What workarounds did people try for "How to clean dirty stone tiles without ruining them"?

Community members documented 47 workarounds: 1. scrubbing the floor manually on hands and knees 2. Using a drill attachment brush 3. Using a toothbrush with watered-down bleach or soft scrub with bleach 4. Starting with a stiff brush and dish soap instead of harsh chemical cleaners 5. wrestling with a traditional mop 6. asking for cleaning tips online 7. consulting professionals for diamond abrasive refinishing 8. Using Wet and Forget shower spray 9. Running the exhaust fan for about 30 minutes after showering 10. Applying a grout impregnator once a year after letting it completely dry out 11. testing cleaning products on an invisible patch first 12. using commercial cleaning products like wet and forget 13. Using baking soda, dish detergent, and a stiff brush 14. Applying hydrogen peroxide based cleaners 15. Using a steamer 16. Using bleach toilet bowl cleaner 17. Painting the grout with a dark grey acrylic pen 18. Using a pressure washer 19. Scrubbing with a brush, hot water, and soap 20. Using a blowtorch to remove stains 21. Applying a wet-look sealant after cleaning 22. Using a shop vac with a bristle brush attachment 23. Applying a sealant to the stone to make dust slide off easier 24. Using a steam cleaner and a stiff brush 25. Scrubbing with soap and water and using a portable power washer 26. Creating a paste of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap to lift stubborn stains 27. Soaking a cloth in vinegar (though risky for certain stone types) 28. Using pH neutral cleaners 29. Performing a water drop test to check if the stone needs sealing 30. Applying Simple Green and letting it sit for 10 minutes before scrubbing 31. Mixing oxygen bleach powder with hot water and allowing dwell time for 15 to 20 minutes before scrubbing grout lines with a stiff brush 32. Scrubbing with soap and pH neutral products like Bar Keepers Friend Granite & Stone Cleaner 33. Soaking cotton balls or paper towels in vinegar and leaving them overnight 34. Using a plastic scraper to remove stubborn deposits 35. Hiring a professional 36. Using a drill with a scrubbing brush and detergent 37. Using a bleach and baking soda paste with a localized brush 38. Applying grout impregnator and implementing a three-mop system 39. Using dawn dish soap and a scrub brush 40. Using gentle headstone cleaning chemicals and soft brushes 41. Pressure washing on low setting while aiming at brick/stone rather than mortar 42. Scrubbing manually using a sponge and elbow grease 43. Wiping it down with a wet sponge on a stick 44. Using a vacuum with a brush or long skinny crevice attachment 45. Scrubbing with a stiff bristle brush and water 46. Blowing the dust out with an electric leaf blower or compressed air 47. Brushing the rock with a soft push broom with the handle removed

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.

Overview

Last updated Nov 1, 2026

People affected22 accounts across 3 forums

Workarounds found47 items attempted

Community agreement119 total upvotes

What the numbers show

Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count

Most of it landed at once — the busiest month was September 2026, with 15 people.
This comes up 17.8× more often in r/CleaningTips than across the site as a whole.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

47 items+ Contribute

Found another way around this?

Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.

