Care guide for limestone and marble

Advice for the stone once it is in place. Everything to do with the installation itself – adhesive, grout and sealing before laying – is in our installation guide.

How the protection works

Limestone and marble are porous. Unprotected, they absorb water, grease and colour from whatever is spilled on them. The sealer fills the pores and makes the surface water- and oil-repellent, so that spills stay on top long enough to be wiped away. That is the whole point: a sealed stone is not indestructible, it gives you time.

We use Verna Protect, a sealer that is transparent and does not darken the stone. One litre covers 15–20 m². It sits in the surface and wears down – which is why it needs renewing, most often and most quickly in the shower.

The sealer does not protect against acid. Lemon, wine, vinegar, descalers and acidic all-purpose cleaners etch the surface chemically and leave dull patches that no sealer can hold back. That is why your choice of cleaning product matters more than how often you clean.

The first weeks

Once the floor has been laid and grouted, the stone needs a base treatment before the room is taken into use.

1. Clean the surface thoroughly with Verna Deep Clean to remove grout and adhesive residue. A floor sealed over grout haze gets shadows that are hard to remove.
2. Let the stone dry completely. Sealing damp stone traps the moisture in instead of keeping it out.
3. Apply a thin, even coat of Verna Protect with a roller, lambswool applicator or cloth. If the surface is very absorbent, apply a second coat no sooner than 45 minutes after the first.
4. Wipe off any excess with a clean, dry cloth and let the surface dry for 24 hours before the room is used.

The water test. Pour a little water on the stone once everything has dried. If it beads, the stone is saturated. If it soaks in, the surface needs another coat. You will use the same test later to decide when it is time to reseal.

Underfloor heating is switched on no earlier than four weeks after installation. Heating too soon draws moisture up through the stone while the adhesive is still curing, and that can cause efflorescence that cannot be cleaned away.

Everyday cleaning

Sweep or vacuum first. Most of the wear on a stone floor is grit and sand ground in under shoes, not the mopping itself.

Then wash with Verna Daily Clean, a mild cleaner that does not break down the sealer. Dilute 1:200 – one capful in a bucket of water – and one bottle covers roughly 1,500 m², in practice a year of cleaning. Use a well-wrung mop and change the water when it turns cloudy. The stone does not need rinsing afterwards.

How often depends on the room. A hallway floor benefits from a weekly go-over, a bedroom floor far less. More cleaning is not better – the right product is what makes the difference.

For heavily soiled surfaces, or once a year as a deep clean, use Verna Deep Clean. It removes wax, grease and oil and is stronger than everyday use calls for.

Bathroom and shower

The shower is the harshest environment the stone meets, and the one where a simple routine pays off most clearly.

After every shower. Rinse the shower floor so that soap and shampoo residue is gone.

Limescale. Hard tap water leaves dull white deposits as it dries. Never use a descaler – it is acid and etches the stone. Remove the deposits with Verna Deep Clean at the maintenance dilution of 1:20 and wipe afterwards. Deep Clean is a heavy-duty cleaner and wears on the sealer, so do the water test once the surface has dried: if the water soaks in, apply a thin coat of Verna Protect again.

Check the protection once a year. In the shower the sealer wears faster than on other surfaces, but it does not need renewing on a schedule. Do the water test every year, ideally in spring: if the water beads, the protection is intact and you leave it alone. If it soaks in, first clean with Verna Deep Clean, let the surface dry completely, apply a thin coat of Verna Protect and wait 24 hours before showering again.

If the tiles look dark. Dark patches that do not dry out, or white efflorescence along the grout lines, are not dirt. It is moisture trapped in or under the tile, and it is a question of the installation – not something you clean away. Email us a photo and we will help you judge what it is.

Stains and damage

Deal with a stain as soon as you see it. A sealed stone gives you time, but not unlimited time – the longer something sits, the deeper it goes.

This	Do this
Grease and oil	Wipe up immediately, then clean with Verna Deep Clean as directed on the bottle
Wine, coffee, tea	Wipe up immediately and wash with Daily Clean. If the colour remains: Deep Clean
Make-up and skin cream	Verna Deep Clean
Limescale	Verna Deep Clean at 1:20, never a descaler. Check the sealer afterwards
Rubber, glue, candle wax, marker pen	Scrape off carefully with a knife, dissolve the rest with white spirit or turpentine, finish with Daily Clean
Rust marks from metal objects	Email us a photo – they rarely come out with cleaning and may need sanding

Scratches rarely need attention. They wear in over time and become part of the floor’s patina – one of the reasons stone floors age well where other floors just look worn.

Acid damage cannot be repaired. The acid etches away the surface and leaves a dull, often slightly lighter patch that no cleaning or sealing brings back. Minor damage wears in over time and blends into the floor’s patina. If the damage is larger, or sits where it bothers you, the solution is to have a tiler replace the affected tiles.

Avoid these

• Acidic products. Vinegar, lemon, descalers and most bathroom and all-purpose cleaners etch the surface. This is the most common cause of dull patches on limestone.
• Soft soap. It builds up a greasy film that attracts dirt and greys the stone over time. Being “natural” does not make it gentle on limestone.
• Steam cleaners and scrubbing machines with abrasive pads. They wear on both the sealer and the surface.
• Tape directly on the stone, even for short painting jobs. The adhesive can leave marks that will not wash off.
• Sealing a damp or warm surface. Let the stone dry and switch off the underfloor heating in advance.
• Standing water. In showers and entrances it is not the water itself but what is dissolved in it that does the damage.
• Plant pots directly on the stone. Use saucers – moisture and soil leave rings that go deep.

Maintenance through the year

Task	How often	Product
Sweep or vacuum	Ongoing, more often in hallways and entrances	–
Mop	Weekly in rooms used daily	Verna Daily Clean 1:200
Rinse the shower floor	After every shower	–
Deep clean	Once a year, or as needed	Verna Deep Clean
Sealing, shower and shower area	When the water test shows the protection has gone	Verna Protect
Sealing, other floors	When the water test shows the protection has gone	Verna Protect
The water test	Once a year, ideally in spring	–

Other stone surfaces

Window sills are cared for like the floor: seal with Verna Protect before the pots go on, always use saucers and wipe with Daily Clean. If you have an older sill that was never sealed, or that has stains, start with a deep clean using Deep Clean, let the surface dry completely and then seal.

Kitchen worktops are more demanding, because this is where the acids are. Wipe up lemon, wine, vinegar and tomato immediately, and use a chopping board. Hot pans can be placed directly on the stone. Do the water test more often than on floors, especially around the sink and hob, and reseal when needed.

Paving outdoors is sealed with Verna Protect in the same way as indoors, and checked with the water test. Sweep away leaves and needles that would otherwise stain, and wash with water and a brush when needed. Do not use a pressure washer at close range – it tears up the surface and flushes out the joints. Moss and algae are removed with a product intended for natural stone, never with chlorine or vinegar.

Unsure about a stain or a product? Email a photo to support@ostersjosten.se and we will take a look. It is better than experimenting on a floor that is meant to last for generations.