Cleaning Travertine

Written by April Reinhardt (last updated June 7, 2021)

A natural stone closely related to limestone, travertine is a porous material commonly used for flooring, countertops, showers, tubs, and exterior paving, such as flagstone. While travertine is durable, it is highly susceptible to scratching, stains, heat, and acidity. Therefore, care should be taken when cleaning it. Follow these guidelines when cleaning travertine:

  • After installation, your travertine should be sealed. The technicians who install your travertine will use specially formulated sealants to strengthen its surface and guard against scratches and heat related damage.
  • To prohibit surface etching, never use acid-based cleaners on travertine. Scouring pads, vinegar, and abrasive cleaners will also damage the surface of travertine. Instead, use the manufacturer's recommended cleaning agent.
  • Use drink coasters on travertine and apply felt to the bottom of what-nots before placing them on travertine.
  • Clean your travertine with a soft, damp rag or towel.
  • Dust and gently vacuum away dirt and debris. Dirt and grime will damage the stone's surface.
  • Since travertine is an alkaline stone, acid-based products will damage it. Wipe up spills immediately, especially those containing acid, like tomato and orange juice. Stains will occur immediately upon contact, but you can stop further damage by cleaning up spills immediately.

Take care to use hot pads or trivets when placing hot items onto travertine, as heat will damage the surface of the stone. While you can use warm water and a mild detergent to clean travertine, never use oils containing citrus, such as lemon Pledge or orange oil, on travertine. The acidity of the lemon or orange will etch the stone. Instead, simply use plain water and a soft cloth to clean the stone. If your travertine develops severe stains or etching, consult with a professional stone restorer to restore your travertine to its original condition.

Author Bio

April Reinhardt

An admin­istrator for a mutual fund man­age­ment firm, April deals with the writ­ten word daily. She loves to write and plans to author a memoir in the near future. April attend­ed More­head State Uni­ver­sity to pursue a BA degree in Ele­men­tary Edu­ca­tion. ...

MORE FROM APRIL

Repairing Window Screens

Window screens allow you the pleasure of fresh air through open windows, and alleviate the worry of bugs finding a way ...

Discover More

Removing Newsprint Stains from Linoleum

While Grandma's advice for using newspaper to clean windows may be great, using newsprint against a linoleum floor can ...

Discover More

Childproofing Your Home

While you can take every precaution to ensure that your home is safe for your children, there is always the chance that ...

Discover More

The Power of Microfiber! Zwipes Microfiber Cleaning Cloths will become your favorite tool for every cleaning task. This 36-cloth package is perfect for hundreds of uses in the garage, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and all around the house. Each cloth is tough, streak-free, lint-free, reusable, and washable. Check out Microfiber Cleaning Cloths today!

More Cleaning Tips

Tile Cleaner

Tile can look great in any house, but not if the tile looks dirty. Clean your tile floors, counters, and walls using ...

Discover More

Clean Marble and Slate with Ease

Marble and slate get dirty easily, picking up marks and dirt in their tiny crevices. Instead of using commercial marble ...

Discover More

Steam Cleaning Tile Floors

Steam cleaning is a great method to clean and disinfect any kind of floor. It works especially well on tile floors ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is eight minus 3?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.