Our Cleaning Guide for Tile

Follow these instructions to keep you terrazzo floor clean and long lasting. These are minimum maintenance suggestions:

CAUTION:
Before deviation from the instructions, contact your local Terrazzo Contractor for advice. Always keep rinse water, mops & pails clean!

Daily:
Sweep using yarn-wick brush treated with sweeping compound. Hand work stubborn stains and scuff marks with neutral cleaner diluted in warm water.

Weekly:
Damp mop lightly soiled floors with neutral cleaner. Heavily soiled floors should be scrubbed with a mechanical buffing machine and neutral cleaner. Mop up residue with clean water before it dries. Allow to dry and buff with a dry brush.

NOTE: Allow your neutral cleaner, once applied to the terrazzo surface, time to react. It is designed to loosen foreign matter. Several minutes should be adequate, but do not allow solution to dry on the surface.

Semi-Annually:
Strip all old sealer and any finish coats. Reseal clean floor.

WARNING!!
It is important that any sealer or dressing be listed by underwriter’s laboratories for slip resistance.

The preceding minimum maintenance suggestions have proven over time to provide the owner with the lowest maintenance cost of any floor system.

Some options to the above include the following:

• Apply high luster finishes on top of the sealer to the desired sheen. These normally require the added expense of spray-buffing to maintain the sheen. Terrazzo, unlike other floors, does not require this for wear protection.
   

• There is another process that would produce a sheen without the application of sealers. As you clean your floors with the neutral cleaner / water solution, your final mop picks up the majority of this cleaner, but still some remains on the surface. After several such procedures, the residue of cleaner will become buffable and result in a sheen with buffing after each washing. This method of achieving a sheen never requires the stripping action, thus, reducing your maintenance costs. This is not recommended in areas exposed to staining materials.
   

• As of late, some owners have been testing new technologies from the marble and granite industries to produce super high gloss finishes without day to day recoating. These include diamond pads for mechanical honing and polishing as well as crystallization/vitrification products.

Note: In the event that your floor becomes heavily soiled, consult with your local terrazzo contractor or this association for directions before using any miracle cleaner suggested by someone not familiar with terrazzo. Ignoring this warning could prove harmful to your floor surface.

Do's and Don'ts

Helpful Tips for Terrazzo Maintenance:

Your Terrazzo has been ground and polished and sealed with a penetrating Terrazzo Sealer. This protects your surface from immediate stains, but no spillage should be ignored and allowed to soak and dry into the floor. Good housekeeping procedures require that your floor remains clean.

Simple maintenance tips to keep your beautiful stone looking like new:

DO - Dust mop floors frequently
DO - Clean floors with a stone soap
DO - Blot up spills immediately
DO - Call a professional stone restoration company about any problems

DON'T - Don't use vinegar as a cleaner, the acid will etch the stone
DON'T - Don't use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners
grout cleaners or tub & tile cleaners

OTHER DO’s

• DO ask your installing Terrazzo Contractor to recommend the proper neutral cleaner and sealers to be used on your floor.
   

• DO dust mop your floors daily, this not only picks up the dust, but also the grit tracked into your building. The grit acts as an abrasive on your hard surface floor.
   

• DO scrub your floors a minimum of twice a week, where a new Terrazzo floor has been installed for the initial two to three months, as the construction dust is still in the air, and will eventually be deposited on your floor. After this period, once per week, depending on the amount of foot traffic, keep your floor clean in appearance. Always rinse your floors well to prevent a build-up of cleaner residue that could become slippery.
   

• DO seal your floors with a water-based acrylic sealer in accordance to the manufacturer’s instructions. Normally, a new floor requires two or more coats, which provide a good sheen for a period of 45 to 60 days, before needing additional coats. Sealer should be classified by Underwriters Laboratories, as slip resistant with a rating of minimum 0.5.
   

• DO use maintenance products designed for Terrazzo.
   

• DO allow your neutral cleaner, once applied to the Terrazzo surface, time to react as designed to loosen foreign matter. Several minutes should be adequate, but DO NOT allow solution to dry on surface.

OTHER DON'TS

• DON’T use purely surface waxes, or all purpose sealers. Employment of such can result in slippery surfaces.
   

• DON’T use all purpose cleaners containing water soluble inorganic or crystallizing salts, harmful alkali or acids. Use of such products could prove harmful to your Terrazzo floor.
   

• DON’T use cheap cleaners or sealers since the majority of your maintenance costs is labor.
   

• DON’T try miracle cleaners or sealers on your floor without getting an opinion on such products from your Terrazzo Contractor or this Association.

DAILY MAINTENANCE

Dust mop! Dust mop! Dust mop! Sand, dirt and grit do the most damage to natural stone surfaces. Use a clean non-treated dry dust mop at least two or three times a day in high traffic areas and less often in low traffic areas. Walk-off mats inside and outside an entrance will minimize sand, dirt and grit that will scratch and dull the stone surface

CLEANING

Clean polished and unpolished natural stone surfaces daily in high traffic areas. Use a clean rayon or cotton string mop with cold or warm water and a good quality neutral cleaner. Follow the directions carefully; too much may leave a film and cause streaks.

PROTECTION

Stone floors exposed to water and spills should be protected with a penetrating sealer.

Table and counter tops should also be protected with a penetrating sealer and paste wax to protect the stone against water rings and spotting.

SPILLS AND STAINS

Blot the spill with a paper towel; don't wipe it, it will spread the spill.

Flush the area with plain water and stone soap and rinse several times. Repeat several times if necessary. If the stain remains, a chemical poultice may be required. Check with your stone supplier or restoration firm for the methods.

RESTORATION

Restoration calls for the knowledge and expertise of a professional. With regular maintenance, natural stone surfaces may not have to be restored or refinished for several years. But when it's time for new life for your natural stone surfaces call Totally Restored, the professionals in stone restoration and refinishing.

THE MARBLE CARE EXPERTS

Totally Restored will restore your stone and teach you how to properly care and maintain the natural beauty of your stone so you can get years of enjoyment from your investment.

Totally Restored is dedicated solely to the restoration of natural stone, we do not sell, fabricate or install.

Please contact us for a free inspection and professional quotation.

Trust Totally Restored, to expertly upgrade your Home.

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