As impeccable as a natural stone table top looks in your chic, modeled kitchen, its upkeep can be quite tricky. Marble tables, especially with its rich gradients and color patterns can get damaged pretty quickly if you are careless about cleaning it; they are also an investment which can last you years, so, of course, you need to learn the proper way to care for it.
Marble is a carbonate, and owing to its calcium carbonate composition, it is very vulnerable to staining as it reacts badly to almost any acid, even if their solution is weak. The acid usually corrodes the surface, creating visible stains on marble; and this could be anything from some split lemonade or even milk or frizzy beverages; when your marble top is consistently accumulating these stains and marks, it looks grimier and less fresh.
It’s important to not let these marks accumulate or sit for too long; you essentially need to clean your marble top every other day. Besides stains or markings, marbles can also show scratches or scrapes when you try to move something heavy on top of it, or drop something on it.
Make sure you never use a hard surface cleaner or bleach on marbles, as it doesn’t just wear down the naturally polished surface of marble but also visibly dulls the finish and color of the stone in a process known as etching; since abrasive cleaning agents are not an option, spend some time in figuring out the more convenient ways of cleaning your marble tops.
Marbles are some of the most durable stones you can invest in, and are surprisingly easy to maintain once you’ve figured out the right way to do so.
Basic cleaning
Keeping your marble clean on a daily basis is the simplest task, which you can accomplish during your coffee break or even before your nap. You may need to do some homework to actually find a stone cleaner which has been designed to deep clean marble tops without causing any damage.
A great way to budget is to use mild soap mixed with lukewarm water, which is mostly neither acidic or basic, which makes it a gentle cleanser. All you need is a gentle dish soap, a spray bottle (to mix and spray the solution), an absorbent towel. While the soapy water is a great way for daily cleaning and upkeep, you should definitely invest in a great marble top cleaner for your bi-weekly cleaning.
How to clean your marble (For stone cleaning kits)
What you'll need:
Glass or stone scrub solution
Surface cleanser
Stone sealer
Microfiber towels
Scrubbing/buffing pads
Method
- Take a soft, rectangular scrubbing pad. Pour the stone scrub solution on the top of the marble top (quantity as directed on the label), and scrub it well. Instead of random strokes try rubbing it in circular motions which are less abrasive on the surface.
- Take a microfiber towel and sweep the surface of the table top in a swift, vertical motion. You’ll see the dirt, and calcifications coming off from the surface onto the towel. You’ll also notice the scratches or minor marks have dissolved and are no longer visible.
- Spray the surface cleanser on the marble top and clean it with the towel, for a counter that’s as good as new.
Additional information:
A great marble or stone cleaning kit is the Counter Top Deep Clean and Seal Kit. This multi-tasking Deep Clean and Seal Kit features every product you need to polish, seal and rejuvenate your worn stone tops.
It is perfect for use on polished granite, marble, limestone, and onyx surfaces, and is completely safe and effective. It’s also incredibly convenient as it does not need you to buy each product separately and can actually fit within the budget of a professional polish!
The kit contains a bottle of Stone Pro Stone and Glass Scrub which scrubs away residues, stains, calcifications from damaged, overused marble or stone tops, and can ven clean out hard spots.
It also consists of a Stone Pro Crystal Clean which is a great cleanser, which you can use separately for daily, regular cleaning to take care of scrapes, streaks or even stubborn handprints. You’ll also get a Stone Pro Ultimate Pro Polished Stone Sealer to better protect your table tops from greasy, deep stains and it can also help counteract damages caused by acidic reaction, to some degree. The kit comes with a Nylon Foam Applicator, five pieces of commercial-grade 16" X 16" Microfiber Towels and one piece of 10" X 6" White Nylon Scrub Pad.
With soap water - All you'll need
Warm water
Gentle soap
Spray bottle
Dish cloth
Towel
- Mix two teaspoons of mild dish soap with warm water, preferably in a spray bottle and spray on the counter. Dampen the dish cloth and scrub the counter, but not too aggressively; repeat until the surface looks cleaner and the residue is cleaned out.
- Take a towel and buff the surface dry
Removing stains
A general cleaning may not be enough for doing away with every kind of stain, especially the ones which are stubborn and deep-seated. Identifying the nature of a stain or a blemish is very important when it comes to marble tops; in doing so you can sort the kind of chemical or solution which can counteract the stain.
It is very important to note that you should never mix the cleaning agents together, as the resultant solution can be quite caustic to your surface area or even for your skin. Here are all the kind of stains you should be vigilant about:
Grease-based stains
The most common form of household stain which you kitchen table accumulates is the oil-based or grease-based stain from your edible oils or pantry products. Most harsh oils can penetrate the surface of the marble, thus corroding it substantially. So, it’s crucial to draw out the oil from the surface of the marble.
Use a soft, damp sponge to clean the counter with lightly heated water. Clean with a dry, thick cloth. Source some powdered whiting from your nearest (hardware outlet and mix it with some hydrogen peroxide, and make a paste to use on the marble top. And wash it away.
Organic stains
Organic stains are usually food stains or the kind of stains which leave a mark very quickly and need to be dealt with immediately, like coffee, wine or ketchup. The best way to deal with it is with a solution featuring cleaning with a solution of 12% hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia.
For more stubborn stains you can introduce a mild cleanser to it, to get it off. Wipe away the stain and clean the surface dry.
Ink Stains
Ink stains are often found on marble top counters, especially if you use the table as a working area. If you stained your dark-coloured marble slab with ink you will need acetone to remove it. For light colored stones you will need a 20% and apply it with a damp sponge and rub it dry.