Myths About Vinegar
Vinegar consists of acetic acid, a natural and inexpensive acid which is why it has become so popular as a cleaning product ingredient. The issue with vinegar is the acid. Though some surfaces, such as ceramic tile, are not damaged by acid many are. A little vinegar in the mop water is a one, two punch to some of your surfaces. Cementitous grout, marble, travertine, concrete and terrazzo are all susceptible to acid attack.
The reason that vinegar is not seen as damaging is that some surfaces don’t show the damage immediately, it appears over time. This is often why the finish of a surface is determined to have “worn out”, when it really has been etched away over time. The difference is observeable under a magnifying glass. Wear is characterized by scratches created when a piece of sand or other debris is trapped under foot and scraped across the surface. An etch is characterized by pinholes in the surface where the acid has dissolved away the CaCO3 in the stone or grout. Grout suffers a second issue in that many dyes used to color the grout can be leeched out of the grout using an acid. As such, the lightening that is perceived to be the acid cleaning is actually the removal of the dye and the grout’s color. Overtime continuous use can turn a colored grout back to its cementious gray root color. This type of damage will require a ColorSeal treatment in order to return the color and appearance back to new.
Marble and some metals will show the damage immediately if pure vinegar is used. Lemon juice, most fruit juices contain sufficient acid that one can visibly etch a surface in a few minutes of contact. The resulting white spot, ring or lemon wedge may look like a smudge or dirt, but is actually missing stone. This type of damage requires the stone to be honed and polished in order to repair it.
SERVICE – The good news is that MARBLELIFE has developed service solutions that can repair the damage caused by acid attack. Call (855) 717-3555 for an estimate and guidance. Enter your zip code and you will be connected to the local MARBLELIFE service office in your area.
PRODUCT – Maintaining the investment made in your floor and counter finishes requires a little education and cleaning products designed to safely clean and maintain your products. This has been MARBLELIFE’s passion for more than 25 years. We are the only company that manufactures care products and provides restoration services. Our commitment has enabled us to consistently provide quality results, and our clients have rewarded us with their business and sufficient referrals to enable us to become the largest service provider in North America, with more than 45 locations. Visit us at www.MARBLELIFEPRODUCTS.com to find a local hardware store in your area, or to place an order online.
CONTACT US – For more information about your particular situation do not hesitate to contact us at 407-302-1170.
DID YOU KNOW: Vinegar has been used as a cleaning agent since Roman times. This may be why we rarely see a highly polished Roman floor, but rather a matt worn finish.
