Marble
is a beautiful but vulnerable natural stone surface. It is a soft stone susceptible to stains and damage. It is a beautiful investment that you should protect by carefully choosing your cleaning products and methods to make sure you do not cause any damage.
Cleaning Soiled Marble
You Will Need:
- Soft cloth or sponge
- Warm water
- Chamois
- Natural stone or marble cleaner (optional)
- Non-acidic, non-abrasive cleaner (clear ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, or acetone)
- Marble polish
The Cleaning Process:
- Wet your sponge or cloth with the warm water and wipe the soapstone surface thoroughly.
- Rinse out your sponge or cloth with plain hot water and wipe away any sudsy residue from the soapstone surface. If you have streaks and a dull finish, it may be because there is still soap residue on the surface. Rinse the sponge or cloth again with hot water and wring it out thoroughly to remove most of the excess water. Wipe over the surface again to remove any residue.
- Wipe the surface dry with a chamois; do not allow to air dry.
- Periodically clean your granite surfaces with a natural stone or neutral, nonabrasive cleaner to remove dirt and stains.
- Rinse with plain water using a sponge or soft cloth.
- Wipe the surface dry with a chamois; do not allow to air dry.
- Apply a marble polish to the surface, following the manufacturer’s instructions, to restore shine and brilliance.
Removing Stains From Marble
Marble is a very porous stone, so time is of the essence when it comes to removing stains. Immediately blot all spills, avoid rubbing as it may cause spreading of the stain. The longer a stain sits, the more likely it is to soak in and will be nearly impossible to remove. Here is one removal technique that will work for several common stains.
You Will Need:
- Powdered whiting (available at paint and home improvement stores)
- Hydrogen peroxide or other stain-removing chemical
- Water
- Plastic wrap
- Tape
- Small bowl
- Clean cloths or sponge
- Microfiber cloth
The Removal Process:
- A poultice is a product that will absorb the stain out of the granite, but it will take time.
- Begin by mixing the poultice according to manufacturer’s instructions in the small bowl. You will want to create a thick paste. It should be the consistency of peanut butter.
- Apply to the stained area, keeping it only on the stain. The layer of paste should be about one fourth of an inch thick and overlap the stain about a half an inch.
- Cover the area with plastic wrap and tape the edges down.
- Allow this to set on the stain until it’s dry. This can take up to two days.
- When the paste is completely dry, use a cloth or sponge to wipe away the paste.
- Rinse with clean water.
- Clean the area as normal and allow it to dry.
- If the stain remains, you may need to repeat steps 2-6 several times, each time removing more of the stain.
Additional Tips and Advice:
- For marble floors, it’s best to protect them with a stone sealer.
- Use coasters under all glasses to prevent stains on your marble surfaces.
- Use a glass or plastic tray to hold cosmetics on marble vanity surfaces. Make sure they have felt pieces underneath to keep from scratching the marble.
- Avoid letting citrus or alcohol products sit on the marble surface as it can etch and dull it.
- Keep hot items off of marble; always use a trivet or hot pad for protection.
- Applying a clear wax will help to protect marble. Avoid waxing white marble as it may cause it to yellow.
- If you have marble flooring, it’s best to clean it with a neutral floor cleaner or have a trained professional clean it. For daily maintenance, sweeping and dusting is usually sufficient.
I have a marble top end table, which is at least 100 years old. I had a flowerpot on a wooden circle on the table and it left an imprint. How do I remove this stain and also, how may I remove scratches? Thank you.
My home has black marble around gas log fireplace. It appears that someone in the past got extremely cold and and had the gas turned way up. This has lightened the color of the Black marble. There is quite a difference between sides and top marble. Any suggestions to get them back to the nice dark black color?
My daughter spilled poster paint on my marble table and to clean it, I used a cream cleaner that has left half of it looking dull. How can I restore it?
