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.

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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.