Limestone
Calcium carbonate like marble, but softer and more porous. Everything that damages marble damages it faster, and it absorbs more.
What not to do
Acetic acid (vinegar) is unsafe on Limestone
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Precautions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
Evidence
Strongly supported
Sources
Care & Cleaning of Natural Stone
Natural Stone Institute · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That calcareous stone is sensitive to acidic solutions and that lemon, vinegar and other acids may dull or etch it. (states this directly)
Citric acid is unsafe on Limestone
Unsafe
Do not do this. The risk is established, and it is described below.
Precautions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
Evidence
Strongly supported
Sources
Care & Cleaning of Natural Stone
Natural Stone Institute · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That calcareous stone is sensitive to acidic solutions. (states this directly)
Precautions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
In detail
Limestone is a sedimentary calcium carbonate rock, and travertine is a closely related form with a characteristically pitted structure. For cleaning purposes they belong in the same class as marble and inherit the same governing rule: acids attack the stone itself, and the damage is chemical removal rather than staining. Two things make limestone less forgiving than marble rather than more. It is softer, so abrasives and scouring that would merely dull a marble polish will visibly scratch it. And it is generally more porous, so oils, wine and pigments penetrate further and faster, which shortens the window in which a spill is a surface problem. Travertine's voids are often filled during manufacture, and the filler has its own tolerances that need not match the stone's. The practical consequence is that limestone rewards prompt attention and a neutral cleaner more than any other stone in common domestic use, and punishes the bathroom and limescale products that surround it in a shower or a wet room.
Properties
Sensitivity
- Acids
- Sensitive
- Alkalis
- Not known
- Chlorine bleach
- Not known
- Heat
- Not known
- Abrasion
- Sensitive
- Porous
- Sensitive
“Not known” means nobody has established this, not that the material is unaffected.
What works
Neutral cleaner is safe on, in specific conditions, Limestone
Safe only in specific conditions
This is only appropriate within specific limits. Outside those limits, no claim is made.
Only within these limits:
- A neutral cleaner, stone soap, or mild washing-up detergent in warm water
- No abrasive, because limestone is softer than marble
- Deal with spills promptly: limestone is more porous and absorbs faster
Precautions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Care & Cleaning of Natural Stone
Natural Stone Institute · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That mild non-acidic cleaners are recommended for calcareous stone, specifically a neutral cleaner, stone soap or mild dishwashing detergent in warm water. (states this directly)
Why
- Limestone is explained by Water purity and aggressiveness
Related
Hacks and claims involving this
- Sealing stone makes it stain-proof Does not work
- Vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner Disputed
- Fine steel wool for hard-water marks on stone Supported
Sources for this page
Sources
Care & Cleaning of Natural Stone
Natural Stone Institute · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That calcareous stone is sensitive to acidic solutions and that mild non-acidic cleaners are recommended for it, and that scouring powders and creams may scratch certain stones. (states this directly)