A granite floor can be a great addition to your home or business, but a newly installed floor can look very different from a well-used granite floor. Even without having people walking on it, a granite floor can attract dirt, dust, and grime – but is there a simple way to keep it clean?
Of course, granite isn’t just used for flooring – granite tiles can also appear in kitchens and bathrooms on the walls, and granite work surfaces in the kitchen are becoming more common.
Without proper granite floor cleaning, the granite tiles will eventually lose their shine (and thus their beauty). Fortunately, by choosing to keep your tiles well-maintained, you can keep the beauty of your tiles for a very long time indeed.
A new granite countertop, a tiled backsplash, or any other part of your kitchen that needs to be cleaned and polished can benefit from a thorough cleaning regime. You may have already invested in granite cleaning solutions, but if you want to clean the granite without streaks on the surface, you may need the help of a professional cleaning team.
However, you can clean granite floors and granite tiles with a little bit of effort yourself, and you don’t necessarily have to use any harsh chemicals.
How to Clean Granite Floors with Vinegar
Clean granite floors will make a room feel open and airy, while dirty granite floors can look dingy and old. By taking a little bit of time to clean granite tiles thoroughly once a week, you’ll be able to keep granite tiles looking beautiful for years.
One of the most common ways suggested for how to clean a granite floor includes the use of vinegar. Here are some tips on doing it naturally with vinegar and water.
- 1. Mix equal parts vinegar and water together in a spray bottle
- 2. Spray down the granite surfaces using this mixture
- 3. Use a damp cloth or sponge to scrub away stains
- 4. Rinse off with cold water (or use distilled white vinegar)
- 5. Dry off at once by wiping with paper towels (paper towels absorb moisture better than cloth)
If you want to clean granite floor tiles but don’t want to use vinegar, baking soda is another alternative.
This method won’t necessarily remove stains, but it can help prevent granite tiles from getting stained in the first place. If you already have some tough stains on your granite floor or granite tile, you may need to use a stronger solution (or even ask for professional granite floor cleaning).
The problem with this approach is that it can be hit-and-miss – vinegar can be great for cleaning, but if you’re working on a large surface area, you need to make sure that the mixture is the same strength all the way across. It requires a lot of manual labor to complete the task and can leave streaks afterward.
Granite Floor Cleaner and Polish
There are granite floor cleaners available in the granite cleaning products section, which you can use to clean granite tiles. They’re readily available online or at many specialty granite stores.
For best results, be sure that your granite floor is completely dry before using it – if there’s even a hint of moisture on the granite, it may streak (and granite stone is porous – moisture can sink right in, never to come out again).
You must follow the supplied instruction carefully and be prepared to put the effort in. Granite cleaners will still need to be applied with a rag or another manual implement, so make sure you have plenty of time and energy available.
Cleaning Polished Granite Floor Tiles
Granite floor polishing is a different process from granite cleaning. All granite will need polishing periodically, as granite tends to lose its sheen over time if it isn’t cared for properly (proper granite care involves regular granite floor and granite tile cleaning and granite stone sealing).
Polishing brings the shine back on the surface and makes granite tiles and granite flooring look new again.
You can do this yourself by hand if you own a machine polish kit but be prepared for intensive work over a large area – granite polishing is hard labor, even with the right equipment. You can pay to have your granite polished as part of the granite cleaning service.
Polished tiles will be less porous than unpolished tiles, but they will still need plenty of work to clean. It is wise to gently sweep (with a soft brush or mop) your tiles every day to prevent dirt and dust from accumulating – you can use a dry mop for daily maintenance as it doesn’t have to be a complete clean.
Don’t ever use abrasive cleaners of bleach on polished tiles, as it can damage the finish. If you don’t want to use granite cleaning products, vinegar is still a good solution for regaining the shine on granite floors.
Granite floor maintenance sprays are available (similar to granite stone sealer), which can be sprayed on polished granite tiles to make it easier to clean and maintain the sheen longer. Ask at your local granite shop as to which granite floor cleaner would work best for your granite tiles.
If your granite floor hasn’t been cleaned for some time, it may take quite an effort to clean it by hand – most homeowners give up before their granite tiles are spotless.
However, if there are still problems with granite floors (streaks, stains) despite using the recommended granite stone cleaner – it may be time to call in professional granite floor cleaners to tackle the job.
How To Clean Granite Tiles
If your granite tiles are granite stone tiles or granite mosaics, they should be cleaned exactly as granite flooring. However, be aware that granite may not look good with granite sealing on granite tiles, as granite sealing can leave a blotchy finish.
To avoid this outcome, always ask a granite tile specialist to find out whether granite sealing is a possibility for your granite tiles – it’s more expensive than cleaning granite stone tiles by hand or with granite cleaner. Still, it means that you don’t have to clean the tiles as regularly.
How to Maintain a Granite Floor
We’ve already taken a brief look at granite floor maintenance – remember to clean the dust and dirt away every day with a gentle brushing. This daily act will go a long way toward preserving the look of your floor.
You can also use granite floor cleaning products to clean up granite tiles every few weeks, if not less often – this is a good solution if you’re too busy for granite stone tile and granite mosaic cleaning on a more regular basis.
You may find it more beneficial to choose a skilled cleaning team to work on your floor for you. It can not only be a tiring task, but without the right equipment and skill, you’ll most likely end up with a streaky finish. A professional team can help you avoid this and supply a finish you can be proud of.
If your granite flooring has been neglected for some time, then there’s no need to panic! Don’t immediately jump into action and use granite floor cleaners. It can take several hours out of your week to scrub the tiles yourself. It will be a tough job but can produce good results if you work hard at it over a couple of weeks.
But be prepared for a lot of elbow grease and purchasing a lot of granite cleaning products! Realistically, it’s much easier, faster, and reliable to employ the services of a professional cleaning team.
How To Clean Granite Floors Without Streaks
You’ll find products on the shelves that claim to give a streak-free finish, but in truth, the only way to achieve a perfect finish is through plenty of practice.
Some granite cleaners, such as granite stone sealer, will give a very light sheen to granite flooring, which you can lightly buff to give a non-streaky finish. Again, this doesn’t last as long as a commercial granite sealer and is more of a temporary fix than an everyday solution.
A pressure washer is another possibility for granite floors – however, the granite cleaner and granite scrubbing pads required aren’t always available in a DIY store. If you’re set on the pressure washer approach, then there are plenty of products that can help you maintain your granite flooring when they’re cleaned with a pressure washer.
The ultimate solution for how to clean a granite floor is to call in professionals. With skills gained from years of experience, a professional cleaning team will know exactly how to approach your granite floor, leaving it clean and streak-free in much less time than it would take you to tackle the job yourself.
They will be equipped with commercial granite cleaners, granite scrub pads, and granite stone sealer designed to make your granite floor look great for years to come. Why take the risk of doing it yourself when there’s a much better option available?
