Evaluation of side effects of mechanical cleaning with an anionic detergent on granite cladding tiles

One of the aims of Goal 11 of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is to make human settlements sustainable. Some effort should therefore focus on developing maintenance strategies for buildings. Polished granite cladding tiles are very popular for use as flooring material in private and public buildings. These tiles are often treated by mechanical cleaning with detergents and scrubbers, and anionic detergents without chelating agents are usually used to prevent damaging the material. In this study, the anionic detergent Teepol® was applied to granite tiles in order to determine the effect of the treatment on the surface properties of this stone, i.e. appearance, colour, gloss, roughness and hydrophobicity. The results obtained were explained by scanning electron microscopy observations, which enabled characterisation of the microtexture of the surfaces, chemical contamination and any damage to the different granite-forming minerals. The results were compared with those obtained for tiles cleaned by the same mechanical procedure but with tap water in place of detergent and for tiles treated by immersion in water without any mechanical action. In summary, the properties evaluated were affected by the extraction of the typical oxyhydroxylated iron forms that fill cracks in the granite and by the formation of new cracks due to the mechanical action. Moreover, colour changes and the chemical contamination (C-rich deposits with Na, S, Cl, Ca and Mg) hindered the effectiveness of the cleaning procedure.