How to look after your slate flooring

Slate flooring is known to be very attractive and porous but they are very prone to stains and they always need special maintenance and care to look good. Therefore how can you keep the flooring spick and span?

Clean the floor

You have to thoroughly sweep the floor to remove get rid of the debris, dust mop the floor and while on it you have to ensure that you only mop in one direction. Back and forth motion has to be avoided because it always moves dust around the house.

If your slate floor is soiled, you can use a mild detergent, slate cleaner and water to get rid of the debris. In addition, you have to ensure that you wring your mop thoroughly to remove any excess water. Moreover, mop all areas even the base board and then rinse the floor with clean water to remove the soapy residue and suds. Refill your bucket with warm water and rinse the floor again.

Allow the floor to dry by keeping away pets and people off the floor.

Removal of stains

If there are spills on the floor, you can wipe them off with a paper towel or a soft cloth the moment the spills occur.

You can also remove the stains using bristles that are non metallic, small amount of detergent and water and if the stain is persistent, you can use hydrogen peroxide and water.

Allow the solution to settle on the stain for a couple of minutes before washing it away. You can alternatively treat the stain with a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Apply the paste on the stain and after a couple of minutes, wash the paste with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water.

If the stain is on the colored grout, you can apply the appropriate cream, leave it for ten minutes and then rinse off the cream using warm water.

Apart from slate flooring being porous, they are also prone to stains therefore you can apply a floor sealant on the slate flooring to prevent it from catching any stains.

In addition, never use mats or rubber bucked rugs on your slate flooring because they usually damage the floor. Never use an oil based duster mop on the floor and you have to ensure that the floor cleaner doesn’t contain any acidic component because it easily erodes the slate floors. Your slate floors will always look glamorous if you use the correct techniques to maintain these floors.