How to Clean Slate Tiles

Posted on September 15th, 2009 by Carmelia

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Slate tiles are a durable and attractive addition to your home. Whether it’s used indoors or outdoors, slate tiles are always a great way to go. They’re also relatively easy and painless to clean. Here’s how to do it.

Tools

Warm water
Clean cotton rope mop
Neutral cleaner (non-acidic)
Broom
Vacuum cleaner

Procedure

Clear the tile slate from loose dirt and debris by sweeping with a broom. A vacuum cleaner is acceptable too, and can do a more thorough job of clearing the crevices and corners of the slate tiles. (Learn how to vacuum)

slate tiles

A bucket of warm water is an acceptable cleaner for your tiles, but you can use a small amount of neutral cleaner to mix in the water too. Using a neutral cleaner (or anything that’s specifically made for slate tiles) prevents the acidic corrosion of your slate tiles, keeping them in their original state as much as possible.
Soak your cotton rope mop in the bucket of water and squeeze out as much of the excess water as you can. Mop the slate tiles as thoroughly as you can.
Once you’re done, rinse off the cotton rope mop and squeeze out the excess water. Use this to remove the excess water off the slate tiles after. You can also use a clean rag for this purpose.
Let the slate tiles air dry completely.

Tips

A great way to keep your slate tiles in shape while lessening the necessity to clean them constantly is to use a slate tile sealant. They’re usually found wherever slate tile cleaners are sold. To use the sealant, wait until the floor has air-dried completely after cleaning. Apply two three layers of sealant using a cotton string mop.
Spills on slate tile floors should be immediately cleaned up to prevent stains and degradation.
You can use shaving cream to clear up stains in no time. Test the shaving cream first on a small part before using it at all. If you’re sure the shaving cream won’t cause a worse stain, apply it on the slate tile and wipe it up after. (If you want to know other uses of shaving cream, read Top 10 alternatives to shaving cream)