Holiday Care Tips for Natural Stone
During the holiday season, our homes are very busy hubs full of decorating, parties, movie watching, baking marathons, gift wrapping, and feast preparing. During that time the natural stone surfaces in our homes can see numerous different spills, people, extra items and more come across their surface. Follow these tips to care for your natural stone during the busy holiday season.
Before Decorating 
If you plan to put decorations on top of any natural stone surface such as tile floors, stone fireplace mantels, or stone countertops; it is best to clean them well before setting anything up.
- Start with a light cleaning using a pH neutral cleanser to remove any dust and particles and other debris from the surface. This will help to prevent scratches and just make the area much more aesthetically pleasing.
- If you are setting up a tree on top of a stone surface you will want to place a protective buffer/layer between the stone surface and the bottom of the tree stand as the tree stand WILL scratch the stone.
Using Candles
Candles are popular during the holiday season and for good reason, there are so many delicious scents to burn and fill your home with to bring back warm feelings and memories. Candles however should not be set directly on your stone or in a candle holder that will not contain/catch the dripping wax. Even though the natural stone can take the heat of the melted wax, the contents of the wax can stain very easily from not just the dyes, but also the oils in the wax. (So be protective even when burning white candles.)
Cleaning Up After Cooking and Food Spills
During the holidays our kitchens see much more use than on an ordinary day with all of the parties, baking, and big meal making. Use these tips when cooking or if an accidental spill happens.
- Have a cleaning and spot treatment kit set up and ready to go. We suggest grabbing all of your natural stone care essentials and putting them in a small caddy so they are easy to grab and ready to use when you need them. This kit can include plenty of soft cleaning cloths, pH neutral daily cleaner, and items to make a poultice for spot treatment.
- Make sure you are using a stone cleaner labeled for the specific type of stone you have. If you have marble you don’t want to use a cleaner labeled safe for granite.
- Remember to use cutting boards during food prep. Chopping and cutting and even using cookie cutters on rolled out dough can cause significant scratching of your beautiful stone counters.
- Be aware of acidic foods such as lemon and also alcohol. These items can cause etching so you want to wipe them up right away.
- Make sure to clean up any residue after cooking right when you are done to make for easier cleanup success.
For more information on natural stone care or to make an appointment for natural stone cleaning in Bellevue and surrounding areas contact the team at All Kleen today.