1
scrubbing the floor manually on hands and knees
2 people mentioned
Did this help you?
2
Using a drill attachment brush
Did this help you?
3
Using a toothbrush with watered-down bleach or soft scrub with bleach
Did this help you?
4
Starting with a stiff brush and dish soap instead of harsh chemical cleaners
Did this help you?
5
wrestling with a traditional mop
Did this help you?
6
asking for cleaning tips online
Did this help you?
7
consulting professionals for diamond abrasive refinishing
Did this help you?
8
Using Wet and Forget shower spray
Did this help you?
9
Running the exhaust fan for about 30 minutes after showering
Did this help you?
10
Applying a grout impregnator once a year after letting it completely dry out
Did this help you?
11
testing cleaning products on an invisible patch first
Did this help you?
12
using commercial cleaning products like wet and forget
Did this help you?
13
Using baking soda, dish detergent, and a stiff brush
Did this help you?
14
Applying hydrogen peroxide based cleaners
Did this help you?
15
Using a steamer
Did this help you?
16
Using bleach toilet bowl cleaner
Did this help you?
17
Painting the grout with a dark grey acrylic pen
Did this help you?
18
Using a pressure washer
Did this help you?
19
Scrubbing with a brush, hot water, and soap
Did this help you?
20
Using a blowtorch to remove stains
Did this help you?
21
Applying a wet-look sealant after cleaning
Did this help you?
22
Using a shop vac with a bristle brush attachment
Did this help you?
23
Applying a sealant to the stone to make dust slide off easier
Did this help you?
24
Using a steam cleaner and a stiff brush
Did this help you?
25
Scrubbing with soap and water and using a portable power washer
Did this help you?
26
Creating a paste of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap to lift stubborn stains
Did this help you?
27
Soaking a cloth in vinegar (though risky for certain stone types)
Did this help you?
28
Using pH neutral cleaners
Did this help you?
29
Performing a water drop test to check if the stone needs sealing
Did this help you?
30
Applying Simple Green and letting it sit for 10 minutes before scrubbing
Did this help you?
31
Mixing oxygen bleach powder with hot water and allowing dwell time for 15 to 20 minutes before scrubbing grout lines with a stiff brush
Did this help you?
32
Scrubbing with soap and pH neutral products like Bar Keepers Friend Granite & Stone Cleaner
Did this help you?
33
Soaking cotton balls or paper towels in vinegar and leaving them overnight
Did this help you?
34
Using a plastic scraper to remove stubborn deposits
Did this help you?
35
Hiring a professional
Did this help you?
36
Using a drill with a scrubbing brush and detergent
Did this help you?
37
Using a bleach and baking soda paste with a localized brush
Did this help you?
38
Applying grout impregnator and implementing a three-mop system
Did this help you?
39
Using dawn dish soap and a scrub brush
Did this help you?
40
Using gentle headstone cleaning chemicals and soft brushes
Did this help you?
41
Pressure washing on low setting while aiming at brick/stone rather than mortar
Did this help you?
42
Scrubbing manually using a sponge and elbow grease
Did this help you?
43
Wiping it down with a wet sponge on a stick
Did this help you?
44
Using a vacuum with a brush or long skinny crevice attachment
Did this help you?
45
Scrubbing with a stiff bristle brush and water
Did this help you?
46
Blowing the dust out with an electric leaf blower or compressed air
Did this help you?
47
Brushing the rock with a soft push broom with the handle removed
Did this help you?

Tried another approach not listed above?+ Share your workaround ↑

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/CleaningTips17 people · September 2026 – November 2026

“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 ↗

swift_stegosaurus · r/CleaningTips · 36 upvotes

“Moved into a house with a rough rock flintstone-style fireplace. Takes up the whole wall and am looking for tips on how best to dust it.”source ↗

“So far, I've found success with a wet sponge on a stick, but it takes forever to do.”source ↗

hotlipshoulihan · r/CleaningTips · 27 upvotes

“My tile floors have gotten quite dirty, esp the grout.”source ↗

“Because of the extreme medical expenses I just cannot afford to pay someone to do it)”source ↗

“Is there anything I can apply to the tile floors, almost like a pretreatment? Something I could let sit and it would help to loosen the dirt in the grout up a bit?”source ↗

Wide_Kaleidoscope_86 · r/CleaningTips · 17 upvotes

“what kind of cleaning equipment is required to clean tiles and I have I think these are stone tiles?”source ↗

fail_hard_but_try · r/CleaningTips · 10 upvotes

“how can I remove these stains that can be seen depending on the lighting?”source ↗

Workingonanna · r/CleaningTips · 5 upvotes

“dirt is sticking to it like crazy. Mopping these with a regular mop does nothing. Bleach doesn't take this dirty stain off either.”source ↗

