How to Clean and Care for Marble

Introduction

Marble isn't as tough as you may think; it's a comparatively soft stone that is easily scratched and marred. Chances are you paid a lot for it, so keep it clean and take good care of it. To keep your marble looking new follow the advice in the steps below.

By: eHow Home & Garden Editor

Length: 1:40

Comments: 5

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Instructions

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Difficulty: Easy

Tips & Warnings:

Powdered cleansers will scratch or damage marble.
Even weak acids - vinegar, wine, orange juice, cola - can damage marble. Mop up spills immediately and rinse with water.

Step1

Wipe down marble surfaces with a damp rag and buff dry with a chamois for routine weekly cleaning.

Step2

Use a neutral, non abrasive cleaner (such as acetone, hydrogen peroxide or clear ammonia) for tough stains.

Step3

Apply the cleaner with a cloth and buff dry.

Step4

After cleaning, polish marble surfaces using a marble polish containing tin oxide.

Step5

Protect marble floors with a stone sealer, and use standard non abrasive floor cleaners to clean them.

Step6

Place coasters under glasses and put plastic under cosmetics on marble surfaces. Use rugs to cover marble floors.

Step7

Refer scratches of any depth to a professional.

Comments

willatin said

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on 1/11/2008 A safe marble and stone stripper can be used to remove acrylic wax or finish from an existing marble floor.

Sometimes when a marble floor has lost its shine, some home owners will use acrylic finishes to make the floor look better. This is a temporary fix since the finish is very soft and yellows with time.
If the original natural shine of a stone floor has been comprimised, it is a good idea to consult a professional stone restoration company to evaluate the situation.
Marble is a very soft stone that scratches very easy and at the same time easy for a professional to bring back the intended look.

cdoug said

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on 4/12/2008 someone put floor wax on my marble floor. How do I remove it and make it look nice again?

Anonymous said

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on 2/12/2007 Place a walk off mat at the entrance, this will remove sand and grit which scratch marble. Clean the mat regularly. Vacuum floors often to remove what the mat allowed in.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 I use Tenax liquid wax and a hand-held polisher. Apply the Tenax with a cloth, let it set for a few minutes,
then use a polisher for a finished shine.

Anonymous said

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on 2/12/2007 Waterless Hand Cleaner! That's right, I used Kresto brand on a spilled candle-wax stain, and it worked when nothing else would! Good luck!