One thing that you have to remember is that while slate is beautiful, like all natural stone it needs maintenance in order to avoid dirt build up and scratches. It is not one of the harder stones, so without the extra protection of a sealant and regular maintenance, your slate tiles can be damaged.
To be able to go about a regular cleaning routine, here are a few things that you will need:
- Clean, non-treated dust mop
- Soft-bristle broom
- Warm water
- Bucket
- Mild detergent, like Dawn soap
- Wet mop
The first thing that you will need to do is take the soft bristle broom and sweep up all dirt and debris from the floor. Follow that with the non-treated dust mop which will pick up all dust and particles that the broom missed. Make sure not to go in a back and forth motion, move in one direction.
Take your bucket and fill it with about 1 gallon of the warm water. Mix in around ¼ cup of the mild detergent. All you need to do now is to use the wet mop and dip it into the water and start mopping the slate tile flooring.
Empty your bucket and make sure that you rinse out the remaining soap and then fill it with fresh, clean warm water. Make sure that you have rinsed out your wet mop really good as well. Using the bucket of warm water and the freshly rinsed mop, rinse the slate tiles until there are no remains of any suds or dirty water.
From there, all you need to do is let the slate tiles dry by air. Make sure that there is no traffic walking around on the freshly cleaned tiles during the drying process.
There are a few cleaning tips to keep in mind to help you better maintain your slate tile floors. It may be in the best interest for your floor to consider dust mopping the floor either on a daily or weekly basis. Once you have, make sure that you shake out the dust mop really well outside.
One way to help protect your slate tiles from scratches is to place down rugs or doormats to catch anything being tracked in on the bottom of people’s shoes, or even ask your guests to remove their shoes before entering your home. Though keep in mind that if you choose door mats, pick one that does not have a rubber backing. These can stick and cause potential damage to your slate.
One of the last pieces of advice to protecting and maintaining your slate tiles is to stay on top of sealing them regularly. Depending on how much traffic your slate floors get, you will need to reseal about every 1 to 3 years. The sealant helps protect against scratches and slows the absorption process down due to any spilled liquids. Make sure to take taking care of your slate tiles seriously to get their full expected lifespan.
When in doubt contact a professional, contact us today to schedule your appointment to polish your natural stone flooring or if you have any questions.
Floor ReNew Houston
4530 W. 34th Street Suite C
Houston, TX 77092
(713) 418-9983
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