I live in a Georgian house and have been renovating for a few years. There are two beautiful white marble fireplaces, but they are badly stained. It seems like a nicotine color through burning coal and logs over the years, but I broke a small piece and it is brilliant white inside. What will clean and restore the marble? I appreciate your help.
I am the front office in charge in a 2 star hotel. So, I need an article that is about how I remove tobacco nicotine, eg. Rajnigandha cigarettes, stain from a wash basin.
Thanks,
Rohit
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I have large gray discolorations that were caused by a baking soda/water poultice. They were spread out from the very spots where I put the poultice. (Maybe I did it wrong.) How do I fix these?
Alfonse,
It sounds like you made a reverse poultice – whereas you were trying to pull the stain out of the marble into the poultice, instead, the marble pulled the water out of the poultice creating a water stain. Try doing the poultice again, but this time use one of the solvents rather than water. Also, be sure the poultice isn’t runny; you want it to be about the consistency of toothpaste or peanut butter. Good luck!
We did wood polish for doors and it spit on the entire marble surface with effect; it became rough. We did floor polishing seven years back that is a glass polish. Please guide me to remove these stains from my marble flooring.
My black/grey marble table top has simple water glass stains. They probably aren’t even noticeable to guests, but I’d like to remove them. Thanks.
Bruce,
This is the article that you need: How to Remove Stains from Cultured Marble. The first section of that article is on removing water stains/deposits. Good luck!
Hello – a watermelon went bad and was left on our white marble countertop while we were out of town for 2 days. The juices leaked and the smell was very rotten. I was able to get the stain made by the juices out, but the marble absorbed the smell. Any suggestions on how to remove the stench? Thank you!!
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A caregiver left VERY soiled washcloths in the corner of the floor of my new Carrera marble shower when showering my partner who had a stroke. Not until several days later did I detect an odor and found them!! By that time the mess had dried, leaving a brown stain and awful smell. What can be done to remove the odor????
Betty,
Try using some of the odor-removing techniques in the article How to Remove Rotten Food Odors from House. Activated charcoal is said to work particularly well on organic odors, but any of those odor-removers should do the trick. If you choose to use baking soda, get the Arm & Hammer version; the generic brands don’t usually work as well on odors.
We had a marble countertop in our garage. The garage caught fire and there was heavy smoke damage to everything. Can I clean the countertop or will it always have a smoke smell? Thank you, Kathleen
Kathleen,
It’s impossible to say for sure either way. You can certainly give cleaning a shot and hope for the best though. Using a neutral pH dish liquid might work best in this situation to clean the stone, then there are several ideas for tackling odor in the article How to Clean Smoke Damage. Good luck!
Spilled a bottle of Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner on polished marble floor. How can I restore this floor to its original condition? Thank you.
My white candle melted on my marble fireplace over Christmas. I was able to get the candle grease off, but it left a dark-colored mark on the mantelpiece. Any help please?
Maura,
This is the article that you need: How to Remove Wax from Marble.
My kids carved pumpkins and set them on my marble table. In three days, the pumpkins were filled with black mold. The mold was absorbed into the while marble. I tried cleaning it with peroxide, but it did not work. The marble is stained and dulled where the pumpkins were. How can I clean this and restore it? The marble table has been in my family for over 50 years.
Hi,
Accidentally, I placed a hot vessel on the black marble kitchen slab and it resulted in a stain, so could you please advise me on how to wipe it off?
Regards,
Prathap
Prathap,
The methods in the Everyday Stains section of the article, How to Remove Stains from Cultured Marble, may help.
I have cigarette burns on my marble counter tops in the bathroom. Please give me advice on removing them.
Isabel,
You can try the stain removal technique of a peroxide and whiting poultice. You could also try a remedy recommended by SF Gate; pour peroxide on the stain, then add a couple drops of ammonia and wait for the mixture to stop bubbling to wipe the area. If those methods don’t work, use the method for solid surface counters in this article: How to Remove Burn Marks from Countertops.
Source: SF Gate – How to Remove Cigarette Burns from Marble Sinks
I have wood stains (from furniture legs) on my marble floor. How to remove?
