When you want to clean a surface, you probably just grab a sponge and cleaning product and get to work. You may not think too much about it.
But when consumer advocacy group Choice carried out some testing recently, they found that many surface-cleansing products are actually no more effective than water. Some are actively worse.
A spokesperson for the organisation told a national paper that there were some notable exceptions. But around half the products tested got roughly the same results as tap water. Floor cleaners in particular were ineffective, with none outperforming regular water. Only the scrubbing action made any difference to the cleanliness of the surface.
The testing used a mechanical scrubbing machine, to get consistent results.
Interestingly, price had little to do with performance. Equally, there was little difference between the various categories of products.
So, in many cases, a general multipurpose cleaner will work well. However, for some specific tasks such as loo, window or bathroom, a specific cleaner may work best.
Finally, when it comes to eco-friendly products, those wanting to do their bit for the environment may need to scrub a bit longer and pay a little more for their products for them to be effective.
And for natural stone cleaning, the choice of cleaning product is even more crucial.
Take marble cleaning, for example. Anything vinegary, citrus-based, or containing bleach, hydrogen peroxide or ammonia, could harm the’s stone surface. The same goes for quartz, which doesn’t like harsh cleaning solutions or high-pH substances, lemon or, again, bleach.
And while you may be tempted to use a glass cleaner on granite worktops, that could leave uneven, patchy marks on the surface.
So you need to be careful – some cleaning products may, at best, not be worth the money, or, at worst, could damage your natural stone countertops permanently.
Time to get in a professional?
Whatever kind of stone cleaning in London you need, we at Royal Stone Care will know what products to use safely to have the surface gleaming like new.
We’re trained specialists fully equipped with all the right kit and can do expert repair jobs such as granite worktop repair in London at the same time. Call us today.
