The fact that stone is absorbent and has a mineral chemistry that can react in strange ways to conventional cleaners, makes the proper selection of cleaners very importantfor successfully maintaining stone on a daily bases.

The above conditions often make stone and masonry difficult to clean and maintain.
Conventional hard surface cleaners contain surface-active detergents. These help penetrate, suspend, emulsify and dissolve surface soiling conditions. They have been primarily formulated to clean non-porous materials. Using these traditional cleaners has shown (as you may have already experienced) not to solve the most common cleaning problems of stone. In fact, many of these cleaners are the contributing causes to an unsuccessful stone maintenance program.

Most stones used today are sensitive to both acidic and alkali cleaners. Acids willburn many stones. Strong alkalis will cause deterioration and attack the colored minerals, fading them. This makes the proper selection of chemicals very important for a successful stone maintenance program.

Many of the commercial conventional products that are labeled "Neutral", "All-Purpose" cleaners can have a pH ranging from slightly acidic 6 to an alkaline base of 8 - 10. The chemical reactions of these cleaners are gradual; they will eventually dull the natural polish of the stone and discolor it over time.
It is not recommended using these "all purpose" cleaners on stone surfaces.