5 Do-It-Yourself Slate Floor Cleaner Recipes (2024)

Cleaning slate floors can be surprisingly simple and affordable.

• Sweep or vacuum regularly.
• Mix dish soap with warm water for an easy cleaner.
• Use Castile soap and baking soda for tough stains.
• Apply isopropyl alcohol for spot stain removal.
• Clean with hydrogen peroxide and water for light, non-color-treated slate.

To keep slate floors pristine, I start by regularly removing dirt. I use a broom or vacuum with a soft brush attachment, which is gentle on the slate. For my everyday cleaning solution, I mix a quarter cup of dish soap with two gallons of warm water, ensuring a good blend before mopping. This method is incredibly effective and cost-efficient.

When tough stains bother me, I create a paste with two cups of baking soda, a quarter cup of water, and a teaspoon of liquid Castile soap. I apply it using a toothbrush to get into the grout and a soft cloth for the tiles. If there are stubborn, isolated stains, I treat them with a half cup of isopropyl alcohol mixed with a quart of hot water, using a sponge, and then rinse the area.

For light, non-color-treated slate or white grout, I turn to a mix of one cup of hydrogen peroxide and one cup of warm water. This not only cleans but also disinfects the tiles. After letting it sit for 15 minutes, I rinse it with clean water and follow up with a mild detergent if necessary. This approach is just as fast and easy as other cleaning methods, and it’s perfect for a deeper clean without harsh chemicals.

Slate is a stylish material that adds color and durability to your flooring. Available in a wide variety of textures, colors, and affordability, slate is a fantastic, low-maintenance alternative to other stone tile like Travertine and even laminate flooring. To keep your floor looking as great as the day you bought it, using a homemade slate floor cleaner is crucial.

Though making your own DIY slate floor cleaner may seem like a hefty task, there are several simple recipes that don’t require a laboratory to make. A durable and long-lasting flooring material, slate is even used to create roofing materials.

However, using harsh chemical cleaners causes damage to the stone over time, while natural and gentler alternatives reduce the presence of strong fumes and acidic damage. A natural cleaning solution for slate floors is not far from reality with these five amazing recipes and cleaning tips.

Spectacular DIY Slate Flooring Cleaning Tips

Slate floors are generally stain-resistant and require a little love and care only a few times a year. How to clean slate tile flooring is easy and requires only the most basic ingredients that you probably already have at home. These hacks will make the road to cleaning these stone tiles that much simpler with recipes and tips anyone can follow.

Sweep Your Tile Floors Regularly

Keeping your slate floor clear of excess debris and dirt before cleaning is an essential part of the cleaning process. Whether prepping your floors for a deep clean or just doing regular maintenance, this reduces the amount of dirt in the grout and keeps it from being spread across the tiles. The best way to do this is by using a broom or vacuum cleaner with a soft-bristle attachment.

The bristles loosen up stuck-on dirt particles without damaging the slate tiles.How often you want to clean your tiles also depends on the amount of foot traffic they receive.

Entryways and other high traffic areas may need sweeping anywhere from every other day to once a week. For these areas, alternate between using a bristle brush and a dust mop to avoid scratching the tiles.

Simple DIY Slate Washer with Dish Soap

When it comes to cleaning your natural stone tiles, don’t use strong cleaning products unless truly necessary. Instead, sticking to a basic, mild detergent like dish soap can make a big difference without causing damage to your stone floors. This same cleaning recipe can be used as a spectacular marble cleaner and on ceramic tile.

To make this simple and natural stone cleaner, mix the ingredients in a large bucket and ensure the soap has entirely dissolved before cleaning. Whether using a mop, sponge, or cloth to treat your floors, wring them out thoroughly to prevent excess moisture from creating water spots.

You can also use this cleaning solution to clean slate countertops and most household surfaces. After cleaning, let the solution air dry for best results.

If you have a greasy stain on your slate flooring or need a way to remove oil from concrete, dish soap like Dawn is probably the easiest solution. The soap is gentle enough not to harm the floor while strong enough to get rid of most oily stains.

Use Castile Soap as a Natural Cleaning Solution

Another incredible floor cleaner to use is Castile soap. Made from olive and vegetable oils, this cleaning product uses natural ingredients to safely clean surfaces. Combined with products like baking soda, the formula produces a fantastic tile and grout cleaner that quickly removes dirt and grime with a slight abrasive.

Combine the ingredients until they form a paste. Use a toothbrush to work in between tiles and clean grout quickly and remove tough stains from tile.

