Did you know that some types of marble floors can last you a lifetime? However, your marble flooring will only last you this long if you take good care of it. Otherwise, you will soon find your floors covered in stains and dirt that will be nearly impossible to clean. 

But how should you go about cleaning a marble floor? The thing you will want to remember most is to be gentle with this type of floor. Otherwise, you might end up making it worse.

Keep reading and learn more about how to clean marble floors the right way. 

What to Avoid When Cleaning Marble Floors

Marble is considered a calcareous stone which means that it does not react well with acids. If you put anything acidic on marble, the stone will start to break down. If you clean marble with things like lemon juice all the time, you will notice that the appearance of your marble will start to become dull and worn. 

This is important to keep in mind because many household cleaners use vinegar and lemon juice. Both of these substances are quite acidic. While they might initially clean any spots and stains off of your marble floors, they will eventually start to leave stains on their own as the marble starts to break down under the effects of the acid. 

You should also avoid any abrasive cleaning agents. For example, if you have a cleaning product that has little granules in it (baking soda is one example), you should keep it away from your marble floors at all costs. If you were to scrub your floors with anything abrasive, you would find that the cleaning product would leave your floor covered in scratches that would ultimately make your floor lose its shine.

In the same vein, you should avoid harsh scrubbing tools like brushes. The bristles of these brushes will only scratch the floors and dull them. 

Many people make the mistake of using products used to clean granite on marble. Seeing as marble and granite are both types of stone, you might think that granite cleaners could work on marble, but this is not the case at all. That’s because granite is much more resistant to acid than marble and granite cleaners tend to be more acidic.

If you used granite cleaners on marble, the marble would become damaged. So, what kind of products should you opt for?

How to Clean Your Marble Floors the Right Way

The best way to keep your floors clean is to keep dirt from sitting too long in the first place. You should clean your marble floors often with a broom or a vacuum. Whenever you see dirt or crumbs on the floor, never let them sit around. 

If you do, you, your family, and your guests will eventually step over the dirt and press it deeper into the floor, making it harder to clean later on. To prevent this, try to sweep your floors once or twice a week. This will keep any superficial dirt away and, if you have any pets, it will prevent pet hair from piling up in your home. 

Using a dust mop is a good alternative to a broom. This is especially true if you have a broom with stiff bristles that may end up scratching your floor. Also, to prevent as much dirt as possible from entering your home, make sure that you have mats at the entrance to your house.

That way, most of the dirt from outside will stay on the mat and you won’t have to deal with it throughout your house. This is important because dirt is abrasive and can scratch your floors, especially if you track it around the house on the bottom of your socks. 

You should aim to deep-clean your floors once every month. Deep cleaning will help to keep any stains or spots from taking hold. It will also help to keep your floor shiny and fresh as the day you had them installed. 

When you do this, you will want your cleaning products to be as pH neutral as possible so acid won’t be an issue. Also, use soap that is specifically designed to clean marble such as stone soap.

Extra Cleaning Tips

If you want a clean floor, you will have to keep up with it. For example, if you drop some food or drink on your floor, try to clean it up as fast as possible. The longer you leave food on the floor, the more time it has to stain the marble. 

Once marble gets stained, it can be hard to remove the stain, so it’s better to prevent it from happening in the first place. To remove a fresh stain, use a soft cloth soaked in warm water. Do not smear the rag around the stain since this will only spread the contaminants around. 

Instead, you will want to blot the stain so that the substance remains in place. If the stain is still giving you trouble, you can use a mild soap. However, you will want to make sure that the soap doesn’t have any phosphate in it since phosphate can damage the marble. 

Be sure to dry the marble after cleaning it. If you don’t, the veins of iron oxide in the floor might leave rust stains behind.

How to Clean Marble Floors

Cleaning marble floors doesn’t have to be difficult as long as you know what you’re doing. All you have to do is stay away from acidic and abrasive cleaners and opt for gentle soaps and warm water. That way, your floors will remain as good as new. 

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