Natural Stone Care Cleaning :
Mumbai stone service is a 25 year professional cleaner of interior and exterior stone. While natural stone cleaners are not vastly superior to standard cleansers, they often contain conditioners and additives that help reduce streaking. Some cleaners even contain a small amount of sealer. (designed to absorb into and fill the pores of the stone).
Assessment of your stone by a professional is the best possible suggestion before applying unfamiliar agents to your stone. Below are suggestions that can be used but there is always the possibility of making a very big mistake and making a wrong decision resulting in visible damage to the stone itself. If you are not 100% sure of what caused the problem, call or contact Mr.Arjun Shah and get a professional assessment. In the long run it can save you time, and more importantly, money.
Below is a brief description of the services we perform:
- Grinding – To remove deep scratches and remove lippage (uneven tile edges).
- Honing – To remove minor scratches and wear from everyday traffic.
- Polishing – To create the “glossy” finish that is desired.
- Cleaning – To remove dirt, stains, waxes and polymers that have become embedded causing your flooring to look less than desirable.
- Sealing – To protect and preserve natural stone. Experience has taught us which sealer to use for the longevity and beauty of your stone.
- Traverfill – Both limestone and travertine’s imperfections are filled at the factory, but sometimes these fillings fail. We offer cost effective solutions to unsightly blemishes that occur as a result.
- Color Enhancing – The use of penetrating sealers / impregnators formulated to enhance or enrich the color of your stone.
- Seam Polishing – If you have a seam in your granite that looks less than desirable, we can fill and polish it out so your slab looks like one monolithic piece of stone. Color matching is also available depending on the type of stone.
- Crack Repair – We repair cracks and chips in both marble and granite.
Grout Cleaning
How to properly clean tile grout seems to be a very popular conversation around forums on the Internet. The truth is, the more you clean un-sealed grout the dirtier it becomes. Because grout is porous every time a floor is mopped, the dirty mop water soaks into the grout lines staining and discoloring the grout. Bacteria also penetrates into the grout and begins to grow causing odor problems and mold. The only way to properly avoid these issues is by sealing the grout. Once the grout is sealed, cleaning is a cinch! A basic household cleaner such as dish soap, Mr. Clean, Spic and Span etc. will do the job! You simply wet mop the floor with a mild cleaner and then dry the floor with an old towel. Drying the floor is by far the most important step. While you are mopping the floor, the dirty mop water will run into the grout lines. If the dirty water is left to dry, dirt will start to build up on top of the sealer. This dirt can easily be removed by simple scrubbing, but can be avoided all together by drying the floor and picking up the dirty water. The easiest way to dry a floor is to throw down an old towel and shuffle around. Using this method to clean a properly sealed floor will allow your grout lines to stay perfect permanently and prevent any dirt build up on top of the sealer.
Stain Removal
Removal of most surface stains is possible but the first step to removal is identification of the stain. Once you have identified the cause of the stain, you will know what type of cleaning method is required to achieve the best result.
- Oil-based Stains – An oil-based stain is one created by grease, cooking oil, cosmetics, tar, and other items that have any oil in them. An oil-based stain darkens the stone and will usually need to be chemically cleaned in order to dissolve and then rinse away the source. First, you must remove any excess staining agent by wiping it away if it is soft, or in the case of tar, chipping it off. Then clean the area gently with a soft liquid cleanser. Suitable cleansers include ammonia, household detergent, acetone, or mineral spirits. It is important that you don’t pour the cleaner directly on the staining agent itself, as that could cause the agent to thin and seep into more of the stone. Instead, wet a cloth with the cleaner and place it over the stain in order to draw the agent into the cloth. You may also use a cleaner specifically designed to remove oil-based stains such as an alkaline degreaser or a homemade poultice.
- Organic Stains – An organic stain is one created by an organic substance such as coffee, tea, tobacco, fruit juice, food, paper, urine, leaves, bird droppings, or bark. These substances will often leave a pinkish-brown stain that, if outdoors, may disappear after the source of the stain has been removed because of the normal bleaching process caused by the rain and sun. However, if the stain is indoors you will have to use a cleaning formula. To make your own you can use 12% hydrogen peroxide mixed with a few drops of ammonia. You can also purchase commercially marketed cleaners or use a homemade poultice.
- Ink Stains – Any form of ink, such as that found in magic markers or pens, could cause an ink stain. If the color of the stone is light, clean it with bleach or hydrogen peroxide. For darker stones use acetone or lacquer thinner. Do not pour a cleaner directly on the stain, as it could result in the staining agent thinning and spreading further along the surface. Instead, wet a cloth with the cleaning agent and allow the stain to be drawn into it.
- Paint Stains – If the paint is covering only a small portion of the tile, scrape it off with a razor blade, or remove with a lacquer thinner. If a large area is covered by the paint, it must be removed with a commercially formulated liquid paint stripper. Under no circumstances should you use flame tools or acid to strip the paint from the stone.
- Water Spots and Rings – Water damage occurs due to the surface accumulation of hard water. To remove these stains buff the affected area with dry 0000 steel wool.
- Fire and Smoke Damage – This damage is typically seen with stone that is part of a fireplace. In order to remove the stain you must thoroughly clean the stone. This is most easily accomplished with commercially formulated smoke removal products.
- Etch Marks – These stains are left by acid that has been left on the surface of the stone. Some acids will cause the finish to be etched but the surface of the stone won’t actually be stained; other acids will etch the finish and discolor the stone. Once the acid has been removed, wet the surface with water and apply marble polishing powder. Rub the powder into the stone with a buffing pad and a drill or polisher set to a low speed, or by hand with a damp cloth. Buff until the etch marks disappear and the surface shines. Honing may be needed for a deep stain that requires a professional stone refinisher.
- Efflorescence – This is a white powdery substance that appears on the stone’s surface. It is caused by mineral salts within the stone being carried to the surface of the stone by water and then being left behind when the water evaporates. For new installations simply vacuum or dry mop the surface of the stone and repeat as needed until the stone has completely dried. Do not use water to remove the powder, as this could exacerbate the situation. If the problem is persistent, contact the contractor in order to identify and remedy the cause of the moisture.
