Slate is a beautiful material that will make any room seem more luxurious. While it requires regular maintenance to keep it in a good shape, it is a pretty easy-to-clean stone if you know what you’re doing. Here at Tile Mart, we’ve been supplying slate floor tiles for years so we know a few things about how to keep your tiles in the best condition and we’ll happily share some of these with you.
Regular Cleaning
If you stay on top of it you can get away with doing a regular clean of your slate every couple of weeks or so.
First, dust or dry mop the slate to remove any loose dirt and dust. In a bucket, mix about fifteen drops of a mild detergent with 2.5L of warm water. Use a soft mop and this solution to remove the rest of the dirt and grime, which shouldn’t take long. Once you’ve finished cleaning the slate, dry it with a dry mop and leave overnight for the surface to dry completely.
Deeper Cleaning
A deeper clean of your slate only needs to be done every couple of months but it will keep it looking in the best shape possible.
Complete the above regular cleaning process but after drying the slate with a dry mop apply a very thin layer of teak oil with a soft cloth or mop. This oil will give the slate a great finish that will make your slate look brand new despite its age. You can also buy slate oil that is designed especially for this job but it is far more expensive than teak oil and doesn’t do that much of a better job.
 
Removing Stains
Slate can be a pretty absorbent stone if it is unfinished and this means that it will be easy to stain. Thankfully it isn’t too hard to get these stains out even when they’ve set in.
Mix together water and hydrogen peroxide in equal parts and spray or rub this onto any stains on the slate. Allow it to sit for around five to ten minutes before giving it a very soft scrub with a soft-bristled toothbrush or soft scrub pad. It’s important not to scrub this with anything too hard as it may cause they top layer of the slate to chip away. If the stain has still not come out you may need to use a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, allowing this to sit on the stone for a few minutes before rubbing away with a damp towel.
If you maintain your slate in the ways described above, you’re slate will be looking beautiful for years to come and you’ll always have it looking brand new. If you don’t have a slate floor yet but you’ve always dreamed of one then visit our website or contact us for more information about the stunning and affordable tile floors that we provide.
