Taking care of your tile shouldn’t be a headache. Get the right products and rest easy.
Preventing Stains
Apply a quality, penetrating sealer when your stone or grout is first installed, and reapply as needed. Example: if a 20-year sealer is applied to stone on the floor in a high-traffic entryway, consider re-applying the sealer every 5-8 years. If the same sealer is applied to a fireplace facade, reapply every 15-20 years.
Dab up any stains or spills as quickly as possible with a clean cloth or paper towel. Do not wipe, as this will smear the mess into the surface.
Penetrating Sealers
Penetrating sealers sink deep into the pores and crevices of natural stone, crackle glass, crackle-glaze ceramic, and cement grout to help prevent staining and repel liquids. It won’t change the finish or color of your surface.
We stock Miracle 511 Impregnator, a 20-year penetrating sealer, and Porous Plus, which can get into the tiniest pores for deeper protection.
Enhancing Sealers
If you have a tumbled, flamed, or honed natural stone, you can enrich the color without changing the finish with an enhancing sealer. It offers the same protection as a regular penetrating sealer, but with the added benefit of darker, richer color. The enhancing effect will be more dramatic on darker stone and less noticeable on lighter stone.
We stock Miracle Seal and Enhance, a 20-year enhancing sealer.
Topical Sealers
Like a top coat of fingernail polish or auto body paint, topical sealers can create a high-gloss or satin matte finish and help protect the surface below. However, they will wear down much faster than a penetrating sealer, so we recommend applying a topical sealer over a penetrating sealer.
We stock Miracle High Gloss Finish Sealer and Mira Matte.
Removing Stains
For the best information on treating stains, we recommend this helpful page from the Marble Institute of America.
For a quick and easy stain removal guide, check out TLC's tips for removing stains from polished marble.
One of the best stain removal methods is to use a poultice to suck the stain out of your stone or grout. We stock Miracle Poultice Plus.
You can get the best products: a durable porcelain tile, a pre-mixed grout, or a quartz countertop, but they will still get dirty with time and use. While stains won’t be able to sink into a non-porous surface, you’ll still have to clean the surface.
Larger tiles (fewer grout lines) and smoother textures will make things easier to wipe down, but if you live in a house you will have to clean it eventually.