Anyone have a good solution to cleaning slate tile?
Question:Just moved into a place with a slate shower stall and bathroom floor. Everything I find says not to use on natural stone. Help! I need to clean the bathroom!
Answers:
In the tile biz, we recommend a neutral pH cleanser. What I've found to work best is ordinary dishwasher detergent. Wet the floor, scrub in detergent, allow to settle a couple minutes than wipe clean.
Acidic cleaners (like vinegar and Soft Scrub) break down bits of dirt to smaller particles. These particles then settle back down into the porous surface of the tile and grout. neitral cleansers, however, do not break down sirt-- they suspend it in the water solution. Wet, scrub, wipe. Done.
If the slate is sealed, you can try using plain white vinegar on a soft sponge to wipe the grime off. The vinegar smell will evaporate.
I have unfinished slate tiles throughout my house and yard. I found the same thing. I use Mother Earth floor cleaner. It works fantastic. I also invested in a steam cleaner and it cleans it better than anything else.
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