Whether you have slate, wood, laminate or tile floors, regular cleaning is needed in order to keep them from deteriorating. In most cases daily sweeping or dry dusting will do. However, if you use a mop with cotton fibers to clean floors, make sure you move the mop in the same direction each time so as to not scatter any dust or debris that you collect along the way.
If you have slate, laminate or tile flooring in your kitchen or other high traffic area, then at least once a week you should combine a couple gallons of warm water with a 1/4 cup of mild dish detergent and wet mop the area to eliminate sticky spots or other dried food spills. Just remember to dry the floor thoroughly so you don’t compromise the integrity of the finish.
When wet mopping slate floors pay close attention to the grout between individual tiles. When food or beverages spill on slate, they will be absorbed by the grout, as slate itself is bonded to resist stains. If the stain is particularly bad, then you may have to purchase a special grout cleaner that will not discolor your floors. If you have colored grout you have to be especially vigilant when you clean. Standard grout is much more manageable to clean. In fact, most stains will lift from grout if treated with a 50/50 solution of water and hydrogen peroxide. Simply let the solution sit on the stain for 15 minutes, and then wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Just remember that when you clean slate floors you should never use acidic cleaners such as vinegar, which can damage and discolor the stone. Vinegar works wonders on wood floors, but keep it away from slate. As far as cleaning tools go, you should avoid using scrub brushes with stiff or metal bristles on wood, slate or tile floors, as they may scratch the surface. Finally, if you have pets or children, you may consider investing in throw rugs to place in high traffic areas in order to further preserve the life of your floors.