By Lisa Breakspear

Sales & Technical Director, Fila UK

Are you a creature of habit? When it comes to stone cleaning products, most people are. They find a brand and stick to it. The problem is that someone else may have developed something even better. It might offer improved eco or safety benefits, or higher coverage. Or it might enable you to tackle a problem that your regular products can’t. With so many innovative treatments now available, it’s worth checking out the options.

Acid descalers are a case in point. They can be effective at removing cementitious residue and limescale deposits from acid-resistant material, but a lot of traditional formulas contain hydrochloric acid, which omits unpleasant fumes. These aren’t just potentially harmful and very unpleasant for the applicator, they can also enter air conditioning units and cause further damage. They are corrosive and may eat into grout and steel / aluminium trims, profiles and pipes, showerheads and kitchen hoods.

But there is an alternative. A ‘buffered’ acid solution, such as Fila Deterdek, eliminates these problems, cleaning rather than attacking. And a buffered acid can also remove a host of other horrors, including rust stains and saline efflorescences from terracotta.

In terms of the universal, pH-neutral cleaners, there is an array of regular detergents available but also highly concentrated formulas that can be used at various dilutions, such as Fila Cleaner. The ‘ordinary maintenance’ dilution of the cleaner can be increased for a ‘builder’s clean’ on delicate surfaces and for ‘extraordinary maintenance’ of very dirty surfaces.

Dig deeper and there are products that can be used on both stone and ceramics. An example from Fila’s range is PS87. This is a three-in-one cleaner, stain remover and wax remover. At full concentration, it is only suitable for porcelain but, when diluted, it can be used to remove built up organic dirt and grease from unpolished natural stone.

Versatile products, like these, can tick a lot of boxes, providing a cost effective solution for you and your customer and freeing-up valuable shelf space for other new finds such as the new breed of products that can clean and renew stain-proofing with each application.

These can be particularly useful for kitchen worktops and bathroom vanity units, which can be difficult to maintain if left unsealed, or as a sealant becomes worn – although you must make sure any product specified for the kitchen is certified as safe to use in food preparation areas. Fila Refresh, for example, offers this assurance and cleans as well as renewing / maintaining stain protection on polished and unpolished stone surfaces.

I mentioned before the ‘builder’s clean’. A quality product for this post-installation procedure is imperative. If a stone floor isn’t properly cleaned before a sealant is applied, any residues will become trapped between the stone and the sealant and the sealant’s ability to penetrate the surface will be compromised. It might even result in an expensive sealant removal job.

Using a quality detergent avoids this problem, because it breaks down the dirt and residues. On an acid-sensitive floor such as limestone or marble, try the pH-neutral Fila Cleaner that can be used at a higher concentration or, on acid-resistant stone, porcelain and ceramics, opt for a buffered acid preparation such as Fila Deterdek.

If you do need to strip a sealer off a floor to reseal it, perhaps as a result of a poor initial clean or a refurbishment, always establish what type of sealant has been applied, particularly whether it was water or solvent based. It will need to be removed with the correct product to avoid damaging the substrate and to ensure that it is removed effectively.

When it is off, wash the surface thoroughly and reseal it, perhaps choosing a new sealer that offers extra benefits.

Just like cleaning products, there are lots of new sealants out there. Many people stick to solvent-based formulas because they know how well they work. Yet, there are comparable water-based treatments now available that are more pleasant to use because of the lack of fumes and are kinder to the environment. Fila MP90 ECO PLUS is one of them. And it has another key advantage: it can be applied with residual moisture present, so it can speed up a job and save you money. Water-based products also contribute to LEED points, so are a feather in your cap for eco-installations.

It’s certainly worth reviewing what products you use from time to time and keeping an eye on what’s happening in the marketplace. Companies focussed on research & development are constantly improving existing lines and developing new treatments, which could prove to be valuable assets for your business.

Established in 1943, Fila is a global, eco-focused company specialising in surface care solutions for marble, natural stone, porcelain, terracotta and wood. Fila products are recommended by more than 200 floor manufacturers throughout the world.