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Photo: Polygon Homes / Flickr

Marble is made up of limestone that has re-crystallised due to pressure and heat. It has a slightly translucent surface that reflects light and is not easily damaged because it is such a durable material. As durable as it is, though, it is not immune to stains or absorbing dirt if it is not treated with care. Every marble restoration job should begin with a thorough cleaning session. Read on for some cleaning tips as well as how to deal with stains.

How to clean stained marble

To clean a marble surface you will need a good supply of hot water, some non-abrasive detergent, a scrubbing brush or pad and a soft rag.

Flood the marble surface with hot water. Once it is well rinsed, mix some non-abrasive detergent with some hot water then scrub the marble with a nylon scrubbing pad or a soft fibre brush. Use hot water to rinse the marble once you have scrubbed it down.

To dry, wipe the surface with a soft, clean rag. If you’re still not happy with the outcome, repeat the cleaning process. Otherwise, read on for some tips on how to deal with stains that have been caused by rusty metal items or various liquids.

How to treat organically stained marble

Organic stains that come from such liquids as tea, coffee and ink will hopefully be removed with a bleach solution. To prepare a bleach solution, you will need some whiting, some hydrogen peroxide and some ammonia.

Mix the whiting with some of the peroxide so as to form a paste of a thick consistency. Add a few drops of ammonia to the paste and mix again. Lay the paste over the stain and then cover the area with a bowl so as to retain the moisture. Leave the mixture on the stain overnight and then wash it off with water.

Repeat the process several times if necessary. To remove rust stains, visit your local hardware store to find a commercial rust-removing treatment for marble.

Post-stain removal treatment

Once you have removed the stains from the marble, it should be washed again. Use hot, sudsy water so that all traces of the cleaning products are removed. You may find that the surface is rough even though it is clear of stains. In order to treat this, simply sand it away with fine wet and dry sandpaper. Before you begin sanding the marble surface with the sandpaper, flood it with hot water again.

In order to get the gleam back into the surface, use tin oxide powder. You may have to ask your local pharmacist to order some for you. Wet the marble again, once you have some oxide powder at hand. Place some of the oxide powder on a soft cloth or pod and then polish the marble surface with vigour.

Keep the surface wet while you work. Dry once it’s shiny and then wax the surface with a clear wax paste.

Tags: cleaning