FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Why do I need to use Stone Care™ products?
Your natural stone surface is millions of
years old and it can be damaged by using an improper cleaning product that is
not suitable for use on stone surfaces. Natural stone is formed of delicate
minerals that can react to improper cleaning products such as: vinegar, many
over-the-counter cleaning products, window cleaners, dishwashing detergents,
generic neutral cleaners, degreasers, acidic-based cleaners and much more;
therefore, your stone surface must be cleaned and maintained with products only
manufactured for stone surfaces such as SCI's
Marbamist,
Clean EnCounters, or
Marbalex.
It is important to understand that generic
neutral cleaners are different than neutral stone cleaners. Generic neutral
cleaners are predominantly found in the janitorial industry and they are
designed to mainly clean soft, nonporous surfaces such as floor waxes and
coatings. They just clean the surface.
Stone cleaners, which are also neutral, are
designed to clean hard porous surface by penetrating deep into the pores of the
stone and lift out dirt and soils. Stone cleaners clean the surface, pores and
small fissures, thus providing a safe and beautiful stone surface.
2. Why do I have to seal my stone surface and grout?
Stone
Spray-N-Seal can be used on every type of stone and grout surface and
is perfect for floors, walls, countertops and exterior use.
Using SCI’s
Stone Spray-N-Seal will prevent dirty mop solution from penetrating
into the stone and grout surface. It is also perfect for sealing stone
countertops and exterior stone surfaces. It prevents dirt and soils from
penetrating into the surface. It will also prevent mildew growth from
growing on grout.
3. How do I remove glass rings, dull spots and shower
wall streaks from polished marble surfaces?
The use of
Marbacream will remove these problems and renew the surface. If the
etch is severe, using
Honex Honing Powder before the
Marbacream may be necessary.
4. How do I prevent shower wall streaks and calcium
build-up on stone surfaces?
A few applications per month of
International Stone Polish will help prevent this from occurring. Clean
daily with
Marbamist or
Clean EnCounters.
5. How do I care for my granite and marble
countertops?
In order to properly maintain countertops,
clean daily with
Marbamist or
Clean EnCounters and add one coat of
International Stone Polish on a weekly basis. These two products will
keep polished stone countertops clean and fresh all of the time.
6. How do I care for my ceramic tile, porcelain tile
and grout?
For very dirty ceramic tile, porcelain tile
and grout, use
Stone Quest. This will restore heavily soiled tile and grout surfaces.
For maintaining the surfaces after they have been clean, use
Ceramiclean Tile & Grout Cleaner.
7. Is it necessary to seal grout?
Yes. If you use
Stone Spray-N-Seal, it will help keep the dirt on top of the surface
which makes cleaning much easier. Grout should be deep scrubbed in commercial
bathrooms and kitchens at least once per month using either the
Stone Quest or
Ceramiclean.
8. Which product will remove rain streaks from
exterior granite walls?
SCI-GD
on Dark Granite and
SCI-GL on Light Granite with a red buffing pad will remove rain
streaks.
9. Are SCI Stone floor products safe for slip
resistance?
All of the SCI sealers and floor cleaners
meet ADA Compliance standards. They are Underwriter Laboratory Approved (UL)
for slip resistance.
10. Are the SCI countertop products safe for
food-handling surfaces?
All SCI Countertop products are safe for Kitchen use. The Clean EnCounters, Marbamist, Counterrific, Stone Spray-N-Seal and International Stone Polish are ideal for kitchen use.
11. After I used your sealer, it left a cloudy haze
on the surface, how do I remove it?
The haze that you see is from excess sealer
that dried on the surface. This is normal for less-porous stones. The haze can
easily be removed by reapplying the sealer to the surface, let it stay wet for
one minute, and then buff off the excess with a clean and dry towel.
12. How do I get deep stains, such as
mildew, ink and urine, out of my stone?
The use of a Poultice Powder will help
reabsorb stains out of stone, concrete and grout surfaces. Depending on the age
and severity of the stain, the poultice process may have to be completed more
than once on the same stain. The key to removing the stain is completely let
the poultice harden to a crust before removing. We have 6 different poultice
powders that will remove oil, ink, food, rust, urine and mildew
stains.
13. In what order do I use the products in my care
kit?
For Quart Care Kit, follow this order:
Option #1: Cleaner, Sealer & Polish
-
Cleaner –
Clean EnCounters
-
Sealer –
Stone Spray-N-Seal
-
Polish –
International Stone Polish
Option #2: Cleaner, Polish & Disinfectant
-
Cleaner –
Clean EnCounters
-
Polish –
International Stone Polish
-
Disinfectant –
Counterrific as needed
For 8oz. Care Kit, follow this order:
-
Cleaner –
Clean EnCounters
-
Sealer –
Stone Spray-N-Seal
-
Polish –
International Stone Polish
-
Disinfectant –
Counterrific as needed
14. My slate looks dry and dull, how can I restore
the colors?
Stone
Color Enhancer brings out the magnificent colors of unpolished, tumbled
marble, flamed granite, granite tile, and especially slate. May be used for
interior and exterior use and is Underwriters Laboratory Approved (UL) for slip
resistance. It also seals the stones surface to add maximum protection.
15. I'm not sure if I have a stain or an etch on the surface.
A dark spot is always a stain, where mostly anything acidic will cause an etch.
An etch is a whitish dull haze that you can see from an angle very clearly. A stain and an etch are treated differently. With a stain,
you would use a poultice powder, as this will pull the stain out of solid rock. With an etch, we recommend
using SCI's Marbacream to restore the shine on marble, or Granite Polishing Powder for granite.
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