Trust the Crawshaws stone doctor.

If you have a cleaning problem, a good place to turn to is the Stone Doctor helpline at BI Crawshaw in Croydon, Surrey, on Tel: 020 8686 7997.

Crawshaws have been supplying tools and consumables to monumental and other stonemasons for more than 50 years, but more recently have also specialised in products used for the maintenance of stone in kitchens and bathrooms and for refurbishing stone floors. 

They have their own marble crystallisation product called Hulk as well as selling Lithofin and HG Hagesan products, and they sell the granite floor restoration Stardust & Jimmy waterless granite polishing system – you just sprinkle Stardust powder on the floor, add a little of the Jimmy emulsifying agent and work into the floor. Within minutes the vibrant colour of granite is brought out.

And, says Gill MacDonald, who runs Crawshaws, whatever you can do for a granite floor you can also do for a worktop. “It’s just a question of adapting.”

Crawshaws run training courses about the refurbishment of marble, limestone, granite or terrazzo floors – and a lot of companies have already benefited from these courses. Gill says interest in them has remained high even during the recession because there is no substitute for hands-on experience in crystallisation, sealing and polishing techniques.

The courses are restricted to a few people (preferably no more than three) and one company at a time. Gill says: “We only book one company at a time because we adapt the courses to each company’s specific needs.”