Natural stones like granite, marble, limestone and travertine are known for their aesthetic appeal and durability. Maintaining the durability and beauty of these natural stones is of utmost importance as they are a great investment which gives your home an attractive look. Cleaning them can be a bit time-consuming but not difficult at all. You just need to hold patience and be particular and careful regarding the products and equipments you are going to use to clean natural stones. Cleaning natural stones with wrong products can get damaged. Therefore, you should make sure that you are using the right products for cleaning and caring the natural stones. It is important to seal the natural stones and once they are sealed, it will be easier for you to clean and maintain them.

The type of sealant you should use for your natural stone depends on the porosity and the density of your natural stone. You have to use either a water-based sealant or a petroleum-based sealant. Whether your natural stone is polished or not, this will also be a determining factor when choosing a type of sealant.

It is worth mentioning that you should ask your natural stone Alberta manufacturer whether the natural stones are already sealed or not before you apply any sealant.

For daily cleaning of natural stones, you can use a pH balanced cleaner. Using harsh detergent and soaps and abrasive sponges are not ideal in case of cleaning natural stones. If there are any stains and spills, do not delay to clean them as they can get hardened as a result of which, it will be tough and quite time-consuming removing them. Mild dishwashing liquids are safe to use on natural stones. Do not forget to rinse the tile and the grout with plain water to remove any residue of cleaner. You can use a brush with soft bristles to clean the inside of the grout joints. Do not scrub the area too hard.

For cleaning loose dust particles on your natural stone countertops, you can use a vacuum cleaner but see that the vacuum does not have beater bars that can produce scratches on the surface.

You should ensure that you are not using any acidic cleaners as they can cause damage to the surfaces of alkaline stones like marble and travertine. The grout can be damaged by the use of acidic cleaners and you may have to replace it. In case you have colored grout, the color can fade. Do you have marble, limestone or travertine countertops? You should beware of using any vinegar and lemon-based cleaners while cleaning your countertops made of any of these natural stones.

After the scrubbing and rinsing, you should dry the surface with a clean and soft cloth so that your natural stones do not absorb moisture. The moisture absorption can cause dullness on the surface of your natural stone countertop.

For deep cleaning, you can purchase a heavy-duty natural stone cleaner. Heavy-duty natural stone cleaners are available in almost all home improvement stores. You can also ask your granite Calgary manufacturer regarding this matter.

Author Bio-

Emily Smith is a freelance architect and a home improvement analyst. She has been writing for many online publications since 2007. In her recent articles on natural stone distributors Calgary, she shares some useful advices on how to clean and care for natural stoness.

Emily often visits the website of Gabastone (http://www.gabastone.com)  to collect decoration ideas with natural stones.

If you feel contacting Emily, follow her on Google+.