Whether you have slate flooring, a slate mantelpiece or a slate kitchen worktop, light cleaning is a simple task, especially if you have sealed the slate carefully beforehand.
To remove dust on slate, just use a vacuum cleaner or wipe it with a damp cloth or a damp mop.
To remove floor dirt, cleaners Brockley suggest using a solution of ½ cup of ammonia and 6 litres of water. Apply the cleaning solution with a sponge mop. If you dust weekly, you can do a thorough cleaning with ammonia once a moth or every other month.
To protect slate floors from staining, apply a stone sealer – either gloss or satin – after it is installed. Slate is especially susceptible to oil stains. So sealing a slate floor in a kitchen or eating area may be a good idea. If you wish, follow the sealer with a wax finish that can protect the sealer and make it last longer. The sealer and the wax work together to make slate easier to clean.
To clean a slate worktop, scour the surface using a multipurpose cleaner and a damp sponge. Do not use abrasive pads, which may remove some of the stone.
To remove oil stains, sprinkle a generous amount of flour on the surface and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then scrub the surface with a grease-cutting cleaner or use warm water with a squirt of washing-up liquid.
To protect a slate kitchen worktop, oil it with a mixture of equal parts boiled linseed oil and turpentine. Wipe the solution onto the slate with a cloth, then buff it with a soft cloth or old towel until it is dry. Oil your kitchen worktop once or twice a year, as advised by cleaners Brockley. Oil other non-floor surfaces every two years.
