How to Keep Your Marble Table Shiny

With proper maintenance, marble tables can remain shiny for years.

The exquisite hues and overall high-end appearance of marble tables add elegance to homes. Whether on dining-room or coffee tables, marble requires care to maintain its luster, as beverage and food spills are common. Failure to promptly address spills and grime permits them to accumulate, resulting in marble becoming dull. General cleaning typically keeps sealed marble tables shiny and aesthetically appealing. Unsealed marble tables, however, are more of a challenge due to unsealed marble’s porous nature.

Things You'll Need

• Terry cloths
• Distilled water
• 1 ounce neutral-pH detergent
• Pail
• Spoon
• Towels
• Marble-polishing powder

Instructions

1. Moisten a terry cloth with warm distilled water. Wipe liquid spills and loose grime off the marble table.

2. Pour 1 ounce of neutral-pH detergent into a pail, then fill the pail with 1 1/2 gallons of hot distilled water.

3. Dampen the terry cloth in the solution. Wipe the remaining stains, spills and grime off the marble.

4. Moisten another terry cloth in warm distilled water. Wipe the entire table, thoroughly rinsing the marble.

5. Buff the marble table with a towel, absorbing all moisture. Work in 1-by-1-foot sections, folding the towel after buffing each section.

6. Inspect the marble for shine. If the table contains etch marks or simply isn’t shiny enough yet, wet another terry cloth with distilled water. Wipe the etched or dull area to moisten it.

7. Coat the etched or dull marble liberally with marble-polishing powder. Using the wet cloth, rub the polishing powder into the dull marble in circular motions. Continue buffing the table until the marble shines.

8. Rinse the powdery cloth with fresh distilled water. Wipe any powdery residue off the marble table, thoroughly rinsing the table.

9. Buff the marble table with another towel, absorbing all moisture. Work in 1-by-1-foot sections, folding the towel after buffing each section.

Tips & Warnings

• Have a professional restore scratched marble tables.

References

• Marble Institute of America: Natural Stone Care and Cleaning
• Cameo Pro-Tecna-Clean: The Care and Maintenance of Fine Marble Surfaces