Know that it is important to maintain professional marble cleaning with care. These living materials are porous and sensitive. They therefore require very specific cleaning to preserve their organic beauty for many years.
How to protect, clean, detach and renovate marble and limestone? What professional cleaning products to use? Here are a few simple tips.
How to clean marble?
Natural stone is making a comeback in professional or private interior fittings. We appreciate it on the floor, the wall, the tables, the furniture, the fireplaces, … and it is even more true for the marble. However, this material requires attention. Fortunately, it remains simple to maintain by taking a few precautions and respecting simple rules so as not to damage it irreversibly.
Routine commercial cleaning of a natural stone floor
A microfiber slightly moistened with lukewarm water is enough to remove dust, degrease and restore shine without attacking the coating.
You can also use a mild limestone cleaner with a neutral pH. – washing with plenty of water which risks leaving stains.
How to detach marble?
Several solutions make it possible to overcome rings and most spots if they are not too pronounced.
Marble ecological product
The easiest way to care for your marble is to use an eco-friendly limestone product. Among the most effective are:
- baking soda
- black soap
- Marseille soap
- clay stone
- soda crystals
Use a soft cloth or a slightly dampened sponge to treat the localized stain. You should take care not to scratch the surface.
Marble maintenance product
It is also possible to use an industrial product specially designed to remove specific stains: marble cleaning product, limestone maintenance product, rust remover, protective balm against the impregnation of water, wine and coffee stains.
How to protect the marble?
Natural stone needs to be protected from dirt and acid, but also from oil and more generally from heat and cold. To preserve it durably from external aggressions, it is preferable to have recourse to a basic treatment which will not alter the original beauty of the stone and will not prevent it from “breathing”.
- Water -repellent waterproofing
Recommended for high-traffic areas, this stain-resistant protector creates an invisible film that acts as a barrier against liquids, grease and dirt. - Marble impregnation
Impregnating products for natural stone inhibit the absorption capacity of the material, thus preventing grease and dirt from penetrating deeply. In addition, they ensure a perfect finish. - marble wax
It nourishes, protects against dust and dirt and makes the surface shine.
How to renovate marble?
When a marble floor is really tarnished, too deteriorated or has lost its color, you should consider renovating it to give it a more aesthetic appearance and regain its natural shine.
The crystallization of marble
The crystallization of marble is a technique that allows the stone to shine and bring out its natural qualities and aesthetics. It is a surface treatment of limestone stones which can undergo a physico-chemical transformation of the surface layer.
(color, grain, etc.). This treatment gives the surface anti-dirt and anti-slip properties to the surface and facilitates subsequent maintenance. It also performs a pore-filling function, removes black spots and reinforces the hardness of the stone.
The crystallization of marble involves several operations which are carried out using a marble cleaning machine.
- Sanding or polishing depending on the level of wear
Marble sanding is intended to remove scratches and other irregularities in the floor using an abrasive in order to obtain a smooth and even surface. In case of chips or cracks, it will be necessary to consider a marble filling product to repair and restore it. When the stains are less encrusted or the scratches less deep, mechanical polishing is sufficient. - Marble treatment by crystallization
Crystallization designates both the chemical process and the marble renovator that bring back the natural brilliance of the stone. There are powder crystallization and liquid crystallization for the spray method. The crystallizing product is applied on a clean, dry floor using an appropriate single-disc type limestone cleaning machine. The mechanical treatment of the surface requires a marble mono brush disc (diamond disc). - Polishing
This finishing operation restores all its shine to the marble and allows the stone to refract sunlight.
Frequency and application for the renovation of marble stones by acid crystallization
Depending on the nature of the stone, the traffic, the lifespan varies from 1 month to 1 year.
Yields vary from 5 to 10 m²/hour.
Acid crystallization of stones is not always possible
- Non-crystallizable stone
- Spraying and uneven application on the floor
- Application to wet
- Using a steel wool disk that is too rough
- White spots on the floor
What cleaning equipment or machine to use for the maintenance of marble by crystallization?
- Dust mats or absorbent cloths
- Low-speed heavy mono brush (<180 rpm)
- Beige or white disk, red and black disk
- Sufficient fine, medium or strong steel wool discs or roller (single use) or other special disks (bronze, silver, stainless steel)
- water spray
- Garbage bags, rags
Which cleaning product to use for the maintenance of marble by crystallization?
- A crystallizing product
- Pickling products
- clear water
The method of crystallizing marble step by step
- Place the dust mat at the entrance. Protect acid-sensitive metal parts.
- Strip, rinse and neutralize the floor.
- We proceed by small areas. Aspirate quickly. The surface must be parched.
- Place the coarse-grained steel wool disc under the mono brush.
- Work in small areas (+/- 3 m²). Spray the crystallizing acid on the floor then spread it like the spray method. Buff to a low sheen.
- Let the product act. The longer the action time, the better the result.
- Repeat the operation, crossing, with the fine steel wool until obtaining a strong shine. The shine appears when there is stronger resistance from the mono-brush..
- Damp sweep to remove the last debris.
- Polish with the mono brush equipped with a white disk.
– Regularly shake the dust off the steel wool disk and turn it upside down. Renew it if necessary. When the disc is saturated, place it in the plastic bag. Never put it on the ground.
– Preferably wait 24 hours between two applications. This second crystallization is necessary on more damaged marble.
– The crystallization will take place in depth and will therefore be more durable on very porous marble.
– For marble agglomerates, the action on the cement is much slower.
– Circular traces due to a defect during sanding may reappear.
Precautions to be taken for your safety and the maintenance of the equipment
- Wear gloves when using a crystallization product
- Remember that the product attacks metals and thermoplastics
- In case of contact with eyes, rinse thoroughly with water
- Rinse all accessories that have received acid or alkaline products with plenty of water.
- Discard old or rusty disks..
The marble restorer
It ensures a permanent shine to the floor and protects it from stains, wear and trampling. It is applied on a stripped floor (stripper for marble), dry and dusted.