How to Properly Clean a Travertine (Or Any Other Natural Stone) Floor

The following instructions for cleaning your travertine floor are the same ones usually provided to restoration clients at the end of a professional service. Performing these simple tasks as I describe them is the most important step you can take to keep your travertine serviceable and looking its best.

As a matter of note, this procedure may be used for the proper routine cleaning of any stone or tile floor – the practices are identical.

What You Will Need

You will need the following items to properly clean travertine on your flooring surfaces:

• A soft bristle broom or vacuum with non-scratching wheels and attachments
• Stone Pro Crystal Clean or other high quality neutral stone cleaner
• A good quality roller sponge mop
• A mop bucket with divided chambers (or 2 mop buckets)

Note: My Stone Care has a very high quality cleaning kit for sale at a discounted price. Click the following highlighted text to view the ProKit Stone & Tile Floor Cleaning Kit .

Remove Dry Surface Contaminates

Before applying any moisture to your flooring, always ensure all dust, dirt, and other dry contaminates are completely removed from the surface. This may be accomplished by sweeping or using the vacuum. This is important for two reasons:

• Dust, dirt, and other dry contaminates mix with the cleaning solution and become deposited in the grout lines.
• Dry surface contaminates have an abrasive effect on the floor surface, and over time will degrade the finish.

Please be careful if using a vacuum cleaner as the wheels or attachments may scratch the surface. I also recommend that you place “runner” carpets at all entrances and exits to help trap solid dirt particles and keep them off the floor. Your floor will stay cleaner, for a longer period of time, and it will significantly reduce the scratching and dulling caused by abrasive materials that get tracked in during normal use.

Damp Moping

After removing dry surface contaminates as described above, the floor should be damp moped using the sponge mop. The object of the process is to keep as much standing cleaning solution as possible off the floor and out of the grout lines.

Damp moping instructions are as follows:

A. Ensure you have removed all dry surface contaminates, as described above.

B. Mix 8 oz. of Crystal Clean Concentrate with 1 gallon of cold tap water in the 1^st chamber. If not using Crystal Clean, dilute the product you are using per the manufacturer’s instructions.

C. Fill the 2^nd chamber with cold tap water, only.

D. Dip the sponge mop head into the 1^st bucket of diluted mixture and wring it completely out.

E. Damp mop a small section of the floor and check the mop head for dirt.

F. When the mop head is dirty, dip it in the 2^nd bucket of plain tap water, rinse it off completely, and wring it out. NOTE: DO NOT RINSE THE CRYSTAL CLEAN SOLUTION FROM THE FLOOR! YOU WILL VOID ALL THE BENEFITS OF USING IT. The 2^nd chamber is used to remove the dirt from the mop head, only!

G. Re-dip the sponge mop into the 1^st chamber of Crystal Clean mixture, wring it out, and do another section of the floor.

Repeat items D. – G. until you have finished cleaning the surface.