For overall cleaning, use a soft cloth to prevent scratching the tiles. Once finished, buff the tiles using a microfiber cloth until the floor produces a brilliant sheen.

Isopropyl Alcohol Cleans Slate

If you have stains you want eliminated from your slate flooring, then the best solution is to use a stain remover like isopropyl alcohol. Rubbing alcohol works best after mopping with a regular cleaning solution is complete, and all the soapy water has been cleared from the area. Always test a portion of the floor before cleaning, however, to prevent discoloration.

Combine the rubbing alcohol with one quart of water in a small bucket or large bowl. Use a soft sponge to spread the cleaning solution over the stain.

Scrub the area with a soft cloth if the sponge is not enough to remove the stain, but avoid using rough scrubbers that may scratch the surface of the floor tiles. Rinse with clean water when finished, dry the area, and repeat the process as needed.

Use Hydrogen Peroxide for Washing Tile Flooring

If you have light, non-color treated slate, then another stupendous solution you can use is hydrogen peroxide. Peroxide does contain bleaching agents that will discolor darker slate stone tiles, so avoid using it on both these and colored grout.

Otherwise, hydrogen peroxide not only removes dirt and grime, but it also disinfects the area and reduces the presence of certain bacteria.

This simple to use recipe requires equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide. Clean slate floors using a cloth or sponge. Let the cleaning solution sit for 15 minutes before rinsing with clean water. Afterward, clean the tile floors again using a mild detergent and let it air dry.

Some Additional Things to Know

Now that you are ready to dive into floor cleaning, you may still have a few lingering questions. Hopefully, these last few pieces of advice will give you all the help you need.

What are the best prevention methods for protecting your floors?

Though slate is one of those easy to maintain floors that only needs to be cleaned every two to three months, there are ways to increase its longevity and keep mildew from forming between the grout lines. Using a sealant on your grout and tiles can give them a longer-lasting quality that is also easier to clean.

If this isn’t your next home improvement task, it should be soon. Applying a sealer takes only about one hour but lasts up to three years. Some powerful sealants can even last as long as 15 years and will leave your floors with a brilliant, glossy coat.

If your grout is beyond help, we have a few solutions for removing grout from slate flooring safely. Then, you can maintain the clean finish from the start.

What equipment should I keep handy?

You won’t have to use every one of these amazing cleaning tools every time you touch up your floors. However, having these items on hand can save you time and make cleaning some areas more accessible. A spray bottle, for example, makes spot cleaning easier by controlling the amount of solution used and confining it to a smaller space.

Most of these items are already frequent inhabitants in your utility closet and assist in most household chores. Old toothbrushes are excellent for working in small crevices, while sponges clean large surface areas much faster.

Both microfiber cleaning cloths and dry mops are perfect for polishing areas of the floor but vary in their efficiency based on the size of the area needing cleaning. Use the appropriate supplies for the task to keep your cleaning routine running smoothly.

What cleaners should you avoid?

Even though slate floors are highly durable, the material is still susceptible to deterioration and scratching if exposed to the wrong cleaners. Unlike other tiles and materials like vinyl flooring, acidic cleaners will damage the slate. This means using vinegar and lemon juice is a big “no-no.”

Equally, anything that is overly abrasive, like steel wool scrubbers, may get the stain out but at a high cost to your floors. Baking soda is gentle enough not to ruin your floors by scratching them, but anything rougher will not be so kind to your slate.

Now that you have several new ideas and recipes to get you started cleaning your slate floors is as easy as raiding your pantry. Many of these cleaning ingredients can be used daily across various household cleaning tasks. Always start with the gentlest cleaning method first, and only use stronger products like hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol on spot treatments or for occasional deep cleanings.

Recipe for DIY Slate Flooring Washer

Homemade Slate Floor Cleaner

Yield: 1 gallon

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Dishwashing liquid isn't just for the dishes!

Materials

• 1-ounce dishwashing liquid
• 1-gallon water

Tools

• Bucket
• Microfiber mop
• Stirrer
• Measuring cup

Instructions

1. Combine the water and dish soap in the bucket with the stirrer.
2. Dunk the mop into the cleaning solution and wring out the excess.
3. Apply to slate floors.
4. Air dry the flooring.

Notes

Sweep or vacuum the floor before cleaning to remove debris.

Now that you’ve learned some natural slate cleaning recipes, it’s time to share those homemade slate floor cleaner ideas with the world on Facebook and Pinterest!