How to Clean Natural Stone Without Etching the Face
Updated: 15.10.2026
You are in a UK kitchen or hall with a labelled bottle and a stone that has lost its even colour: a dull limestone floor, or a marble worktop with a pale ring where a citrus drink sat. How to clean natural stone starts with that surface, before you pick a dose. This page is the indoor sequence for a mop, a heavier clean, worktops, bathrooms and a thin cement film. The wider set is in our [stone cleaner comparison](/hub/garden-supplies/stone-cleaner). Noted on 15 October 2026 from amazon.co.uk listings and public UK guidance, with no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are in a UK kitchen or hall with a labelled bottle and a stone that has lost its even colour: a dull limestone floor, or a marble worktop with a pale ring where a citrus drink sat.
You are in a UK kitchen or hall with a labelled bottle and a stone that has lost its even colour: a dull limestone floor, or a marble worktop with a pale ring where a citrus drink sat. How to clean natural stone starts with that surface, before you pick a dose. This page is the indoor sequence for a mop, a heavier clean, worktops, bathrooms and a thin cement film. The wider set is in our stone cleaner comparison. Noted on 15 October 2026 from amazon.co.uk listings and public UK guidance, with no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Product type | Main job | Pack | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Patio Black Spot Stone King restorer 2 L | Outdoor restorer | Algae and black lichen | 1 x 2 L | 8.6 | about £29.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  HG HG shine restorer 5 L | Mopping shine restorer | Regular floor mopping | 1 x 5 L | 7.2 | about £34.09 | View offer |
| Preis-Tipp |  HG HG natural stone cleaner extra strong 1 L | Concentrated degreaser | Grease and old polish | 1 x 1 L | 7.8 | about £11.18 | View offer |
On this page
Name the stone before you open the bottle
Marble, limestone and travertine need a pH-neutral stone cleaner. Vinegar, lemon juice and brick acid etch these calcium stones, and the dull patch sits in the face of the stone. If you cannot name the slab, treat it as acid-sensitive and test a hidden corner first. London Stone warns against vinegar and brick acid on limestone. Lithofin also lists some sandstone, slate and concrete as acid-sensitive. A splash of neat vinegar on marble clouds the polish, and these bottles will not put the shine back. The figures below belong to the named HG products only.
Routine mop versus a heavy clean
A maintained stone floor starts with 50 ml of HG shine restorer in 5 litres of water, left unrinsed. One litre gives about 20 washes, enough for dust and light soil. Old polish needs a stronger product. HG Extra Strong on general soil is 500 ml in 5 litres, with a neat coat only for old polish, then a rinse. Diluted, that concentrate is listed at 25-50 m² per litre, so 500 ml covers about 12.5-25 m². Mix again for a larger kitchen rather than pouring the concentrate neat. Change the water when it turns grey.
Worktops and bathrooms
The kitchen cleaner in this set is pH 7.0, in a 500 ml bottle sold as a pack of three, for daily splashes. Spray, wipe, and dry the stone so water does not leave a ring. It will not lift an etch already in the stone. Keep a patio biocide off the worktop. The bathroom cleaner is concentrated and non-abrasive, for soap film on tiles. UK reviews report weak results on thick limescale, and white streaks on black slate if the liquid dries. Wipe the slate while it is wet. Leave a pumice stick off a polished worktop.
Cement film, briefly
Cement film is the milky bloom after grouting, and a weekly mop will not clear it. HG cement and grout film remover is listed as acid-free. Wet the stone, apply it, wait about five minutes, scrub, and rinse. Cement that has cured and stands proud needs a scraper. Test one hidden tile first. If the sheen changes, stop and ask the tiler, because the haze may be a sealer.
What this page leaves outside
Keep patio biocides, a jet wash and memorial lichens off kitchen stone and indoor floors. Outdoor flags are covered in our guide to cleaning patio paving. Choosing the liquid is the job of the stone cleaner buying guide. Call a professional if the slab is cracked, a sealer you cannot name is lifting, or the mark is a dull etch. These bottles do not restore polish to etched marble.
Common questions
How do I mop a limestone floor without dulling it?
Mop limestone with a pH-neutral cleaner, and keep vinegar, lemon juice and brick acid off the floor. London Stone warns that vinegar and brick acid etch it, leaving a dull patch in the stone. For regular care, mix 50 ml of HG shine restorer in 5 litres, mop, and leave it unrinsed. If you are unsure of the stone, test a corner first.
Can I use vinegar on marble?
Vinegar, lemon juice and brick acid etch marble, a calcium stone in the same group as limestone and travertine. Lithofin's UK note lists those three as acid-sensitive, plus some sandstone, slate and concrete. A short splash can leave a dull ring you cannot mop off. Use the kitchen stone cleaner in this set, listed at pH 7.0, and wipe it dry. The bottle will not restore polish that has already gone.
How do I dilute HG Extra Strong?
Pour 500 ml of HG Extra Strong into 5 litres of water for a general clean. Use it neat only on old polish, then rinse. Diluted coverage on the listing is 25-50 m² per litre of concentrate, so 500 ml covers about 12.5-25 m². The shine restorer is a different dose, 50 ml in 5 litres, and another brand needs its own label.
Do I rinse the shine restorer?
Leave HG shine restorer unrinsed. Mix 50 ml in 5 litres, about 20 washes from one litre, and let the floor dry. That no-rinse step does not apply to Extra Strong used neat on old polish, or to the cement film remover, both of which you rinse.
How long do I leave the cement film remover on?
Leave the acid-free HG cement and grout film remover for about five minutes. Wet the stone, apply it, scrub, and rinse. A longer soak will not shift cement that has cured and stands proud. UK buyers report that those lumps need a scraper. Test a hidden tile, and stop if the sheen changes, in case the haze is a sealer.
Why did my black slate go streaky?
Black slate streaks when the concentrated bathroom cleaner dries on it. UK reviews report white marks from that residue, and weak results on thick limescale. Wipe the tile while it is wet, then dry it with a cloth. A second spray on a dried streak usually makes the mark worse. The pH 7 kitchen spray is milder for daily splashes, provided you still dry the slate.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and manufacturer pages used for this comparison, last accessed 15 October 2026.
- London Stone — How to clean a natural stone patio (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- London Stone — How to jet wash a patio (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- Pavingexpert — Acid stains on paving (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- Historic England — Caring for monuments (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- Church of England — Churchyard wildlife and lichens (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- HSE — COPR biocide requirements (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- HSE — Cleaning products and the corrosive pictogram (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- HSE — Silica dust from scabbling or grinding (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- HG UK — Natural stone cement and grout film remover (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- HG UK — Natural stone cleaner shine restorer (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- HG UK — Natural stone cleaner extra strong (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- legislation.gov.uk — Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 15.10.2026)