Marble has always been a timeless choice for flooring. There’s something about marble floors that makes a house look and feel more beautiful, luxe, elegant, and sophisticated. It elevates and enhances any room and upgrades the look and quality of the space. Marble has a wide variety of colors and it can also differ from the patterns of the veins. There are also different textures and finishes. The right marble used can really complement your home. Aside from its aesthetic appeal, marble is an incredibly durable material. It is actually resistant to any scratches and is hard to damage. It is long-lasting; which is something you should want as flooring for your home. It is beneficial for homeowners to have durable floors as it doesn’t decrease the value of the house and repairs will not be a problem you have to think of.

STAINS

Although marble is scratch resistant and is not easily shattered, it is prone to stains and etches. A marble is a natural stone and it may delicate to some substances. If you have marble floors or planning to have one installed at your house, it is important that you know how to take care of it in order to maintain it and keep it clean.

In order to avoid stains, familiarize yourself with what to look out for. Here are the type of stains that can impact marble:

  • Oil-based stains – This can be caused by cooking oil, grease, milk, butter, hand lotion, cosmetics, cream, etc. This kind of stain will appear to be light brown or yellow in color.
  • Organic stains – This is one of the most common on marble surfaces. This type of stain can be caused by coffee, tea, mustard, ketchup, etc.
  • Rust stains – This can be caused by nails, screws, flower pots, cans, and metal furniture.
  • Water stains – This type of stain is a result of water being left too long or from water buildup. The most common scenario is standing water in bathrooms.
  • Mold stains – This is usually found in bathrooms.
  • Ink stains – This stain is usually water or alcohol-based like ink from a pen, markers or highlighters. Wine can also cause ink stains.
  • Etch marks – This isn’t really a stain because it is not discoloration, it is dulling. An etch the effect of the reaction of an acid with calcium carbonate. It eats a tiny bit of the marble’s surface. Etch marks are the dull spots you may see on marbles.
  • Paint Marks – This can be due to a renovation or for whatever reason for having paint around. You have to be careful with paint around the marble. Although minor paint marks can easily be removed by lacquer thinner.

TIPS ON HOW TO CLEAN MARBLE FLOORS

For daily cleaning, you can mop the floor with soap and water for routine maintenance. Although keep in mind that before mopping it is important that you remove any dust and dirt on the floors first so that you do not damage the marble. It is best to do this with a dust mop as it is soft and it won’t be abrasive on the surface. It is also advisable that if you can, clean up, wipe or mop any spill that can stain as soon as possible. Do not let any of the substances that are listed above sit too long on marble floors as it might be harder to remove. You can clean up spills with a soft cloth or microfiber cloth or if you don’t have any, a paper towel will do. After blotting and making sure that the liquid spilled is absorbed. Use your soap and water cleaner or any mild cleaner to rinse the spot where the spill was thorough. And then wipe the area again with a dry soft cloth.

For organic food stains, which is something you might encounter more often compared to other stains, it is suggested to use a cleaning solution that consists of 12% hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia.

For oil-based stains use a liquid cleanser that contains household detergent, mineral spirits or acetone. A poultice can also be used to yield more satisfactory results.

For etching marks, rust stains, and water stains, buff your marble floor with dry #0000 steel wool. However, if the etch marks also have stains remove the stains first. A poultice is a good cleaner to remove the stains. If it doesn’t go away it’s probably really deep and you might have to call a professional for help.

For ink stains and paint stains, smaller and minor stains can be removed by a lacquer thinner but harder to remover or larger stains may be removed by using a poultice. The poultice will soak up pigments from the stain within a couple of days. If it is not removed, a commercial heavy liquid paint stripper might work but it is hard to work with as you may cause etching not used correctly. Don’t forget to thoroughly wash the area with warm water and dry the floor after using the cleaners.

MARBLE POULTICE

A poultice is used to draw out stains in order to clean marble floors. It is a liquid cleaner that has the same consistency as peanut butter.

Knowing how to make poultice will be extremely useful or helpful if you have marble floors so that you can make sure that you have clean marble floors. Here is how to make a poultice and it is really easy to do: Combine the solvent with water or baking soda. Depending on what the specific stain is, the solvent can be 6 percent hydrogen peroxide, mineral spirits, etc.

Poultice works by penetrating down into the marble and by leaving it to dry it will eventually pull the stain out of the marble. This is easily the best cleaner to use for cleaning marble.

Generally, this is how you use a marble poultice on marble floors.

  1. Wet the stained area with clean water.
  2. Spread a thin layer of the poultice on the marble floor with a wood or plastic spatula. Around 1/4-1/2 inch over the affected area.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap or tape the poultice in place
  4. Let it sit for 1 to 2 days so that it can dry out completely.
  5. When the paste is fully dry, soak a cloth in warm water with soap and use that to wipe away the paste.
  6. Rinse it with clean water and buff dry with a microfiber cloth.
  7. Repeat the process if necessary.

WHAT NOT TO USE

The first thing that you should take note of is to avoid tough cleaning solutions or harsh cleaners. Using the wrong cleaner might damage the marble even more. Being a natural stone, marble is highly sensitive to acid. So cleaners or any cleaning solution that has acidic content should not be used.

Here are more tips:

  • Do not mix ammonia with bleach because the combination creates toxic and lethal gas.
  • Do not use acetone on light marble.
  • Do not let wet marble air dry. It will only cause water spots.

Do not panic if you can’t clean marble on the first try. Re-applying and waiting will do the thing.

PREVENT STAINS

Sealing marble will prevent it from getting any stains. The seal will cover or close up the pores which will prevent liquid or stain to pass through. However, the seal will not last forever and you may have to reapply it once every few months.

Sealing marble is not a complicated process. Make sure to first clean the surface you will be putting the coat on and then you can apply the sealer. How you apply it may depend on the product you have. Some may be applied with a brush or using a spray. After applying the sealer, wait for 15 minutes. Check first if the sealer has been absorbed before applying an additional coat. If there is any excess, wipe it off and then let the marble dry for 24 hours.

To get the best marble for your home, head over to Bedrosians Tile & Stone and get discounts!