Caring for Your Natural Stone Sinks & Bathtub
You will love the fact that natural stone sinks
and bathtubs are
extremely easy to care for. In fact, they are
practically maintenance free! With very
little effort, your stone sink and bath tub will retain their
beautiful color and condition for years on end and, will literally, provide
lifetimes
of enjoyment!
Maintaining Stone Sinks & Bath Tubs
There are a few simple and easy steps to follow in
order to maintain
your natural stone sink and bath tub in 'like
new' condition... and each one involves very little time and effort on your
part!
Here's what to do... and how often you need to do
it:
-
After each use, give your sink
and bathtub a quick rinse with clean water
just to be sure your not leaving behind any
chemicals or harmful residues that
could build up on the surface or etch into
the stone.
-
Give your stone sink and tub a
periodic cleaning with
a very mild soap and dry it with a soft,
clean cloth.
-
Re-apply a protective sealant to your sink
and bath tub on
an 'as needed' basis... but at least once every 15 to 24
months, depending on its use.
That's it! Follow these simple recommendations
and your
natural stone sink and bathtub will still look as beautiful after 5... 10...
even 50 years! of use, as it did on the first day it was installed in
your home!
And, there's one more important note...
All types of abrasive products and acid-based cleaners will scratch the surface of your sink
and bathtub and
may cause
irreparable damage. Always, always, always avoid using
abrasive and/or acid-based products on your natural stone sink and tub.
Hard Water Areas
If you live in an area where the mineral content in your
water is high, it's especially important to dry your stone sinks
and bath tub with a soft cloth after each use.
When 'hard' water is
left to stand, minerals in the water can accumulate and may begin to form
deposits on your sink and tub. Once that happens, the residue
may be
difficult to clean and, in extreme cases, may actually stain the
stone. Should that happen, you'll most likely have to use a
specially formulated poultice to 'reverse' the stain, or contact a
qualified, 'natural stone'
specialist to assist with its removal.
Protective Sealant -
To Seal or Not To Seal Natural Stone
There's a huge debate
among natural stone professionals as to whether or not natural stone
products ever need to be sealed.
On one side of the debate are those who believe that natural stone
is best left unsealed... in it's natural state. Their
argument is founded in the fact that natural
stone can sometimes have any variety of unknown
elements embedded in the stone. Their
concern is that artificial sealants have the
potential to cause an irreversible discoloration
of the stone should there be some kind of a
reaction when these elements and the sealant
come in contact with one another.
They are confident that because stone was formed
over thousands of years... in the harshest of
elements... it can safely withstand all types of
use. Furthermore, they argue, some
sealants actually change the stone's natural
color and give it more of an artificial look.
When you consider the many natural stone buildings, monuments and
ancient artifacts that have never been sealed
and are in amazingly
excellent condition despite having been exposed to the elements for
years... even centuries... a lot can be said for the argument against
sealing natural stone.
The argument for sealing natural stone
rests on the idea that today's world is filled
with many harsh cleansers, chemical
concoctions and caustic substances that our
ancestors never had to contend with. Most
of these items have the potential to etch into the stone
and/or damage the surface. For those on
this side of the debate, sealing natural stone
is the first line of defense against these
potentially harmful elements.
Definitely each argument has merit
and the 'seal or no seal' decision is something you yourself will
have to
decide. We, however tend to subscribe to
the 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure' philosophy and therefore do recommend
sealing your natural stone sinks and bathtub.
To assist with maintaining their
beautiful, natural finish, all of our stone sinks and bathtubs
are pre-sealed with a penetrating sealant prior to leaving our shop. The sealant is
designed to prevent your sink and tub from absorbing items that may
cause staining during normal daily use.
The sealant does, however, loose its effectiveness over time and needs to be reapplied.
You're probably wondering how often should you
apply a new coat of sealant. The answer? On an 'as needed' basis. A good rule of thumb is
about once every 15 months, however a simple test will reveal if your sink
or bath tub needs to be resealed more or less
frequently.
The Test...
Notice if
water continues to 'bead up' on the surface or immediately soaks into the stone. If it no longer 'beads up' on the
surface, it's time to
consider resealing your sink and tub.
Applying the sealant is a very easy and quick
process. Just be sure to purchase a high
quality penetrating sealer that is appropriate
to the type of stone your sink and bath tub are
made of.
Cleaning Your Stone Sink & Bath Tub
There are several stone care products of varying
quality on the market today, however specialized cleaning products
are not really necessary to keep your stone sink and bath tub in
pristine condition.
A regularly scheduled cleaning with a very gentle
soap is all that is needed to keep your sink and tub looking their best.
To clean... use a soft, non-abrasive
cloth, mild soap, warm water and gently wipe the interior and
exterior of your stone sink or bathtub. Rinse thoroughly
with clean water and wipe your sink and tub dry with a clean soft cloth.
Warning!
Housekeepers love to scrub and polish and typically use a variety
of abrasive cleaning agents and disinfectants when they clean your
bathrooms. If they are not informed about the proper care of
your natural stone sink and bath tub, they may unknowingly
scratch or damage the surface.
Be sure to go over this information with your housekeeper and
educate her or him, about the proper way to clean your stone sinks
and tub.
'Care & Cleaning' Online Video MIA (the Marble Institute of America), has posted a short, informational video
on their website entitled, "Care and Cleaning of Natural Stone in the Home". Although
mostly focused on natural stone countertops and flooring, it's very
informative and certainly applicable to natural stone sinks and tubs as well.
It's definitely worth taking a look.
Click on
the link below to view the video online at the Marble Institute's site,
then use your browser's back button to return to this page.
Marble
Institute of America: Education - Care & Cleaning of Natural Stone
Note: The video lasts approximately
12 minutes and may take a few minutes to open. It's best
viewed by those with high speed DSL or Cable Internet Connections.
Dial-Up users may not be able to open the file or may encounter
difficulties viewing the video.
Printed Version
If you would like to have a printed version of this information, you can
download a copy in PDF form by clicking on this link...
Caring
for Your Natural Stone Sink
*You'll need Acrobat Reader to open the PDF.
Download your free copy now by clicking on the Adobe
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