I have moved into a house with slate floors. I have scrubbed the floors and then we still get dirty feet? Help!
Dirt is inside the slates still rising, just keep scrubbing, use hot water
Buy slate cleaner at the flooring store
Go to a flooring store and talk to them. You will need to put a sealer on the floor after you get it cleaned to prevent this in the future. Dirt and grime actually goes right into the slate.
You need to use a specialist slate cleaner and then seal the floor with a suitable slate sealant. Slate is a soft material and will be worn away easily by foot traffic hence the marks.
If your floors are clean when you finish washing them, then they will stay clean until someone brings dirt in (or dust comes in through open doors/windows). So, maybe they aren't getting clean? Are you using a new mop or an old one? When you finish washing the floor, is the water you rinse your mop in relatively clean or is it dirty? You cannot get a floor clean using dirty water...as soon as the wet evaporates, the dirt in the water is left behind on your floors! Do you have a wet/dry vac? Wash the floors with a clean mop and vacuum up the water from the floor. When you rinse and wring out your mop, if the water gets very dirty, dump it and get fresh. Also, rinse the mop under running water until the water runs clear. I know this is a lot of work, but if you don't get the floor clean to start with, you can't KEEP it clean, and right now it sounds like what you are doing is just getting the dirt on the floor wet and then moving it around. Then, find out who is tracking in all the dirt and make them leave their shoes (and whatever else is really dirty, like jeans after riding BMX) outside! If the house is yours (not a rental) you might want to consider sealing the slate with a satin finish polyurethane coating...it makes cleaning easier and prevents stains from getting into the stone and grout. Good luck!