“I'm disabled and scrubbing the floor on my hands and knees is not an option for me.”source ↗

“I'm so sick of it looking so dirty and disgusting even though it's "clean"”source ↗

East_Bananya_849 · r/CleaningTips · 3 upvotes

“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 ↗

JManKit · r/CleaningTips · 2 upvotes

“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 ↗

cycleouter · r/CleaningTips · 2 upvotes

“I'm just frustrated by how much dust it collects.”source ↗

“It is SO ROUGH. The stones and the mortar or grout or whatever latch on to every single dust particle that floats through our house. A feather duster does nothing. Damp cloths don't seem to do anything but catch on the rough parts and piss me off.”source ↗

mousemilf · r/CleaningTips · 2 upvotes

“I have no idea how to clean these very thick (what to me looks like) mineral buildup in my Bathroom and Kitchen sinks.”source ↗

“I read that I shouldn’t use CLR or similar products to not damage the stone, but everything else I tried didn’t even come close to getting rid of: scrubbing, soap, other Ph neutral products such as Bar Keepers Friend Granite & Stone Cleaner.”source ↗

A7DmG7C · r/CleaningTips · 2 upvotes

“I just use dawn dish soap and a scrub brush, but I can’t get the walls/corners clean. Any tips?”source ↗

Abject-Spinach6404 · r/CleaningTips · 2 upvotes

“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 ↗

LordJoelee · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“These pictures are AFTER I CLEANED. I gave the stones a very quick scrub with some soap and water, let it sit for 10 minutes and then power washed them. They look better than when I started, but I'd like them cleaner if possible.”source ↗

Sufficient-Aspect77 · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“What would be a way to remove, and what would be a safe option for a dispenser that won’t stain the counter?”source ↗

nen_x · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“The vanity is “engineered stone”, according to the spec sheet I have (relatively new install). I have already seen rings etched into the counter from what I suspect was left by my skin toner (very acidic); so I fear vinegar will not work.”source ↗

nen_x · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“I just moved into a house with this stone floor. I don’t know what type of stone it is, how to clean it, or if it should be sealed.”source ↗

“Any tips are welcome I have no idea what I’m doing!!”source ↗

DifferentConfusion45 · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“I read that Vinegar can potentially damage stone countertops. Did I read something incorrectly?”source ↗

A7DmG7C · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“Even the brownish part that’s circled? That’s what worries me”source ↗

Abject-Spinach6404 · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“It was not like that when we moved in 5 months ago, so I figured it was a cleaning issue.”source ↗

Abject-Spinach6404 · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“Tried this, doesn't get to the crevices!”source ↗

“A lot of this dust has been caked on for years”source ↗

hotlipshoulihan · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“Although it’s beautiful, I ripped an entire wall made out of this stuff, because cleaning it was a nightmare and a giant dust magnet.”source ↗

oldcarhustler · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“How to clean this without damaging it? The grout between the stone does seem to be a bit fragile.”source ↗

2typesofpeepole · r/CleaningTips

r/HomeMaintenance4 people · September 2026

“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 ↗

Born-Emotion-9038 · r/HomeMaintenance · 4 upvotes

“My apartment is literally over a hundred years old. What’s the best way to clean this tile and grout? It feels like stone.”source ↗

MeasurementWest3202 · r/HomeMaintenance · 3 upvotes

“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 ↗

Daltire · r/HomeMaintenance · 2 upvotes

“Hello, I was wondering if I would be able to clean these pillars off with something like CLR”source ↗

premedic · r/HomeMaintenance · 2 upvotes

r/homeowners1 person · October 2026

“I want to clean the exterior stone of our home, how can we do that without damaging it? I’ve seen mixed info on best approach and plenty of warnings about damaging the mortar.”source ↗

KGrey87 · r/homeowners · 3 upvotes

“This is the first place my mind went, but I also saw warnings about it damaging the mortar. That sounds terrible!”source ↗

KGrey87 · r/homeowners · 1 upvotes