Cleaning, Sealing, Maintenance
Taking care of your tile shouldn’t be a headache. Get the right products and rest easy.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“Low-Maintenance” is not “No Maintenance”
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.
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.
Schedule an appointment
A Polished Stone Still Needs Sealer
Just because a marble or granite is shiny does not mean it’s any less porous. We hear this misconception a lot, and it often leads to stains, scratches, damage, and unhappy homeowners.
Seal your polished stone and use the appropriate stone-friendly cleaners to maintain that perfect polished finish.
We recommend Miracle Stone Polish to occasionally boost the shine of your polished stone countertops.
Seal your polished stone and use the appropriate stone-friendly cleaners to maintain that perfect polished finish.
We recommend Miracle Stone Polish to occasionally boost the shine of your polished stone countertops.
Taking Care of Marble, Limestone, and Travertine
Calcium-based sedimentary stones are sensitive to acid damage and harsh chemicals, so you need to use non-acidic cleaners.
Cleaning products with acidic citrus or vinegar bases or limescale-eroding cleaners like CLR and Lime-Away won’t discriminate between your hard water build-up and the calcium in your stone.
We recommend stone-specific cleaners like Miracle Limestone & Travertine Soap, 511 Kleen & Reseal, and Heavy-Duty Cleaner (Acid Substitute) for the toughest stains.
Cleaning products with acidic citrus or vinegar bases or limescale-eroding cleaners like CLR and Lime-Away won’t discriminate between your hard water build-up and the calcium in your stone.
We recommend stone-specific cleaners like Miracle Limestone & Travertine Soap, 511 Kleen & Reseal, and Heavy-Duty Cleaner (Acid Substitute) for the toughest stains.
Taking Care of Granite & Quartzite Countertops
While very tough, granite and quartzite can still be dulled and damaged by improper cleaning over time. Most granite countertops around 8+ years old will have dull wear marks, most often around the sink. Unfortunately, you can never truly get your countertops back up to that fresh-from-the-quarry polish, so it’s best to protect it properly from the start.
We recommend stone-specific cleaners like 511 Kleen & Reseal and Heavy-Duty Cleaner (Acid Substitute) for the toughest stains.
We recommend Miracle Stone Polish to occasionally boost the shine of your polished stone countertops.
We recommend stone-specific cleaners like 511 Kleen & Reseal and Heavy-Duty Cleaner (Acid Substitute) for the toughest stains.
We recommend Miracle Stone Polish to occasionally boost the shine of your polished stone countertops.
Taking Care of Slate
The rough, layered nature of slate with a natural cleft or splitface finish makes it difficult to wipe down. Cloth cleaning rags, paper towels, or dusting cloths can catch and tear on the various ridges and edges, leaving fibers behind.
We recommend using stone-specific cleaners (Kleen & Reseal or our concentrated Tile & Stone Cleaner) in conjunction with a non-abrasive scrub pad for regular cleaning. The scrub pad will loosen dirt or grime without scratching the stone or leaving fibers behind.
Note: sealers do not prevent chemical damage. Acid will still attack the calcium in your marble, iron in your granite can rust, and chemical reactions will still happen regardless of your sealer. Use the appropriate cleaners on your natural stone tiles and countertops to avoid damaging them.
We recommend using stone-specific cleaners (Kleen & Reseal or our concentrated Tile & Stone Cleaner) in conjunction with a non-abrasive scrub pad for regular cleaning. The scrub pad will loosen dirt or grime without scratching the stone or leaving fibers behind.
Note: sealers do not prevent chemical damage. Acid will still attack the calcium in your marble, iron in your granite can rust, and chemical reactions will still happen regardless of your sealer. Use the appropriate cleaners on your natural stone tiles and countertops to avoid damaging them.
