Limestone Learning Center

Cleaning and Maintaining Your Limestone

Maintaining Limestone is Easy if You Know How

You’ve finally made the investment in a limestone piece in your home. Whether it be a limestone countertop, fireplace, kitchen hood, or even a wall, you’re going to need to know how to clean and maintain it properly to make sure that you protect the investment that you have in your limestone piece. Here are three tips for cleaning and maintaining your limestone so you can make sure that it keeps looking incredible.

1. Sealant

Your limestone needs to be sealed against the elements if you want to get the longest life possible out of your piece. That means that one of the first things that you’re going to want to do after you receive your piece is to find a sealant that’s specifically for limestone. This will work to seal out unnecessary moisture, dirt, and bacteria, to keep unsightly stains off of your limestone piece. Apply the sealant at least once every six months to keep the limestone clean, and you should be able to prevent most stains and scratches from happening.

2. Stain Prevention

It’s important that your limestone piece is accompanied by things that are going to prevent stains from happening. That’s why you should have rugs and floormats throughout your house so that people can wipe their feet before walking on your limestone flooring. Because it’s easily stained by dirt when it’s not sealed, you should also make sure that people take off their shoes before they walk around your house. It’s a small step that can really make your limestone last, if you’re diligent about enforcing it.

3. Wipe Up Immediately

Even if you have sealant active on the limestone piece, you’re still vulnerable to stains occurring. One of the main things that many people don’t realize about limestone stains is that they’re time sensitive. Once a substance permeates the limestone it’s only a matter of time before the stain becomes permanent. That’s why it’s so important that when you have  a stain on your limestone, you wipe it up immediately. Best case scenario, you’ll also take the time to reseal the tile, giving it exactly what it needs to protect itself against future spills. Limestone is beautiful, but it’s also a stone that you’re going to need to be diligent about cleaning if you want to maintain it well.

Make Sure You Maintain Your Limestone

You’ve spent a lot of your hard earned money on your limestone. The only way to make sure that you make the most of that investment is to regularly practice cleaning and maintaining it. If you don’t, your limestone is going to end up cracked, scratched, and stained, and nothing looks worse than limestone that’s gone bad. Make sure that you maintain your limestone by practicing stain prevention, wiping up stains immediately, and sealing it against the elements. These are the steps that you need to follow if you want to end up successful as a limestone owner, as you’ll maintain the value that you have in your limestone piece.