Stone, Tile & Grout
From marble countertops to Saltillo floors and ceramic tile, our truck-mounted equipment cleans into the pores, and our sealers keep it that way.
Proper care and maintenance of stone, tile, and grout increases the longevity and beauty of these surfaces. Our powerful truck-mounted hot water extraction equipment gets deep into the crevices and pores. No mop-and-bucket method can match it.
We use only the finest, safest, and most effective cleaning products available. Your stone, tile, and grout will come out cleaner and more sanitary than with any other method.
Most stone, all grout lines, and many clay/cementitious materials are very porous. They’ll stain easily without a protective sealer. We test sealers and application procedures ourselves, so the protection you receive is the best available for the surface you have.
Sealers should be applied shortly after installation and reapplied every time we professionally clean the surface. Typically, that means cleaning and resealing every two to three years.
Care guide
Use a neutral pH cleaner formulated for the surface. Products like StoneTech Professional™ All Purpose Stone & Tile Cleaner gently lift everyday soil without damaging your sealer.
Strong high-pH cleaners and household disinfectants can strip sealers. Avoid general-purpose cleaners, vinegar, bleach, ammonia, and any abrasives on natural stone.
Wipe up spills promptly. Oils are particularly damaging, so be quick with cooking oils in the kitchen and cosmetics in the bathroom.
Acidic foods and drinks can etch or dull stone surfaces and degrade sealers. Take special care with citrus, alcohol, perfume, toothpaste, and mouthwash.
Sweep, dust, or vacuum floors regularly. Dry sandy soil can scratch surfaces over time. Place small rugs or mats at entryways to trap grit before it reaches your stone or tile.
Most homes benefit from a professional cleaning and reseal every two to three years. For more on caring for natural stone, see the Natural Stone Institute’s guidance.
In their words
“My marble entry cleaned up much better than I thought it would, it looks like new again. You did a great job!”
“You transformed my kitchen tile, it looks brand new now. Thank you for the excellent job.”
“The kitchen counters look better, far better, and more beautiful than when they were first installed five years ago.”
By town
Salt air, canyon damp, and bay-front stone each create a different version of the same problem. These guides cover what we see in each town.
FAQ
For most Marin homes, every two to three years. Kitchens, entries, and bathrooms in busy households can need it closer to every eighteen months. Grout is porous, so once soil works below the surface a mop pushes it around rather than lifting it out — that is the point where professional hot water extraction pays off.
Usually, yes. Most grout that looks permanently dark is not stained through, it is holding soil in its pores. Truck-mounted hot water extraction lifts that soil out and typically brings the grout back several shades. Where grout has been dyed, damaged, or worn below the surface, we will tell you that at the estimate rather than after the job.
Yes, and we recommend it on nearly every job. Most natural stone, all grout lines, and many clay and cementitious materials are porous enough to stain without a sealer. We test sealers and application procedures ourselves, so what goes on your floor is matched to the material. Sealing is best done right after a professional cleaning, while the surface is clean and dry.
A typical kitchen or bathroom floor takes two to four hours. Larger areas, heavily soiled Saltillo, or stone that needs restoration take longer, and we will give you the time estimate along with the price before we start. Sealed surfaces are usually ready for normal use the same day.
In most cases we can restore etched marble back to a uniform finish, then seal it. Etching is a chemical reaction between acid and the stone rather than a stain, so it needs a mechanical restoration, not a stronger cleaner. Send us a photo or let us see it at the estimate and we will tell you honestly what is achievable.
Not with a method matched to the material. We use neutral-pH products and adjust pressure and dwell time by surface — marble, limestone, travertine, slate, granite, terra cotta, Saltillo, and concrete all behave differently. The damage we most often get called in to correct comes from household cleaners: vinegar, bleach, ammonia, and general-purpose sprays.
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