We offer a free, downloadable Care Guide and can recommend stone-safe care products to help you keep your home or business looking great. There are two important steps to take when dealing with marble in your home: prevention and maintenance. Remove everything off of the top of the counter-top including all appliances, spices, and everything else. A baking soda poultice is a general solution for many stains. A strong, yet sensitive stone that can be susceptible to wear and tear over time. Some marbles also do not need sealing or would react poorly with them, damaging the stone even more. In reality, a sealant simply slows down the natural absorption rate of liquid in the stone. Marble, specifically, is very porous on a micro level, which means it absorbs liquids quite easily and can be damaged by spilling acidic substances on it. Recommended Products For Cleaning Granite Countertops, Marble, Travertine, Limestone, Slate & All Natural Stone Protecting and cleaning granite countertops, cleaning marble, travertine and all natural stone is a breeze when using products engineered for optimum performance on these surfaces versus a common household cleaner that can damage stone or degrade marble and granite sealers. Will the sealant change or alter the color or aesthetics of the marble? It is also important to know the difference between Topical Sealers and Impregnators. Marble is tolerant of hot pot and pans, but you should always protect it with a trivet. Although marble is a beautiful and durable stone surface for countertops, it takes extra care for cleaning and maintenance. The Italians would say about a stunning block of Carrara marble, “Il marmo canta,” the Marble sings. My approach to cleaning my marble countertops was pretty simple as I used the following products for daily use. Siliceous stone is predominantly made up of silica or quartz-ish particles. Calcareous stones are predominantly comprised of the mineral calcium carbonate. As a result of its chemical make up, Siliceous stone is strong, durable and quite easy to treat with mildly acidic cleaning solutions. Cleaning Granite Countertops Like Marble, the best cleaner for granite is warm, soapy water and a sponge (1-to-3 drops of dishwashing detergent is fine). How to Clean Marble Countertops With Baking Soda, How to Make Your Own Aromatic Vinegar Spray for All-Purpose Cleaning, How to Clean and Care for Quartz Countertops, Cleaning Tips for 6 Types of Stone Countertops, Cleaning and Caring for Slate Countertops, Everything You Wanted to Know About Marble Tile Flooring, 5 Surfaces That Can't Be Cleaned With Vinegar, Cleaning Solutions to Use Around Your Home. Placing them directly on the countertop could damage the marble. Over time, the marble erodes away due to the cleaners and is no longer smooth. They might say they love the way it looks and how pretty it makes the kitchen, but on the flip side, they might relay their annoyance with its durability and how easily the surfaces gets dirty. For those of you who want to save money and do it on your own, it is fairly easy to do and the small cost and time drain are worth the long-term benefits to the health and quality of the stone. As mentioned, some really don’t mind marble aging, others will give your horror stories that push the message that it is not worth the cost or the hassle. As mentioned, some really don’t mind marble aging, others will give your horror stories that push the message that it is not worth the cost or the hassle. You will generally need to re-seal your marble about once every few months. The marble restoration experts! Heats absorbing pads or trivets are recommended for hot dishes. Vinegar, citrus, and tomato will etch marble; don't let them sit on the stone. Use cornstarch to remove grease stains. To make it, mix baking soda with a little water, spread it on the stain, and cover it. Wipe the counter down with soapy water, then rinse with clean, warm water. Call one of the Stone Care Experts today at 1-800-475-STONE (7866), and use our Store Locator to find a store near you that carries Granite Gold® brand products. One of the more underrated aspects of marble is its texture and feel, cold to the touch, whether polished or honed, and how austere it is in its age. Work on cutting boards. They are formulated from natural wax, acrylic, and other plastic compounds. It would prudent to select a high quality sealant, they last longer and are less likely to react bizarrely with your countertops. Sealing your countertops falls into the preventative side of protecting the marble’s long-term aesthetic. Marble care The vast majority of drinks we consume are acidic in nature, juice, soda, and alcohol; all of these can harm marble or cause it to etch. Impregnators are water- or solvent-based solutions that penetrate below the surface and become repellents. Again, it’s a little bit of money and time in the short run that will pay off big time in the long run. One spill from these acidic substances can damage the marble, leaving an enduring scar. Marble cleaning, protection, and maintenance are unique requiring particular care.Many fuss and fume over their marble countertops and floor tile wondering what the heck happened and why. Before you do seal marble surfaces, be sure to consider these various factors and more to determine which sealant to use. Will the sealant change or alter the color or aesthetics of the marble? Marble that has become dull and damaged will need professional services to restore its elegant luster and keep it looking its best. The video has all the details, but for a quick review, here are my 5 tips: Seal your marble ( here is the sealer we used !) Consistent use of cleaning solutions will dull the marble’s luster so it is wise to use hot water when cleaning regularly and be sure to buff dry with a soft cotton cloth or chamois. If you do not know how to find the answers, speak to professionals or hire them to do it on your behalf. For those of you who want to save money and do it on your own, it is fairly easy to do and the small cost and time drain are worth the long-term benefits to the health and quality of the stone. It’s a natural stone, which means that it can easily absorb drips, … OMG! Avoid using abrasive cleaners such as alkaline cleaners, acidic cleaners (lemon juice, vinegar), ammonia or bleach. As you can tell from above, sealing your granite countertops is a very important part of