How to identify what stained your travertine tile

Travertine is a widely used stone both in residential and commercial atmospheres. This stone is beautiful and portrays elegance and sophistication. Being a natural stone, it can be used in many different areas of your place: tile flooring, countertops, pavers, and so much more. 

Being a natural stone, Travertine is very absorbent, like many stones are, and needs to be properly maintained and taken care of. Many things can cause staining within Travertine, like organic materials, oils and grease, and water. All of these substances can cause staining within the stone.  

But how do you know what liquid caused what stain?

• Organic stains are stains caused by products such as coffee, juices, animal urine, and so much more. The way to tell if any of these caused the stain is if the stain is a  brownish or pink looking spot. Stains would appear on the surface and it would be hard to tell how deep into the stone the stain is until a professional takes a look at it.

 
• One way to stop these stains from setting into the travertine tiles is to get the liquid or organic material cleaned up as quickly as you can before it has time to seep through the surface of the travertine tiles.

• Oil and Grease stains are more evident as to what causes them. Oil stains can be caused by cooking oils, grease from cooking, tar, basically anything with an oil base (even lotions). These spots are noticed because the Travertine will look darker in specific areas where the oil-based product was dwelling for an extended period. They may not be as noticeable but as organic stains but they will     be bothersome to the homeowner's eye. 

 
• Again, the quicker you can get these products cleaned up when spilled, the more likely you will not get a stain. A way to help prevent oil stains is to not store containers with oil or greasy products on the countertop and if you need it, there have something underneath the bottle/container to help prevent the liquid from settling on the stone.

• Yes, even water can stain Travertine, especially if you have hard water (which almost all water in Arizona is hard unless you have a water softener). Over time excessive amounts of water can cause Travertine to lose its shine and causes a white chalky looking build-up. The hard water causes this build-up. The calcium in the water builds up on the Travertine. Efflorescence is another stain in Travertine that is caused by water. This is caused when the minerals within the travertine stone move to the surface due to an excessive amount of water accumulated within the stone.

 
• It may seem hard to stop these stains from occurring in, say, your shower or around your sink but you can help prevent the staining. Keep a squeegee in your shower so water doesn't soak in when you are done showering, wipe up excess water around your sink when you are done using it and so many other ways to prevent stain.

Now, I know I have gone on a lot about the stains that can occur within your travertine surfaces. No worries, AriStone Cleaning and Restoration can help remove or at least minimize the staining for you. One thing to note is not all stains will come out every time. If the stain has set into the Travertine overtime, they will be tough to remove and, at the point when we come in, may now be apart of the actual stone. Do not let your stains wait. If you can not get them removed, call us as quickly as possible, so the product does not have time to set into the stone. 

For more information on how AriStone Cleaning and Restoration can help your travertine tile surfaces check out our website at www.travertinecleaningaz.com or give us a call at 480-352-2987. We are happy to help and pride ourselves on our extensive travertine knowledge. 

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