If you’re the type who believes in your dream home, chances are you’ve imagined the suitable marble countertops of your dreams more than once. However, despite the strength and durability of the material, the only downside to marble is its porosity. Like a natural stone, marble quickly absorbs liquids, making it susceptible to stains and scratches, even when professionally polished and sealed.
While it may seem challenging to clean marble, it is not as difficult as it sounds. Here is our complete guide on how to remove stains from marble:
Clean and remove stains from marble using different ingredients:
There are several methods for cleaning marble. These usually include pastes known as “wraps.” While wraps are typically made with kaolin clay, casting plaster, or other hard-to-find ingredients, we’ve rounded up solutions that use items you can easily find around the house:
Baking soda poultice:
Always start the stain removal process by blotting the stain with a handkerchief or old towel to absorb as much of the substance as possible. Make a paste by mixing a small amount of baking soda with water – the consistency of the dough should be similar to sour cream or yogurt. Brush it over the stain and cover it with cling film, leaving it there for at least 24 hours. The baking soda should dry and remove most of the colors from the marble. Once dry, you can rinse it off the marble countertops?
Liquid soap and flour poultice:
Mix around a cup of unbleached flour with three tablespoons of mild liquid dish soap to paste.
Like with the baking soda mixture, the consistency of the dough should be like sour cream or heavy yogurt. Apply it in a thick layer to the stain and cover it with cling film. Leave to rest for 24 hours or until the dough has dried. Once dry, rinse the marble with warm water and a little more soap.
Alcoholic solution:
You can keep this solution in the kitchen to use in case of a spill as you go! All you have to do is pour 1/8 cup of denatured alcohol into a spray bottle, then add a few drops of mild liquid detergent. Shake the bottle before spraying the solution on the stain. Let it sit for a few seconds before cleaning it with a tissue or an old rag.
Soaking of hydrogen peroxide:
If you have a dark-colored stone countertop or tile instead of white marble, you may want to test a small area before using this method, as the peroxide can “lighten” the color a little.
Wet a cotton gauze pad with hydrogen peroxide. The gauze should be the same size as the stain and saturated with hydrogen peroxide without dripping. Place the swab over the color and cover it with plastic, holding it in place on the color. You can also place a thick plate or cup on top of the tampon to add some pressure to the area. Leave the swab on the stain for at least 24 hours, reapplying a new hydrogen peroxide swab if the stain persists.
Corn starch:
This method is excellent for cleaning grease stains from marble countertops?. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the area and let it sit for about 15 minutes. The cornstarch should lift the fat off the marble. Rinse the marble with water and, if necessary, a mild soap.
Tips for cleaning different stains:
To prevent further damage to marble surfaces, clean up spills immediately. For this, it is necessary to take into account that different types of stains require other solutions. Here are several ways to clean types of marble stains:
Oil-based stains:
Oil-based stains include anything that contains grease or oil, such as peanut butter, creams, cosmetics, and other oil-based cooking, household, or beauty products. These oil-based objects can easily penetrate the porous structure of the marble stone, and their stains are particularly stressful to feel as they darken the surface of the marble.
To clean the oil-stained marble, you will need to extract the oil from the material. To do this, make a marble cleaner using a mild liquid soap mixed with a few drops of ammonia or acetone. Apply it to the stain and check if the grease spill is removed immediately. Otherwise, use one of the poultice methods we listed above.
Organic dyes:
Body fluids like coffee, wine, tea, and other foods are pretty easy to remove. If your countertop or tile is white marble, you can use a few drops of ammonia mixed with hydrogen peroxide to remove an old food stain from the surface. If you are working with darker marble, be sure to do a spot test before applying it. Otherwise, you could damage the surface further.
Soap foam:
Shower walls, bathroom floors, vanities, and other pieces of marble that are constantly in contact with soapy water will require more frequent maintenance due to the soap scum. Soap scum builds up inside the pores of the marble, staining surfaces much faster. To remove them, use half a cup of ammonia mixed with a liter of water and clean the surface of the marble with a soft cloth.
Do this once in a while, at least once every quarter. Be careful of the amount of ammonia you use, as ammonia has been known to tarnish marble surfaces.
Rust:
If you have metal fixtures or metal furniture on marble tiles or marble countertops, the surface of the marble may be exposed to rust. Rust from bronze, copper, and brass can settle on marble, producing spots that appear greenish or muddy brown. These are not only unsightly to see but are known to be challenging to remove.
Ink and paint:
If you have children, you may suffer from ink stains or small amounts of paint on the surface of the marble. Most of the time, you can remove them without damaging the marble by using a paint thinner.
Old or more persistent stains can be removed with a marble poultice that will absorb the pigment. However, if you’ve managed to pour an entire can of paint onto the marble countertops, you’ll need to get a commercial paint stripper from your nearest hardware store.
Accumulation of soot and smoke damage:
Smoke or fire-stained marble surfaces need a thorough cleaning to return to their original clean marble look. The accumulation of soot, on the other hand, can be removed with soapy water. If the marble still has a persistent dark stain even after rinsing the area, you will need to make a poultice like the ones we have listed above and apply it in place for 24 hours.
Incision marks:
Incision marks are included by liquid acids such as fruit juice, vinegar, or harsh cleaning products. Before removing the footprints, be sure to remove the initial spill with a poultice so you can start with the clean marble.
Conclusion:
Routine maintenance is essential for the preservation of your home. Do you need a professional to clean marble tiles and marble countertops?? Regardless of what type of marble you have at home. Be sure to seal it every few months to preserve its luster. While sealants don’t make the stone impervious to stains, they make it more resistant to splashes, allowing the marble a little less maintenance.