Well, if you have done cleaning for any kind of fireplace before, you will agree that the limestone fireplace mantel demands a bit more care and attention. Limestone fireplace mantels define the look of your entire room and you do not want to ruin that by practicing poor maintenance habits. Unlike many sturdy rocks such as granite, limestone is marginally porous and softer. For proper maintenance of limestone fireplace mantel, you need to understand essential elements that go a long way to keep it glowingly classy and clean.
What does cleaning limestone fireplace mantels entail?
It is vital to clean the limestone fireplace mantel regularly to keep it spotlessly clean. Cleaning the fireplace mantel requires certain cleaning agents or products. You need to choose these products carefully because limestone is more susceptible to scratches particularly when exposed to certain cleaning products that gradually erode its surface. Spray polishes and waxes are some of the cleaning products to keep off when cleaning limestone fireplace mantel. They result in discoloration of the limestone mantel and tough stains. Other things that are seriously inadvisable to use are steel wool, paper towels as well as special cleaning solutions for particularly kitchen and bathroom.
Dusting off and removing debris
Recommendable cleaning solutions work best when cleaning the limestone fireplace mantel. Nonetheless, the first thing to do is removing dust and debris before wetting the surface. In most cases, removal of dust and debris is critical because these dust particles or debris easily is embedded to the surface of limestone when cleaning with fluids. Some people try other means of removing dust like vacuuming the surface of limestone. Vacuums are only effective on the floor and not on your limestone mantel. Their attachments are usually quite hard and scratch the surface of limestone during dust removal. Dry-cotton cloth suffices when you want to remove dust and debris.
The actual cleaning
For cleaning, you need lukewarm water prepared with the right cleaning solution. Optionally, you can add a few drops of mild or neutral dishwasher soap. Do the preparation the preparation in a bucket. Find a good sponge, dip it into the solution, and wipe the surface of the limestone repeatedly. Once you are done wiping the limestone fireplace mantel, rinse with clean water then wipe using a microfiber cloth or dry cotton-cloth. Terrycloth towels particularly come in handy when you want to completely get rid of moisture on the surface of limestone.
Keep staining at its lowest
There are ways that you can adopt to keep the limestone from getting bad or tough stains. If you have a flower vase containing water, do not keep it on the surface of the limestone fireplace mantel. Moisture reacts with limestone at the point of contact between the vase and the surface of limestone. Before you know it, the surface ends up with permanent ring-like marks. Moreover, take care when handling fireplace elements such as coal or wood because their debris affects the surface of limestone badly.
Get rid of fresh stains
When the limestone fireplace mantel gets stains, remove them while they are still fresh. You can use removal substances such as poultice that barely reacts with the limestone as it absorbs large compounds of stains. You can prepare a wetting solution from baking soda by mixing a few pinches of it with distilled water, to create a solution, and wetting the poultice with the solution. Leave the wet poultice on the stain overnight and by morning, the stain will be gone.
A clean limestone fireplace mantel will keep your living room looking beautiful for all occasions. When you sit near the fireplace, you will be able to enjoy the best in aesthetics because there will be no stains, dust or debris on the fireplace mantel!
