Material
Sandstone
A siliceous but highly porous stone where absorption is the main problem and the loosely bound grains are removed by abrasive cleaning.
- SurfacePorous
- WashingSpot only
- Colour run riskLow
- Reviewed7 September 2026
What sandstone can and cannot take
- Heat Use with care
- Water and soaking Use with care
- Acids, including vinegar Use with care
- Strong alkalis Use with care
- Solvents Use with care
- Chlorine bleach Use with care
- Abrasives Use with care
Always test on a hidden area first and let it dry before you treat the visible mark.
General rules for sandstone
Sandstone soaks up almost anything, and quickly. Speed is worth more here than on any other stone in this family.
Blot rather than wipe, get mild detergent and water onto it early, and expect a poultice to be needed for anything that has been left more than a few minutes.
Keep abrasives away entirely. Sandstone grains are cemented together and scouring takes them off, leaving a rougher patch that then holds dirt.
Check the label
Sandstone is siliceous but very porous, often more so than limestone, so absorption rather than acid is the governing problem. Its grains are held together loosely enough that abrasive cleaning takes the surface off.
Stains on sandstone
- Baby sick Blot immediately and hard, because sandstone is more porous than most stone in domestic use and a spill is in...
- Blood Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Body oil Lift free oil from sandstone, then clean a small area with a maker-approved mild detergent solution and a sof...
- Breast milk Blot the spill, identify the finish and use a controlled cold clean only where permitted. Where the maker per...
- Bronzer Lift loose bronzer from sandstone before it is rubbed in. Blot cream bronzer, follow the material or care lab...
- Coffee Wipe coffee off sandstone promptly with a soft cloth. Check the finish and maker care rules first. Do not tre...
- Concealer Lift the concealer from Sandstone, clean with neutral stone cleaner or very dilute washing-up liquid, rinse a...
- Cooking grease Blot cooking grease from Sandstone, absorb surface oil, wash gently with mild detergent and judge when dry. A...
- Deodorant Lift loose deodorant from sandstone with a dry white cloth, then wipe the remaining film with cool water and...
- Hair dye Blot Sandstone, clean with a tested non-acidic stone product, rinse and dry. Refer absorbed colour rather tha...
- Lipstick Lift lipstick from Sandstone, clean with neutral stone cleaner or very dilute washing-up liquid, rinse and dr...
- Motor oil Blot motor oil from Sandstone, absorb surface oil, wash gently with mild detergent and judge when dry. A rema...
- Nail polish Lift free polish gently if the face permits contact. A maker-approved mild damp wipe can clear loose residue,...
- Period blood Lift any tissue with a spoon edge, then blot. Use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent for th...
- Pet urine Blot until nearly dry, then use only the cool-water quantity sandstone can tolerate. Use a labelled pet urine...
- Tomato sauce Lift tomato sauce from Sandstone, then wipe or blot inwards with a tested cool detergent solution. Remove res...
Sandstone is compressed sand grains held together by a natural cement.
Porosity is the defining property
More open than most stone in common use, so liquid disappears into it within seconds rather than minutes. That makes the first response far more important than the chemistry.
The grains come off
Scouring a sandstone surface removes grains rather than polishing them, leaving a rougher area that catches dirt and looks permanently dirtier.
Acid is a precaution
The trade body advises against acidic cleaners on siliceous stone because of trace minerals, and some sandstones have a calcareous cement between the grains that acid does attack.
Sealing is common and partial
An impregnating sealer helps a great deal on sandstone and still only buys time.
Sources
What we checked and when. Where a manufacturer instruction disagrees with anything here, follow the manufacturer.
-
Care and cleaning of natural stone, Natural Stone Institute
trade body
Stone trade body guidance that calcareous stone such as limestone and travertine is sensitive to acid so only mild non acidic cleaners are used, that acidic cleaners are still not advised on granite, slate or sandstone because they can hold acid sensitive minerals, that scouring powders scratch stone, that the routine clean is a neutral cleaner or mild washing up liquid in warm water, that organic stains are treated with hydrogen peroxide, and that ammonia and bleach are never mixed.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
Guide to cleaning marble stains with poultices, Olson Marble and Stone Care
specialist
Stone restoration specialist describing a poultice as an absorbent powder mixed with a cleaning agent, bicarbonate of soda with hydrogen peroxide for an organic stain, spread about a quarter of an inch thick, covered with plastic wrap taped down and left for 24 to 48 hours, that stubborn stains need more than one application, and that a stone that is deeply etched or discoloured beyond surface penetration needs professional restoration rather than a poultice.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
Cleaning grout, Tile Council of North America
trade body
Tile trade body guidance that grout manufacturers do not advocate the use of acids because acids attack the cement in the grout, that grout is alkaline based and is dissolved by acids, that mildly alkaline cleaners are preferred over acidic ones, that oil and wax based cleaners leave a film that attracts dirt, that alkaline cleaner not properly rinsed leaves a sticky residue, and that cementitious grout should be sealed to prevent staining.
Checked 7 September 2026