How To Clean Travertine Floors? There is nothing classic and luxurious like installing a travertine floor. Travertine material is very strong, durable, and relatively porous compared to other flooring materials. Due to its porousness, it becomes a challenge in cleaning and maintaining it.
However, if you use the right tools you will realize that cleaning a travertine floor is very easy. You must also know that if you prevent stains and spills from settling deep into your surface, then you will not have any challenges in maintaining the travertine floors of your house.
In case you wish to clean travertine floors the correct way then you should follow the guide below. Before you start the cleaning you must ensure that you have everything which is required so that you can undertake the process appropriately. Some of the vital things that you may require are:
- Dust mop
- Broom or vacuum
- A small bucket of water
- Mild and non-acidic dish soap
- A small dump piece of cloth
- Small scrubbing brush
- Baking soda.
- Small towel for drying the floor
How To Clean Travertine Floors? – Steps of cleaning travertine floors
1) Remove dirt and dust
It is always good that you start the cleaning process by removing dirt and dust from the floors. This will ease the cleaning process and also lead to better results. In this case, you can use a flared broom in collecting fine dust and other debris.
You can also a dust mop since it has a microfiber pad or head which can glide over the surface with minimal effort. In addition, the microfibers can attract hair, dirt, and fine dust which might be present on your travertine floor.
After completing the sweeping process, you can wash your dust mop so that you can use it again next time.
2) Prepare the solution
You must be careful in choosing the cleaning liquids and chemicals since there are some which can damage or discolour your floor. One of the best solutions that you can use in cleaning your travertine floor is warm water and soap.
It’s good that you test your solution with a small spot to ensure that it’s safe for your floor. However, you should avoid using ammonia, citrus or vinegar solutions since they high acid content that can damage your floor.
3) Wring the mop thoroughly
After preparing your soapy solution, you can deep your spin mop into the bucket and wring out thoroughly any excess solution. You can also use a spray mop which is like a dust mop but has a trigger and spray nozzle.
4) Mopping your travertine floor
You can start mopping on one side of the floor as you head to the outside of your house. Ensure you continue dipping your mop and wringing out the excess solution to prevent streaks once your floor dries. In case you are mopping a large floor, then you should change your cleaning solution frequently to achieve the desired effect.
5) Rinsing the floor
After mopping the floor using a cleaning solution, you can fill your bucket but this time use only clean water. Start rinsing the floor with a damp mop. You can change the water once it starts to look dirty.
6) Drying
You must dry your travertine floors so that you can preserve them. In this case, you can use a soft towel or piece of cloth to dry your floor. This is very vital in preventing the formation of streaks and also eliminating any standing water.
7) Cleaning the grout
Grout is an important part of your travertine flooring since it allows the tiles to contract and expand as required. It also assists in keeping the tiles in place, so that they are not exposed to a lot of pressure. Since grout acts as a buffer, the individual tiles will have a neat alignment.
However, one of the issues with grout is that it is the first place on the floor which has a high likelihood of being damaged by water. If water is able to penetrate through the grout, you will increase the chances of mould growth. This can make your tiles to tear out.
Therefore to clean out the grout, you can mix baking soda and water in equal proportions. You can use a small brush to scrub the mixture into the grout areas. Ensure you do not scratch the edges of your travertine tiles.
If you follow the above steps, you will find it easier in cleaning your travertine floors.