Walk into a lot of Pinellas County homes built in the 1950s and ’60s, pull up the old carpet, and you’ll find terrazzo underneath. Add the marble baths in newer condos and the tile that covers most Florida floors, and stone and tile are what a lot of us live on. They’re cool underfoot, they hold up to sand and humidity, and with the right care they last for decades.
The catch is that some of the most popular cleaning tricks can ruin them. Here’s how to keep stone and tile floors looking their best, whether you’re in a St. Pete ranch house, a South Pasadena condo, or a family home in Seminole.
Know what you’re standing on
- Terrazzo is chips of marble or other stone set in cement or epoxy, then ground and polished. Cement-based terrazzo, common in older Florida homes, is sensitive to acids.
- Marble and travertine are calcium-based stones. Acids react with them chemically, which is why lemon juice or wine can leave a dull spot.
- Porcelain and ceramic tile are much tougher. The tile itself rarely needs special care, but the grout between it does.
If you’re not sure what your floor is, treat it like stone until you know otherwise. The gentle approach never hurts tile, but the harsh approach can hurt stone.
The cleaners to avoid
The biggest mistakes we see come from cleaners that work well on other surfaces:
- Vinegar, lemon, and other acidic cleaners. On marble, travertine, and cement terrazzo, acid etches the surface, leaving dull, rough patches that cleaning won’t remove. Many “natural” DIY recipes are built on vinegar, so check before you use one.
- Bleach and ammonia. Used regularly, they can dull a polished finish and break down sealers.
- Abrasive powders and scrub pads. They scratch polished stone.
- Steam mops on unsealed or worn stone. A steam mop is fine on porcelain and ceramic tile, and on well-sealed stone used now and then. On unsealed stone, older cement terrazzo, or a sealer that’s wearing thin, the heat and moisture can soak in and break the seal down faster. Not sure about your floor? Check with the installer or a stone pro before you steam it.
- Oil soaps and wax-based products. They leave a film that builds up, attracts dirt, and makes floors slippery.
How to clean them safely
- Dry first. Dust mop or vacuum (with the beater bar off) before you wet anything. Sand acts like sandpaper underfoot, and Florida floors collect a lot of it.
- Use a pH-neutral cleaner. Look for one labeled safe for stone, or use plain warm water with a few drops of mild, pH-neutral dish soap.
- Damp, not wet. Wring the mop well. Standing water seeps into grout and unsealed stone.
- Rinse and dry. A quick pass with clean water, then a dry microfiber, prevents streaks and residue.
- Blot spills right away, especially coffee, wine, juice, and anything acidic. Blot, don’t wipe, so you don’t spread it.
Grout is the weak spot
Grout is porous, and in a humid climate it soaks up moisture, dirt, and mildew. A stiff nylon brush and a grout-safe cleaner handle most of it. If grout has turned dark and won’t come clean, it may need a deep clean, sealing, or regrouting. Our post on regular vs. deep cleaning explains when a deeper clean makes sense.
If you live near the water, salt and sand add to the wear. Our post on salt air and waterfront homes covers keeping the grit out.
When it’s a job for a restoration pro
Cleaning keeps stone looking good, but it can’t fix damage. Etch marks, deep scratches, a floor that has lost its shine, cracked terrazzo, and stone that needs sealing are restoration work. That means honing, polishing, and sealing with specialized equipment.
For that, we recommend our partner 1800Marbleguy, a stone and terrazzo restoration company. Once a floor is restored, regular cleaning keeps it that way.
What a cleaning covers
On a regular or deep cleaning, our teams vacuum and mop stone and tile floors with pH-neutral products made for the surface, use steam on floors that can handle it, and clean grout in kitchens and bathrooms. We don’t use acidic or abrasive cleaners on stone. Polishing, honing, sealing, and repairing etches are restoration services, not part of a house cleaning. See what each type of cleaning includes on our Services page.
Tampa Bay Home Services is a family-owned St. Petersburg company, not a franchise. Our cleaners are trained, background-checked employees who speak fluent English, so you can explain how you want your floors cared for once and know it’ll be done right. We clean homes in St. Petersburg, South Pasadena, Seminole, and across Pinellas County. Get your price and spend your weekend on those floors, not scrubbing them.
This post is part of our complete guide to house cleaning in St. Petersburg.