Cleaning a Pumice Stone

When we’ve written about pumice stones before in the blog we’ve always said that cleaning a pumice stone is crucial to its function. It helps the stone work better and last longer, keeping it in tip-top condition and ready for your skin. But how exactly do you go about cleaning a pumice stone? And why should you bother?

Why Cleaning a Pumice Stone is Important

Cleaning a pumice stone isn’t the most glamorous personal care tip in the world but it is sure is important. Pumice stones are great for rubbing away dead, dry, and rough skin. Their effectiveness is limited if they aren’t kept in good condition!

Without regular cleaning, some of that dead skin could get trapped in the pumice stone cracks and crevices. Bacteria could form, especially if the stone is kept in a damp and warm bathroom environment. Your pumice could stop working so well, and become a breeding ground for nasties!

But only if you don’t take care of it. Which is easy to do!

Cleaning a Pumice Stone: The How-to Guide

The most important steps to cleaning a pumice stone are easy to follow and you are probably doing them anyway without even thinking about it

Step One – Give it a good rinse after use. After you’ve finished scrubbing yourself down, rinse out your pumice stone properly under fast-flowing warm water. This might take a minute as it is full of nooks and crannies. This will get rid of any trapped bits of skin, dirt, and debris that the pumice might have collected over its use. 

Debris might get stuck deep within the stone so turn the pumice around a few times under the shower and give it a good shake!

Step Two – It’s important that the pumice stone properly dries out between uses. Keeping it in a steamy, damp bathroom where it might get splashed isn’t great. When the pumice can dry out it kills off bacteria that thrive in those warm, wet conditions. It keeps the stone strong and hard, making the pumice last longer and work more efficiently. Actually, it can be good to store your stone outside of your bathroom, like in a drawer or cupboard.

Step Three – Every now and again, you can give your pumice stone a more comprehensive clean. You can use washing up liquid and give it a scrub with an old toothbrush. Alternatively, leave it to soak for a while in hot water and soap. You can mix one part bleach with ten parts water and give it a dip in the solution or place it in boiling water. Either of these methods will completely rid the stone of bacteria. Once clean, it’s just a case of drying the stone. This might take a while as the interior of the stone stays damp for a while, you can put it in the airing cupboard or use a hairdryer to speed this up. 

Cleaning a pumice stone is easy and helps you get the best out of it.

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Plume photo by Caitlin Wynne on Unsplash