Bill, I ordered and just got that product. But the directions seem to imply it's more for spot cleaning soiled areas. Are you suggesting I use it as a regular cleaner, or is there something better for, say, a weekly basis? Also, is it okay to dust the floors with a swifter dry cloth? They have no cleaner on them, but they do have a scent.

If cleaning the tiles with Tilex is a one-time thing, you can do what I did. I used tape and plastic to cover my fiberglass shower floor while I applied StoneTech Restore (a highly concentrated acidic cleaner) to the tiles on the shower walls. Regarding the limestone staining, go to the John Bridge Tile Forum's Cleaning, Restoration and Sealing forum and post your question there. Maybe there is a sealer that can be applied to the limestone. Here is a link that might be useful: John Bridge Tile Forums

Limestone and travertine essentially have the same chemical composition, but the way they were formed is totally different. Travertine is formed by the percolating action of water - water moves through rock or soil and then deposits minerals that got dissolved in the water during its' journey. Travertine will have striations (layers) and voids (holes) and could have a billowy, cloud-like pattern. It is overall, typically harder than limestone. It can have areas of fill and is a very dense stone good for use in a wet environment. Ivory Travertine: > Limestone is a sedimentary rock formed of the exoskeletons of crustaceans, corals, plants and shells. Limestones could have fossils in it and has a more even coloring that travertine. Layers are not always as evident. You do get some really nice compact limestones (a lot of them come from France) that are very hard and could be suitable for heavy traffic areas (like Beauharnais) > Jerusalem Limestone (note the fossils) > When you mention "staining", are these ares lighter or darker? Lighter areas are etches (most personal hygiene products contain some acid and are able to etch calciferous stones) As far as the coffee and hair dye stains: You could try to poultice them out with a peroxide poultice (use beauty shop strength peroxide - not the stuff you buy in Walgreens as a disinfectant.) The best advice I could give you, though , is to get a stone restoration professional in there to have a look at it. They are specialized in cleaning and restoring stone surfaces and they will be able to deep clean and also grind out the etches to give you a brand new looking bathroom top. The resto guy will also be able to seal with a high quality sealer. Miracle's 511 Porous Plus would be a good sealer, but If it were me, I really would get a pro in there - if not for a restoration, at least just for a look-see and some first-hand advice.

Limestone would look great, if they could cut it like this. Travertine would look great as well. The edges are finished so you don't have a "raw" edge. Here is a similar limestone fireplace with the grain running horizontal. I liked this one too, with the contrast stone and the cut limestone.