An Italian Marble Floor Tile in Kitchen

Hi C.,
My husband has been in the tile/marble business for 10 years and he said that if you want to bring out the shine then you would have to go to a tile store and buy stone enhancer/polisher (you won't find anything at home depot or loews that will work like the stuff at the tile store) but if you want to clean really well then dilute white vinegar in HOT water. The ratio is 1/4 cup of vinegar to 2 gallons of hot water. Hope this helps.
C.

Just found this:
http://en.stone.gov.cn/news_Show.asp?action=news&nid=19

Man, I learn all kinds of things from this website. After reading this I know that I never ever want to have marble floor tile. What a pain in the butt!!!!

Hope it all works out okay for you. Stressful I bet cleaning someone else's expensive floor! Good luck. :)

C.,

Ask if she has had someone else achieve this 'glow' before, or if you're the first.

Keep looking for the sites - maybe ask who installed the marble and what they recommend. Home Depot has items like this, and may have something to say about the care and feeding of it.

Good luck, and hope you find what you need.
M.

My mom has floors like this and I think they just use regular Mr. Clean diluted in warm water, and then spot clean with 409. I know they hand scrub instead of mopping, but the floor is very uneven so it's hard to get clean with a mop.

Water and dish soap is what I have heard. Wash with a mild solution, rinse once more with clear water, then dry with a dry mop. The floor has been sealed, so you will not want to use anything that will ruin that seal. Nothing abrasive or with acid (lemon juice, vinegar).

I would call a store that sells marble, tile, etc. They can answer that best.
Good luck
C.

Try calling a flooring store and ask how it should be maintained. If you have no luck ask where she got it from and call them to find out what to use. Good luck!

I am a member of a do it yourself group and they are very helpful with things like this. Just need to join the group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DoIt_Yourself/

Do NOT use anything acidic - so vineagar is definitely a no-no. Warm water with a touch (just a touch) of ammonia is fine. Regular cleaners should be avoided as they can stain and eat away at the marble. It is a very porous stone so great care needs to be taken.

I have a client whose house I clean and before me, my MIL cleaned for 10 years. The guy built the house and put in marble floors throughout and we wash the floor with hot water(the hotter the better-the quicker it drys and the better the shine) and white amonia. Every time the floor shines like brand new. Never had issues of fading or dulling, is it sealed? It should be and therefore she should not have that problem..BUT I'm no expert! =)Guess you could reserch that. My clients house looks like it was built just last year and I believe it is b/c using white amonia. Hope this helps.

I don't know if you're suppose to use anything besides water. I would call/ask at a flooring/tile shop where they sell marble tile floors. There is a really good one in Hawthorne, NJ called John Fischer Tile (maybe it is Fisher, not sure). They'd be able to tell you. Maybe there is a special cleaner for it that the homeowner could purchase for you.

Hey - You're not supposed to use anything on a marble floor except water otherwise it can discolor. Very sparingly, you can use water and vinegar to clean and disinfect. This will keep the original luster of the floor - but it should be used infrequently. Marble in the kitchen is a bad idea.

Call a tile place and ask them. Or if you have a chance go right to the store and ask.

I don't think it's up to you to decide what product to use on this clients marble floor. If you make this decession for her, you'll be held responsible for the damage, if any.

Marble floors usually get done by floor professionals who use lg. buffer machines....This is not a job for a cleaning women.

If she's home when you arrive, ask her what product she wants you to use on this floor to get the results and finish she wants or leave her a note asking her this if she not home.. Until she leaves you a product to use for this, vac (((using the flat attachment...don't use the beater on it.))))) and then DAMP MOP this floor only with a very mild cleaner mixed with very hot water....rinsing the mop often, ringing the mop out well.....then before it actually dries, buff it up with a clean soft dry rag...have lots of those on hand. Don't allow this floor to dry on it's own as it will end up looking like someone spilled soda on it and forgot to wipe it up.