Hi, everybody. This is Sheila, the general manager at Heavenly Touch Maids here in Akron, Ohio. This video is about natural stone. Now, most stones are very porous. It must be quarried, cut into slabs, and prepared for either a matte or a polished finish. It is then cut into its final placement and installed in the customer’s home.
At installation, the stone is still very porous. Water, oils, and soil can easily penetrate the stone and go clear through it, so it needs to be sealed before it is used by homeowners at installation. There are two types of sealers: penetrating or impregnation sealers. These fill the pores of the stone but don’t alter its appearance. And then you have the topical sealers that form a protective layer.
Types of Stone and Acids
For the purposes of this video, we’ll divide the stone into calcium-based and non-calcium-based. Calcium-based stone, such as calcium carbonate, and calcite includes marble, travertine, limestone, and onyx. These stones are quite soft and can scratch very easily.
All are sensitive to acids. If you haven’t seen our pH scale video, please check out where we go into the importance of understanding pH and the science of cleaning. But these stones, again, they’re sensitive to acids and high alkaline products. Acids can actually dissolve these stones. This includes most bathroom tile cleaners and vinegar. Vinegar has a pH of 3.5, which is very acidic.
A bottle of acid bath or toilet bowl cleaner with acid leaking even a tiny leakage onto your marble bathroom floor can do some damage and need to be replacing the floor.
Common Household Acids
Common household acids include lemon juice, vinegar, wine, urine, and many soft drinks that can do damage to these stones. So be very careful if you have marble, travertine, limestone, or onyx. Check out our other natural stone videos where we talk about quartz and other stone finishes. Call us at 330-696-3286 and we’d love to come out and clean your stone counters. Have a good day.
For more information, visit us at https://heavenlytouchmaids.com or call 330-696-3286 for professional cleaning services in Akron, OH, and surrounding areas.
Common Dangers to Natural Stone
