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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, soils, dark liquid, and oil stains from penetrating into the surface. It will also prevent mildew growth from growing on grout.

  3. 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.

  4. How do I care for my granite and marble countertops?

    In order to properly maintain countertops, clean daily with Marbamist or Clean EnCounters®, these two products will keep polished stone countertops clean and fresh all of the time. Apply a coat of International Stone Polish every couple of weeks to keep that fresh polished look.

  5. How do I care for my ceramic tile, porcelain tile and grout?

  6. 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, 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. For deep, old or difficult stains use our Stone Quest® Intensive Cleaner instead of water to give the poultice an extra boost. The key to removing the stain is to let the poultice completely harden to a crust before removing. We have 6 different poultice powders that will remove oil, ink, food, rust, urine and mildew stains.

  13. 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.

  14. 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 Granite Polishing Powder for granite.