Cleaning stone fireplace - any suggestions?

JDxtra

Hi,

Any suggestions on how I should clean my stone fireplace surround? It seems to get dirty very easily and has proved difficult to clean.

The main surround appears to be a softer stone (limestone?) than the base on the floor. Picture attached.

Thanks in advance!

Mellor

I think it might be granite, with the base being a plished granite, but its hard to tell without a better look. Or somebody that knows better might be able to tell,

as for cleaning be very very very CAREFUL, use very gentle cleaners. soap and water and scrub it well. A problem with cleaning stone, esp. rough stone, is that it can be hard to get an even clean, and having clean patches can often make it look worse.
Cillit Bang, for example, will dissolve some of the stone. not sure exactly what it reacts with in the stone, possibly calcium, but it can leave horrible stain like marks

JDxtra

Thanks for the advice Mellor. That does seem to be it - and it's difficult to get an even clean like you say. And yep - so far, I've avoided any harsh chemicals just in case. Cheers.