How to clean dirty stone tiles without ruining them
Stone tiles require specific equipment and gentle techniques because standard harsh scrubbers and acidic cleaners can permanently etch or scratch the surface. Without knowing the right method, homeowners risk damaging the material or being forced to pay for professional restoration.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Using a drill attachment brush
- 2Using a toothbrush with watered-down bleach or soft scrub with bleach
- 3Starting with a stiff brush and dish soap instead of harsh chemical cleaners
- 4scrubbing the floor manually on hands and knees
- 5wrestling with a traditional mop
- 6asking for cleaning tips online
- 7consulting professionals for diamond abrasive refinishing
- 8Using Wet and Forget shower spray
- 9Running the exhaust fan for about 30 minutes after showering
- 10Applying a grout impregnator once a year after letting it completely dry out
- 11testing cleaning products on an invisible patch first
- 12using commercial cleaning products like wet and forget
- 13Using baking soda, dish detergent, and a stiff brush
- 14Applying hydrogen peroxide based cleaners
- 15Using a steamer
- 16Using bleach toilet bowl cleaner
- 17Painting the grout with a dark grey acrylic pen
- 18Using a pressure washer
- 19Scrubbing with a brush, hot water, and soap
- 20Using a blowtorch to remove stains
- 21Applying a wet-look sealant after cleaning
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I need advice on how to keep the shower floor clean. I have tried dish soap, vinegar, cleaning products labelled safe for stone… seems like no matter what method, it stays wet for a long time after and then gets grimy looking.”source ↗
“what kind of cleaning equipment is required to clean tiles and I have I think these are stone tiles?”source ↗
“how can I remove these stains that can be seen depending on the lighting?”source ↗
“I'm trying to figure out the best way to clean this growth off of the gas fireplace in my new house. I'm not exactly sure if vinegar is ok because I don't know what material this is.”source ↗
“the floor tiles in the bathroom have an extremely rough surface. This makes trying to wipe them down with a mop really hard as the mop continues to "stick" to the floor because of all the friction.”source ↗
“I don't want to end up on my hands and knees every week scrubbing away at them but I don't think that wrestling with the mop each week is a long-term solution either :(”source ↗
“I'm looking for how to best approach doing a deep clean and de-greasing some brickwork flooring.”source ↗
“Over the years their operations have heavily stained and discolored the bricks, primarily from grease, fryer oil, trash, food, etc.”source ↗
“I'm concerned about using too harsh of chemicals which may damage the bricks, or anything high pressure as it may remove the sand between the joints.”source ↗
“My partner placed a suitcase on our countertop for a second and when shifting it, a hinge or something on the back of it scratched the countertop.”source ↗
“How would you guys repair this? Is this even doable solo or should we just accept defeat and have the countertop professionally refinished?”source ↗
“Hello, I was wondering if I would be able to clean these pillars off with something like CLR”source ↗
“What do we think? I'm a renter, but the grout in between the tiles kinda piss me off. What's the move, friends?”source ↗
“How to clean this without damaging it? The grout between the stone does seem to be a bit fragile.”source ↗