Ask Mrs. Clean: House Cleaning, Stain Removal and Organizing Tips

[jane821]

My husband and I recently installed travertine tile in our new home. Although it looks beautiful, I was very hesitant due to the very demanding cleaning process. I LOVE the Swiffer Wet Mop due to the ease of use. I was wondering if it is safe to use the Swiffer Wet mop on travertine floors???? My tile has not yet been sealed, but we will be sealing it in about 3 weeks. Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[geraldine]

Who mentioned it has a demanding cleaning process? Was that process described by the manufacturer or the sales person,if it wasn't from the manufacturer I would check with them. Unless the tile is a very high traffic area you should be able to keep it clean by dust and damp mopping on a regular basis.

[mrscleannw]

As Geraldine stated, these floors are not more difficult to clean than any other type of floor, but with the following precautions kept in the forefront of your mind.


SCRATCHING
Travertine is a calcareous stone and is similar to marble and limestone composition. Travertine varies in hardness, density, and porosity.Travertine stone will scratch. It's not as soft as soapstone, but it is softer than marble, and no where close to the hardness of granite.

The best way to avoid scratching your floors in the first place is to keep the dirt out!

1. Use door mats inside and out along with runners and area rugs. Dirt carried in by our shoes is abrasive
2. Dust mop your travertine floors regularly. Use a clean, dry, non-treated dust-mop.
3. Use a canister vacuum with the soft brush attachment to remove dirt instead of a broom.
4. Be careful if using an upright vacuum cleaner. Worn parts or grit jammed by the wheels may scratch the surface.

ETCHING
Travertine is very similar to marble in composition. It is very easily, seriously damaged if any liquid that is not pH neutral comes in contact with it. pH neutral is 7.0 (e.g. plain water). Anything below 7.0 is acidic and anything higher than 7.0 is alkaline. Either acids and alkaline can ruin your floors.

I'm not a stone expert, and I can't explain this in scientific terms, but basically the stone is eaten away as a result of contact with the liquid. The stone will be marred with marks, rings, or dull spots. The damage to the stone will vary with the type and length of exposure as well as to the specific strength of the acid and alkaline.This damage is permanent. No supermarket or home improvement cure-all product will do a darn thing. The marks can be removed by a stone professional who will use acid and a burnisher to "grind" down and re-polish stone.

According to the MSDS on the Proctor & Gamble site, the cleaning solutions used in the swiffer are not pH neutral. The multipurpose cleaner is alkaline (higher pH). The anti-bacterial cleaner varies anywhere from 6-8 pH which is either acidic or alkaline depending on how they feel like making the cleaner that day.

Swiffer WetJet Multipurpose Cleaner MSDS
Swiffer WetJet Antibacterial Cleaner MSDS

Just so we are clear here- Plain water is neutral pH (7.0) You want to find a cleaner as close as possible to pH neutral as possible. The stone experts I have talked to recommend that ¼ cup of Murphy Oil Soap, diluted with 1 gallon of water is very effective for cleaning/shining the stone without damaging it. This is what we use at Mrs. Clean and I can attest to its effectiveness.

pH level pit-falls abound for those that own these floors, especially if kids or pets live there too. Below is an example of common items as they measure on the pH scale. I'm not trying to scare you, but you do need to watch and take care of any inadvertent spills quickly.

pH Level
2- Lemon Juice
3- Soda
4- Tomato Juice
5- Coffee
6- Urine/Saliva
7--
8- Sea water
9-Baking Soda
10- Milk of Magnesia
11- Ammonia
12- Soapy Water
13-Bleach and Oven Cleaner

[DejaP]

Norwex Enviro Products sells both dry and wet microfiber mops which will clean your floor using just water, and remove 99.9% of the bacteria from the surface - I absolutely love mine! They're great for all types of floors as they use no chemicals and the floors dry very quickly after washing. They are a little pricey but will last for many years and are far superior to the traditional mops - they swivel like a swiffer which is also a great feature! Happy Cleaning to you and good luck with your new floors :D

Deja