5 Slate Bathroom Tile Maintenance Tips

Slate bathroom tile is made of natural rock. It is among the most popular stones for homebuilders because of its natural beauty, hardwearing property, and low maintenance quality. It is important to maintain these porous tiles to keep its beauty and maintain its strength.

Apply Several Coats of Sealant

Slate bathroom tile interacts with water on a daily basis. It is, therefore, necessary that the tiles be sealed to prevent the pores from absorbing water and making the stones brittle. The sealant also protects the stones from scratches and discoloration caused by oil, grease, and other chemicals. Apply the sealer once per year.

Wipe the Tiles Dry

Always have a cotton rag in the bathroom. Wipe the area dry after each shower. Doing so reduces the contact with water and other chemicals.

Avoid Using Detergent

To keep it clean, you might be tempted to cleanse the slate tiles on a daily basis with water and detergent; however, doing so may do more harm than good.

Detergent and other germicidal cleaners may be harsh on the slate stones due to its porous quality. These chemicals may strip the sealer or destroy the film barrier. That will cause discoloration and brittleness. You should only clean the area with a cleaner that has a neutral pH once a week, but you can also simply clean it with hot water instead. Specialized low pH cleaners can be obtained from stone or tile suppliers.

Deep Clean Once a Month

Deep cleaning requires a brush and a low pH cleaner. Deep cleansing must be done only once a month to preserve the natural state of the stone. Even without a sealant, the stone has natural barriers.

The sealant acts only as an extra barrier from exterior elements. If you deep clean more often than once a month, these barriers might be stripped from the surface, rendering the stone more vulnerable to water, oil, grease, and chemicals. Use oxygen bleach to disinfect the surface.

Always Neutralize After Cleaning or Disinfecting

Some cleansers are designed for natural stones, such as slate. Natural stone cleaners neutralize the acid level of the stone after deep cleansing or disinfecting. Natural stones must be at a specific level of acidity in order to maintain color and strength. Higher or lower acidity or alkali may cause discoloration on the surface of the stones. Acid and alkali also cause a dull and washed-out look on natural stone surfaces. Rinse neutralizers and natural stone cleansers with distilled water.