How to Professionally Remove Stains from Marble Floors and Countertops

Professional Methods for Removing Stains from Marble Floors and Countertops    Marble is very porous, making it easy to stain and easily etched by common stain removal products. Great care and the correct marble care products should be used to remove stains without causing damage to the marble. Marble, a relative of limestone, shows wear sooner than granite, but can be restored with honing and polishing more easily. The biggest drawback to marble for countertops is that it is easily etched by acids, including soft drinks, wine and juice. Because it is porous, it readily absorbs oils and other liquids and is easily stained. So, putting marble in a kitchen or heavily used bathroom is not a good idea. Best use of marble is for powder baths, table tops, tub surrounds, a marble shower, floor tile and stone fireplace surrounds. Granite and Engineered Quartz are better choices for kitchen countertops since they do not stain easily, are hard to scratch and are unaffected by most acids. Composed of Calcite and Calcium Carbonate, marble should be sealed with a penetrating sealer such as BulletProof™ or Impregnator Pro to prevent staining and reduce soiling. Marble should only be cleaned with neutral pH detergents such as Revitalizer™ or All Purpose Stone & Tile Cleaner which are designed for use on marble. Because it is soft, marble should never be cleaned at pressures above 800 PSI and then only if the grout is in good condition. NOTE: Marble and all other stone surfaces should only be sealed by impregnating sealers, not by coatings such as wax. DO’s and DON’Ts for Marble: DO clean up spills immediately to minimize damage to your stone. DO use trivets or mats under hot dishes and cookware. DO use place mats under china, ceramics, silver and other objects that can scratch the stone’s surface. DO use coasters under glasses, especially if they contain alcohol or citrus juices. DO clean surfaces regularly with StoneTech Professional Revitalizer™ Cleaner & Protector. DO use StoneTech™ Professional BulletProof™ Sealer to protect the stone. DO use a tray for toiletry products in the bathroom to protect the surface from the damaging chemicals contained in many toiletry products. DO dust mop marble floor tile regularly. DO use door mats inside and out along with runners and area rugs on marble floors. DON’T wait to clean up spills on stone. DON’T use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners or tub cleaners. DON’T use vinegar, bleach, ammonia or other general-purpose cleaners. DON’T use abrasive cleaners such as dry cleansers or soft cleansers. DON’T use alkaline cleaners not specifically formulated for stone. DON’T use scouring powders and abrasives because they will scratch the surface. DON’T Place toiletry products directly on the countertop surface. Care & Maintenance of Marble Countertops and Floors: Marble is porous, and easily stained and is etched by acids. Avoid setting beverage glasses directly on marble as they leave rings. Fruit juice, carbonated beverages or other acids will etch (remove shiny surface) if allowed to remain on marble. Wipe up acid spill immediately, and wipe surface with wet cloth. If surfaced is etched, polishing may be required. The best way to prevent stains is to treat the surface with a protective fluorochemical impregnating sealer. The sealer fills in the pores and repels spills on the surface, allowing you time to completely wipe it away. Dust mop interior marble floors frequently using a clean non-treated dry dust mop. Sand, dirt and grit do the most damage to natural stone surfaces due to their abrasiveness. Mats or area rugs inside and outside an entrance will help to minimize the sand, dirt and grit that will scratch the stone floor. Be sure that the underside of the mat or rug is a non-slip surface. Normally, it will take a person about eight steps on a floor surface to remove sand or dirt from the bottom of their shoes. Do not use vacuum cleaners that are worn. The metal or plastic attachments or the wheels may scratch the surface. We recommend that you use care and maintenance products from StoneTech Professional that are specially formulated to protect and enhance the beauty of stone surfaces. Once the stone is sealed, clean up is usually easy. We recommend that you use StoneTech Professional Revitalizer Cleaner & Protector. Revitalizer cleans with a gentle, pH-neutral formula that removes soils while reinforcing the original protective seal to help prevent future staining. How to Remove Organic Stains from Stone Countertops: Stains from coffee, tea, wine, foods and other organic substances are pink to brown in color and relatively easy to remove. Mix a few drops of ammonia with 12% hydrogen peroxide to spot clean the stained area. However, be careful when using this method on darker stones as the hydrogen peroxide can lighten the color of the marble. NOTE: The ammonia neutralizes the acid normally put in peroxide to stabilize it. Without the ammonia, the peroxide will etch the marble. You can also use the Stain Magic® 2-Part System Magic, just as with carpet, to remove organic stains from marble and other stone surfaces. How to Remove Soap Scum from Marble Surfaces Shower walls, bathroom floors and vanities, and other marble pieces that come in