granite care. From Michelangelo’s Carrera Marble David, to Bernini’s massive marble colonnade at St Peter’s Square, marble has been venerated and cherished because of its brilliance, beauty and malleability. Place silverware and other kitchen items on placemats to also avoid scraping. Darker colored marble will need to be re-sealed less often than white marbles, which wear their scars far more visibly. The damage occurred in the reaction between acid and calcium carbonate is known as etching. Lemon juice and vinegar are commonly used household cleaners, but they should never be used on marble. Seal the countertops regularly, as recommended by the manufacturer. Calcareous stones are predominantly comprised of the mineral calcium carbonate. In order to treat and upkeep marble, and in order to choose the right cleaning products and utensils, it is important to fully understand what Marble is and why it reacts to substances the way it does. Clean with a heavy duty sponge ( like these ), mild dish soap ( my favorite dish soap ), and … How many times you may need to reapply sealant depends on several things: the porousness of the stone, the quality of the application and the quality of the sealant. If you treat your marble with the respect it needs and deserves, you can extend the life and quality of your countertops for years. For this reason, it’s best to use a mild, neutral pH detergent or stone soap when cleaning your marble countertops. Contingent upon these factors, the effectiveness of the sealant could last anywhere from a few months to a couple of years. If you do not know how to find the answers, speak to professionals or hire them to do it on your behalf. A sealant can prevent spills and stains from digging deep into the stone and give you more opportunity to clean up any spill. Marble Countertop Sealing The first step, whether the marble is honed or polished, is to apply a high-grade sealant that will penetrate the marble and sit just below the surface, says Garry Phillips, whose Sydney company, Slique, restores and refinishes stone and tiles. In the long run the price you will play on maintenance, repairs or restoration is not worth the couple of dollars saved. We are looking at some photos of a master bath that we love. For millennia, craftsmen, builders and artisans have viewed marble as the consummate building medium. Polishing marble also helps remove the roughness on the surface of the stone. While no one denies the stunning beauty of gleaming marble countertops, what many bemoan is its fickle nature and how readily it shows wear and tear: blemishes, discolorations, blots, soils, and spots. A single use of these acidic substances will eat into a marble countertop’s surface and dull the stone. Stay away from harsh cleansers. Examples of Calcareous stone being, limestone, onyx, travertine and of course, marble. Five hundred years later and not all that much has changed with the way humans regard marble, be they architects, interior designers or consumers. Have the appropriate cleaning products available and think of moving all of your vinegar to a locked cabinet. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. Depending on use, these coatings should be reapplied every year or two. 2. You will want to apply a penetrating sealant. Carrara Marble comes in various grades, where the higher the grade, the more white the stone. Rather, simply take these things into consideration, know what you are getting in for, prepare for it and take preventative measures. It's not all bad, but when it comes to making an investment, we're all about transparency (ha, rock jokes). A quality sealer won’t change the look of the marble. They have years of experience working with this delicate stone and if you are already investing in the marble, it could be cheaper, in the long run, to make sure it is done the right way. They protect marble from scratching and marring and prevent any acidic juices from the food that could lead to etching. Just as it was a prized material in ancient times, a marble kitchen countertop makes an aesthetically pleasing and highly functional addition to any home. Impregnators keep contaminants out, but do not stop the interior moisture from escaping. Before we begin, if you are sealing marble for the first time, multiple coats may be required in order to successfully seal the pores. Do not stand or sit on marble countertops, they are not flexible and generally do not have plywood backing beneath. These products are considered “breathable,” meaning they have vapor transmission.”. If you're going into a kitchen reno, though, you should know that marble's pretty exterior is hiding a few dirty secrets. They protect marble from scratching and marring and prevent any acidic juices from the food that could lead to etching. Because of marble’s reaction to acidic compounds, use mild or neutral pH detergent or stone soap when cleaning the countertops. Like all marble, Carrara is soft and porous and requires care to help maintain its surface texture and beauty. Sarah Aguirre has 20+ years of experience in the cleaning industry. Be sure to reseal when water fails to bead up when it splashes on the surface. If you’re planning on getting new countertops in a remodel or new build, be sure to check out our FREE Countertop Cost Calculator to get an … Especially avoid cleaning products that include vinegar, bleach, ammonia, lemon juice, orange, or other citrus foods. Repeat if needed. Calcareous stones are sensitive to acidic solutions and require different treatments than Siliceous. At Royal Care Services, we know what it takes to make your marble surfaces look sensational. The longer you wait, the deeper the solution can sink in. If you are considering having marble installed in a new house or in a kitchen remodel, you will likely ask friends their advice on whether or not you should. There are two important steps to take when dealing with marble in your home: prevention and maintenance. When you use a marble countertop for food preparation, you will need to wipe up any spills immediately. Common acidic items you might find in the house being things such as, wine, lemon juice, tomato juice, sodas or milk. If you do not let these problems catch you off guard, if you nip stains or blemishes in the bud, you can have beautiful marble and keep it immaculate without breaking the bank. 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