. But nowadays, it has become a flooring material for many houses. The popularity of marble has been unaffected owing to several reasons. One of them is the esthetic appeal which marble adds to a home. By using marble, one can change the complete look of the house and add a new sense of glamour to it.

Someone who wants to use marble as a flooring material and give a cooling effect to the house needs to take care of certain things. To keep the natural glow of marble, one needs to check the stains, blemishes and cracks on marble. For this, one needs to know the things which lead to such problems. If a person would be little careful about the maintenance of marble then he can easily remove the stains and blemishes on marble.

Generally, etches and blemishes on marble can be removed if a person would use tin oxide or polishing powder of good quality. This is available with most of the marble material dealers or household maintenance shops. If someone notices stains or blemishes in marble then he needs to rub it with the proper cleaner. The stain cleaning material should be used while rubbing the floor with a piece of soft cloth. This will help in retaining the natural shine of the floor.

A person who has marble flooring in his house or wants to have marble flooring should always remember that marble has an extremely porous composition. This composition of marble makes it more susceptible to chipping, breakage and cracks. If marble pieces has cracked or broken then edges should be wiped properly by using acetone. With this one would be able to get the foreign materials removed from the floor. Then one should use recommended sealer or glue to repair the surface.

In case, one finds a crack in the marble floor, he should ensure proper sealing of the floor. The stone should be sealed before any cleaning method is applied. Sealant should be selected depending on the type of the surface. Debris which has collected in the marble should be removed carefully before applying any sealer. Soap less detergents or pH balanced cleaners can be used to wipe the surface of marble. One should always use recommended cleaners for the proper maintenance of the floor.

Someone who has a marble floor in his house should take care of it to prevent any mark on marble. If a person finds it hard to remove a stain from marble then he should contact a professional. Any stain can be removed from the marble surface with appropriate cleaning method. Professional cleaners know all the techniques to clean marble and so can remove any kind of stains. The offices or commercial complexes, which have marble flooring, should also hire professional cleaners for proper maintenance of the floor.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Care Tips For Marble Floor

Granites or Marbles are great when installed first. We feel happy to look at the shinning floors. We just love to invite our guests in our houses. Their appreciations really enthrall us. The house looks clean and well decorated. However, at times it becomes a tough job to maintain this beauty.

Despite of all the efforts we fail to maintain the look of the floors. Stains appear on the floors. Thus ruins the ambience; the house looks dull as the floor is lack luster. This happens due to some reasons. Bad quality floor cleaners can often damage the beauty, color and lusture of the floors. So, it is very essential to use an effective floor cleaner that is formulated to prevent damage. Common floor cleaners should be avoided. You can make the floors look beautiful by cleaning it wisely.

We feel proud to get the appreciations of the guests. But we have to work hard to maintain this beauty of granite and marble. There are some methods to take care of marble floors and if it is followed diligently we can manage to retain the shine of the house. First and foremost we need to choose the floor cleaner wisely. Penetrating sealer is used by the factories to protect the floors against stains. It blocks the cracks or small pores of the marble or the granite by creating a blockade, keeping dirt and liquid on the floor that can be washed easily.

Natural stone granite is one of the common items that we crave for. But we need to take care of this material too, to maintain its beauty. Many methods are there for cleaning the marbles and granites. But we need to consider some important factors before selecting the item, required for cleaning the floors. We often use common household cleaners to clean the floors. These cleaners contain some harmful chemicals, like ammonia which break down the sealer, thus making the marble or granite less resistant. In this process, the lusture, durability and beauty of the floors are reduced.

Marble or granite can look beautiful if proper care is taken. There are many factors that we need to consider before cleaning the granite and marbles. Toothpaste, perfumes, and other common toiletries can also damage the granite or marble surface. These toiletries contain some ingredients that are harmful for the floors. So, we need to act very cautiously.

We need to use some products that are designed to prevent damage and increase the beauty of the surface. Many kinds of Granite cleaners are available in the market. Granite Polish can be applied on the floors to enhance its beauty. It can bring back the lusture of the floor. You need to apply the polish carefully on the marble or granite surface. It should be applied in a circling motion so that all the dry spots are filled up. Then the surface should be cleaned with a clean cloth. The surface of the floor will shine after it is dried. You need to put some extra effort to do that. So, just take out time to clean the granites and marbles. Impress your guests by giving a new look to the floors.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Granite Care

Most modern day homes use countertops made up of granite, as it comes in elegant colors and beautiful designs to suit every decor. Used in the kitchen and the bathroom, the places where bacteria is present in large amounts, granite has the best bacteria resistant qualities, second only to stainless steel. It scores over other materials when it comes to being scratch proof and dent resistant. Also, smears of fingerprints cannot be seen on its surface.

Having granite needs good granite care. Keeping a few things in mind will make the task of granite care very easy and hassle free. A well maintained granite top will last for a life time.

Your granite care starts with the job of cleaning it daily. Remember to use only mild cleaning liquids. The presence of any strong abrasive chemical in your cleaning liquid might permanently damage the surface by disfiguring it. Lemon, vinegar, bleach or any other acidic substance should not be present in the liquid. For regular use, a mild dishwashing solution at a warm temperature should do. Use a plastic knife or a spoon to gently pry away anything stuck on your granite slab. The smooth finish of the stone makes this process easy.

Stains are another regular occurrence on a countertop and good granite care will take care of this problem. A little elbow grease can be used to rub off mild stains. For stronger stains, try a paste made up of your dishwashing liquid mixed with flour. Leave this paste for about five hours on the stain, covered with a plastic wrap. Then clean with some water and soap. On the kitchen countertops you might encounter some heavy oil stains. In such cases, use hydrogen peroxide instead of flour in the paste.

Other type of stains will be created on your countertops, when a liquid is left to stand on the granite for a long time. Granite has a property of absorption and the stain results because of this. So the simple thing to do is to keep wiping away anything you spill on your countertop. Wiping will make your granite retain its shine. A timely wipe also saves the hassle of removing the stain later.

Sealants are available in the market, for granite care. A sealant, when applied on granite, causes a thin transparent film on the stone. This film protects the granite from any liquids spilt on it, as now there is an artificial barrier to stop the liquid from getting absorbed into the stone. Many granite stones are porous and a strong sealant will seal theses pores and this will make your countertop remain shiny and stain free for a long time.

Apart from cleaning daily with a dishwashing solution, clean your countertop, once a week, with a stone cleaner, which is freely available in the market.

This is all there is to granite care. So make the most of your countertops and keep them shiny and looking like new for a long time to come.