Cleaning slate

[monkeysmama]

I have a set of slate plae mats and coasters which are looking a bit grubby and scratched. I have no idea what to use to clean them.

While I'm here, I also have a slate floor that could so with a polish.

Any suggestions?

TIA

[BikeRunSki]

After years of a v mucky slate floor, we got this from Lakeland. Works a treat.

[inmysparetime]

You can get a pongy solvent for the floor, but soapy water should be fine for the placemats as long as you dry them well.

[BeeBread]

A friend of mine advised using really really fine sandpaper to sand out any scratches. Haven't tried it but her slate hearth always looks immaculate.

Oh, and fireplace showrooms use WD40 to get the slate hearths black and glossy.

[monkeysmama]

All good advice. Thanks.

[aylsham]

I have a slate floor - large slate tiles.It got very scratched by removal men when we moved in. I cleaned it with HG polish remover then got down on my hands and knees and used black patination polish. From then on (3 years now) I just mop it and about every three months use HG Golvpolish on it (with a mop). It always looks clean and shiny - it's in the hall and i only mop it about once a fortnight (slob that I am!)

[Mandy2003]

We have a slate floor at work in the loos. I have to be very careful what I use to clean it or it becomes like a skating rink. So far I've only done everyday cleaning on it using Washdown (a commercial product, but it's the same as Flash liquid) diluted in the mop bucket.

I used to use some bleach in the water, but since the order changed to thick bleach I haven't been able to - thick bleach must contain some sort of soapy stuff that made the floor lethal.

What I am looking for is a kind of black slate polish that I can use on the floors and the hearths every couple of months. Haven't really explored yet but I will let you know if I spot anything. Aylsham's tips sound good!