Remodel Central

Terrazzo flooring is marble-like material that’s used for floors and countertops. It’s a mixture of marble and cement with extra marble chips sprinkled on the surface when installed, leaving around 70% of the finished material surface marble. Unfortunately, the cement part of terrazzo absorbs stains pretty quickly. Here are some tips on cleaning different stains that spill onto your terrazzo floors and countertops:

Alcohol

If the stain is caused by alcohol, you can usually get away with just hot soapy water, or if the stain won’t go away, denatured alcohol. If the stain continues to persist, your best bet is soaking a towel in hydrogen peroxide and placing it right over the stain with a cloth soaked in ammonia right after that.

Blood

Bloodstains can be removed by using cold water, possibly with a few drops of ammonia if it’s a stubborn one. Letting powdered malt stand on the stain for an hour or so and rinsing can also get rid of any tough bloodstains.

Coffee

Coffee stains can be treated with a glycerin solution. Put one part glycerin in three parts water and let it sit on the stain for a few minutes.

Oil and Grease

With oil and grease stains, you will want to use warm water mixed with a little detergent and gently wipe the surface. This also works with paint stains.

Ink

Ink stains can also be cleaned with warm water and detergent. For the more stubborn ink stains, you can try ammonia in a water solution. Don’t use this on the terrazzo surface directly, but apply to a layer of cotton first, then clean.

Any of these are great ways to get rid of those pesky spills on our terrazzo floors and countertops. Just remember if using commercial stain removers, some products are not on the recommended list for general floor care, so be sure to make a note of that if using store-bought brands.