Marble countertops, travertine floors, granite islands, and natural stone bathroom surrounds show up in many old and fancy homes across Arlington, McLean, and Northern Virginia. Natural stone is different from tile, laminate, or quartz. The wrong cleaner can hurt it. Tell us when you book if you have natural stone.
Why Natural Stone Needs a Different Approach
Marble, travertine, limestone, and some granites soak up water and are hurt by acid. Regular all-purpose cleaners, vinegar, and citrus cleaners all have acid in them. Acid can dull the surface and leave marks. Scrubbing will not fix these marks. This is different from tile, laminate, or quartz. Those surfaces usually need a strong acid cleaner for soap scum and hard water spots. But on stone, that same cleaner can cause damage right away.
So the safest choice on stone is a gentle cleaner with no acid. If your installer told you to use a certain product, tell us when you book. Leave it out for our team to use.
Countertops and Islands
High-touch areas like counters are wiped down on a standard visit. Water left on stone can soak in and cause stains. So wiping water is more important on stone than on laminate or quartz. Dull stone shows fingerprints and water spots more than shiny stone.
Stone Flooring
Floors are vacuumed and mopped on a standard visit. Dirt under a mop can scratch stone easily. Tell us if your floors are travertine, marble, or slate. Tell us what you use to clean them. Stone like travertine has tiny holes that trap dirt. That dirt will not go away after we visit.
Bathroom Surrounds and Vanities
Marble in showers and above sinks is common in old and fancy Arlington homes. Soap scum and hard water marks on stone need a gentle cleaner with no acid. Acid cleaners can make stone look cloudy over time. If your stone already looks cloudy or stained from old cleaners, we cannot fix it with one visit. We will tell you if that is what we see.
What to Tell Us Before a Visit
- Point out which surfaces are natural stone if it is not obvious, especially with engineered stone look-alikes in the mix.
- Let us know if any stone is sealed, unsealed, or recently sealed, since freshly sealed stone sometimes has care instructions from the installer.
- Flag any surfaces with existing etching, staining, or damage so we know it predates the visit.
Where This Fits Into Our Services
A standard cleaning covers high-touch areas wiped down, the outside of appliances, floors vacuumed and mopped, and trash (one bag). A deep cleaning adds all that plus the inside of the oven, fridge, and microwave. Tell us about stone care when you book. If your home in Northern Virginia has old original stone, our post on cleaning considerations for historic and older homes talks about other surface issues that come with stone, like original hardwood and old tile.
The Bottom Line
Stone lasts a long time but the wrong cleaner can cause permanent damage. Tell us which surfaces are stone when you book to avoid that. Arlington Home Cleaning is licensed and insured, serving Arlington, Ashburn, and Northern Virginia. Standard cleaning starts at $135+ and deep cleaning at $210+, with recurring discounts of 15% weekly, 10% biweekly, and 5% monthly. Book at arlingtonhomecleaning.com or call 571-350-0866.