contact with soapy water need periodical cleaning to remove soap scum. AVOID the temptation to use an acid-based product to remove soap scum from marble. We often get calls where a consumer, a maid or a cleaning service has used vinegar or CLR® Lime Remover to clean a marble or limestone shower - resulting in severe etching! Instead, use All Purpose Stone & Tile Cleaner or Revitalizer or, in extreme cases, Klenz-All. ALSO, DO NOT use an abrasive cleaner to remove soap scum. Etches and Scratches If the marble has been etched by an acid or has been severely scratched, it will need to be honed and polished to remove the scratch and restore the shine. How to Remove Ink Stains and Paint Stains from Marble Surfaces You can use Saf-T-Solv™ Dry Volatile Spotter, acetone, isopropyl alcohol or mineral spirits to get ink stains and small amounts of paint out of marble. More persistent ink stains and larger paint stains can be removed with the help of a marble poultice such as StoneTech™ Oil Stain Remover that will soak up the pigments from the stain within a couple of days (see below under oil-based stains). Oil-Based Stains Oil stains tend to darken the stone’s surface and be very hard to remove, since oils don’t evaporate easily. An oil-based stain might be caused by grease, cooking oil, milk, peanut butter, creams, cosmetics and so on. These stains tend to darken the stone’s surface and be very hard to remove, since oils don’t evaporate easily. And the only way to remove it is by drawing out the oil from the stone with a poultice. StoneTech Oil Stain Remover is a superior, citrus solvent-based poultice especially formulated for safely removing stubborn oil-based stains from grout and natural stone such as marble, granite, concrete and limestone discoloring the surface or leaving any residue behind. Features and Benefits of of Oil Stain Remover for Stone: Easy to use. Acts as a poultice to draw oil out of stone, terrazzo and concrete. Leaves no residue. Will not discolor natural stone. Is VOC Compliant. Is safe on food contact surfaces. Has a natural Citrus Solvent - not the pungent odor of most oil stain removers. Removes deep, stubborn grease and oil stains from stone surfaces and grout. Properties & Specifications: Use Concentration: Undiluted. Storage: Protect product from freezing. Keep container closed when not in use. Coverage: Approximately 2 square feet of surface at 1/4-inch thickness per pint. How to Use Oil Stain Remover to Remove Oil Stains from Stone Surfaces and Grout: Test in a small area to determine that the desired results will be achieved. Make sure surface is clean, dry and free of waxes and coatings. Clean up dust and loose dirt and debris. Using a plastic or wood spatula, stir thoroughly to mix the paste. Apply a 1/8-1/4 inch thick layer of paste to the stain. Ensure that the putty extends 1 inch beyond the edge of the stain. Do not cover with plastic. Allow 48 to 72 hours for paste to completely dry to a powder. Sweep up remaining powder and discard. Allow solvent to completely dry from the stone. If, after complete drying, the stain is not completely gone, repeat the process. After the stain has been removed and the area is completely dry, reseal the area using StoneTech Impregnator Pro™, Bullet Proof™, Heavy Duty Exterior Heavy-Duty Stone & Masonry Sealer or Bane-Clene Sta-Clene® Clean up residue and tools with mineral spirits. Related Stone Care Articles and Information: Concrete Kitchen Countertop - Maintenance and Sealing Granite Hands-on Stone Class Marble Quartz and Quartzite StoneTech™ Related Stone Care Videos: How to Clean and Protect Natural Stone with Revitalizer How to Clean Natural Stone, Marble, Granite, etc. How to Polish Marble & Granite Countertops with Stone Polish How to Protect and Seal Granite, Marble, Other Natural Stone with ImpregnatorPro™ How to Protect and Seal Marble and Granite with BulletProof™ Sealer How to Protect and Seal Natural Stone like Marble, Limestone, Granite, Travertine Stone, Ceramic and Porcelain Tile & Grout Care Products (Links Open to the Bane-Clene Store in Separate Tabs or Windows): All Purpose Stone & Tile Cleaner BulletProof™ Water-Based Fluorochemical Sealer Impregnator Pro™ Solvent-Based Fluorochemical Sealer Klenz-All™ Marble & Granite Polish Spray Oil Stain Remover Pro-Solve Liquid Solvent Spotter Revitalizer™ Stone Cleaner and Seal Refresher Saf-T-Solv™ Dry Volatile Spotter Sta-Clene® Solvent-Based Fluorochemical Sealer Stain Magic® 2-Part System for Organic Carpet Stains Stone Care Guide Mailer and Stone Care Guide Large Brochure Stone Sealer Lower-Cost Water-Based Fluorochemical Sealer Stone, Tile & Grout - Cleaning, Restoration & Protection Set of Two Training “How-To” DVD’s Free Bane-Clene Information Package Free packet of information about Bane-Clene can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-800-428-9512 (U.S. ONLY!). Your information packet will include a full color catalog and price addendum. Packets will arrive in approximately 2 weeks through standard United States Mail. You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form. “A to Z” Alphabetical Index to the Bane-Clene Web Site Bane-Clene Home Page Copyright: Bane-Clene® Corp. Author: Donald W. Terry, Sr. - Bane-Clene’s Chemist Date Modified: September 30, 2020 Date Originally Published: September 30, 2020