Thanks!
Hi marble sufferers. Stains can be removed from marble with high strength hydrogen peroxide as Al says (feb 28th 2014), but it is a drastic solution. The peroxide damages the surface of the marble and makes it more prone to future staining. There is a proprietary poultice available that takes much longer, but is more effective as it draws the stains out of the marble rather than bleaching only the surface. Also, it does not damage the marble. It is mixed to a thick paste with ordinary household bleach and left on the marble uncovered til it dries up and can be brushed away. Depending on the stain, it takes several applications to succeed. By the way, I am a professional marble fireplace restorer.
Had a large brown stain on white marble. The peroxide (H2O2) works great at higher strengths. I used 27% H2O2 that is sold as water clarifier at pool supply stores. Tried baking soda, 3% peroxide (stuff you get at the pharmacy), and Oxy-clean, all of which did not work. Wear gloves and eye protection as 27% H2O2, will give you chemical burns immediately on contact. Soaked pure white paper napkins in H2O2, placed them on the stained area and covered with plastic wrap and taped edges with blue masking tape and left it on the stain for 2 days.
Due to the acid used for cleaning marble, the marble is getting white. So, please give me solution.
Abhijit,
This article might help: How to Remove Acid Stains from Marble.
I have pure white marble flooring. White color is changing into a shade of black towards the corners/walls. What should I do to remove these strains? Please help.
I have a marble floor and where there have been spills of drinks, etc., there have been dull marks left behind and I can’t get them out. Can you help me please?
I dropped my glass with vitamins in it on my marble floor. I’ve tried marble cleaner, but it won’t go away. Please help me.
Due to excess iron (Fe) in the water, the color of my floor is changing from white to radish. Please give the solution.
How do I clean a yellow spot from white marble flooring? The spot is from the toilet; the toilets are not cleaned very often. Please suggest a product that is available in Deoria, UP.
I dropped some O-Cedar polish on my antique marble table and I can not remove the stain. Can you help?
How do I remove acid stains from marble flooring?
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I have a marble end table and coffee table that my cat loves to lay on. The oils from his coat have now made a hazy coat on the tables. How do I get them back to being shiny and beautiful?
Kim,
Pure acetone is recommended for removing oil stains from granite, as well as for cleaning marble. Make an acetone poultice with talcum powder, baking soda or any other absorbent powder, such as cornstarch or flour. The acetone will break down the oil and the powder will soak up the oil particles. Cover the table top completely with a layer of the paste, wrap the table with plastic wrap and allow the paste to soak for 24 hours. Remove the plastic wrap, allow the paste to dry and use a plastic spatula or scraper to remove the dried paste.
Source: howtocleanstuff.net – How to Remove Stains from Granite Countertops
I have some old, old tables with marble counter tops, they are in great condition but just have a dull, flat look to them. What must I do to enhance their look?
Thank you,
C.
Let me know who has cleaned stains from marble tables! Also, can a chip be repaired?
Have a word with a china restorer as there are ways of disguising cracks and fixing chips in marble and other natural surfaces using their skills.
I have a brown stain on the marble around the area where the soap dispenser is. What can I do how do to remove it, or who can I hire to clean this?
I had ornamental candles on my fireplace which were a dark red color, and although they where never lit, they have left an awful red stain. Please help.
I accidentally tried CLR on my marbles in the bathroom walls. They have a stain which is not going and I am feeling terrible. Please HELP.
I have the same problem. Did you find a solution????
Chris and Mamta,
CLR is an acidic cleaner. Use the guide How to Remove Acid Stains from Marble. Good luck!
Source: Wikipedia – Calcium Lime Rust
A lemon leaked onto my marble fireplace molding and stained the marble. How can I remove this citrus stain from my green marble?
I accidentally dropped a few drops of perfume for cars on my marble table in order to make a nice smell for the flower on that table.
The drop cannot be removed. Please help to guide me. How to clean the marble table?
Thank you.