For those who have recently invested in installing slate stone on their floors, you may be wondering how to properly clean and care for slate. This is a good question as many people can completely ruin slate floors if they are not taken care of properly. Carpet Care 2000 will help answer how to care for Slate flooring properly to make it a long lasting investment.
Properties of Slate Stone
Slate is a natural stone that is a mixture of clay and small slit particles that are tightly bonded together during a time when the two materials came together under a lot of heat and pressure. Slate stone has a natural smooth surface and due to the tough bonding, slate stone is more resistant to water or moisture penetrating through. Due to the natural resilience of slate it is often used for flooring.
Slate Colors & Textures
Slate also comes in a wide variety of colors and textures. You can easily find black, greens, red, grays and brown colored slates. Since there are various impurities during formation, slate has many different textures as well. You will find smooth to rough textured slates. Many people like the rougher textures in bathrooms as flooring to provide a less slippery surface.
How to Clean Slate Floors
Keeping slate floors clean is highly recommended instead of waiting for them to get dirty where major scrubbing is evolved. When sealing slate you will want to pick a high quality sealer. A good sealer will help prolong the slate’s longevity and with frequent cleaning will make slate last forever. When applying a sealer you will want to use multiple coats and always allow 30 minutes of drying time in between each coat. This will make a cleaner and smoother sealer on the surface of your slate floor. Rugs are also recommended to help protect those high traffic areas. To properly clean slate floors, follow these basic steps.
Step 1. Sweep the floor often. As soon as dirt and debris can be seen, sweep the floor clean to help protect the sealer longer. You can also use a vacuum clean with a soft hard floor attachment.
Step 2. Before you clean slate floors always make sure the surface is clean before it gets wet. Again sweep, vacuum or even use a dust mop to remove all of the dirt and debris on the floor.
Step 3. Using a mop and bucket mix about two gallons of warm water and with slate floor cleaner or even liquid dish soap (no more than a ¼ cup). If the floor is only mildly dirty, plain water can do the trick as well.
Step 4. Mop the floor. Don’t over soak the mop. Make sure to use lightly dampened mop to help prevent the water from spreading dirt. Work your way out of the room and not into a corner.
Step 5. If a cleaning agent was used make sure to rinse the floor with plain water. You don’t want to leave a soapy residue on the floor or it may become slippery and the soap can erode the sealer faster.
Step 6. Allow the floor to completely dry before walking on it or putting back rug and furniture that you may have moved out of the way.
Natural Stone Cleaning & More in Tracy, Livermore, San Ramon, Dublin, Mountain House, Walnut Creek, Danville & the East Bay of California
Caring for slate floor is easy and it is recommended you do it often to properly maintain your slate floor. If you need help cleaning your slate floors, contact Carpet Care 2000. We provide natural floor cleaning. To schedule our services, contact Carpet Care 2000 today!
