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The marble countertop of your dreams (and your Pinterest board) is finally in your kitchen. But wait, there’s one more question: how do you clean marble? Keeping marble surfaces and floors clean is actually easier than you think, but like most things in life, you need to know what you’re cleaning.
Marble is an incredibly beautiful natural stone, but it’s more porous than other common countertop materials (like engineered stone, often called quartz or talc), making it susceptible to stains and corrosion (i.e., minor scratches or physical changes to the stone itself). You’ll need to clean and seal marble regularly (more on that later).
Avoid splashes with a Bianco Bello marble slab backsplash, like in this kitchen designed by Daniella Villamil Interiors.
In addition to cleaning your marble every day, you’ll need to take other precautions in case Uncle Pat knocks over his head and spills Cabernet on the floor at dinner. “Acid is the enemy of any stone, especially marble,” says Wilburson Dos Santos, director of operations for Marble Care in New York City. And what if darn Uncle Pat accidentally breaks his car keys and eats away at your marble surface? Don’t worry, it’s okay. Here’s everything you need to know about how to clean marble, restore its shine, and maintain its luster.
Are you missing the new shine of your marble countertops or floors? To restore their shine, you need to keep them clean. For daily care, the best cleaner for marble countertops and backsplashes is a mild dish soap or stone cleaner with a neutral pH, suggests Daniella Villamil of Daniella Villamil Interiors in Las Vegas. You can wipe it down with a damp cloth, rinse thoroughly, blot up any accumulated water (super-absorbent reusable paper towels like Papaya work great), then dry the surface thoroughly with a microfiber cloth using circular motions.
DosSantos agrees, noting that dish soap is gentle enough not to break down sealants but can remove cooking oils and grease. And what about pH-neutral cleaners? He says Zep Granite & Stone or any of Weiman’s stone cleaners do a great job. “For those who are environmentally conscious, Simple Green Granite & Stone is a great choice,” he adds. Once your marble countertop or other marble surface is dry, buff it with a chamois to restore its full shine.
“If the marble surface is clogged with dirt, resin, or other sticky particles, gently scrape it with a razor blade, applying light pressure,” advises DosSantos. This way, your marble floors and countertops will be clean again in no time.
For marble floors, coffee tables, and other high-touch surfaces, invest in trivets and pads. Those fancy brass trivets you inherited from your grandmother? Avoid placing them on marble countertops, as they can corrode and stain the surface. Other no-nos: steel wool, acidic cleaners, and your collection of cooking oils. If you need to display the vinegar and olive oil you brought back from your trip to Italy, place them on a decorative cutting board or small plate.
These nine cleaning products are the best ways to clean and care for marble countertops, marble furniture, marble floors, and other marble surfaces.
Don’t use vinegar or lemon juice to clean marble. “Acid is the enemy of any stone, especially marble, which is softer and more porous,” says DosSantos. “Acids react with calcium carbonate and can corrode the stone. Wine, orange juice, and coffee can corrode the stone. Avoid using abrasive products or citrus cleaners like Lysol All-Purpose Cleaner because acids can damage the seal and stain it over time.”
Acid is the enemy of marble. “Never use strong acids. Citrus (lemon juice), wine, vinegar, strong chemicals (like Windex cleaners) are all harmful to the surface,” said Juan Enciso, owner of Marble Clinic Restoration in Los Angeles. “Too much water can damage the stone and change the color.”
Also, don’t let children use marble countertops as a play area. “Also be careful with Play-Doh, as the dye in it can bleed into the marble,” Dos Santos said.
If any harmful substance is spilled on your marble surface, wipe it up as soon as possible with a non-abrasive cloth. “Removing dust is even more important for floors, as the friction from foot traffic can cause them to become dull over time,” says DosSantos. However, over time, even plain water can begin to damage clean marble.
“Any spill should be cleaned up as quickly as possible,” DosSantos said. “Don’t wipe it up, just let the cloth absorb the liquid.” If you don’t catch the spill quickly (yep, 2 a.m., red wine spilled by a confused dinner guest), there’s still hope. For most organic stains, like food, the Natural Stone Institute recommends using a solution of 12 percent hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia. If you’ve spilled an oily substance, like vinaigrette, and the stain has set on a light-colored marble countertop, clean it (gently) with a liquid cleaner containing “household detergent, mineral spirits, or acetone.” You can also try a paste made from one part 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and two parts baking soda. Apply the paste to the stain and let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe away, rinse, and dry the surface.
But whatever stain removal method you come up with, use it with caution so as not to make the situation worse, warns DosSantos. “If the stains are really there, you can make a homemade paste and apply it to the stone to remove the stains. But it’s best to test these pastes in an inconspicuous corner first, because I’ve seen them done incorrectly many times.”
If you have stains on your marble surface and you’re not confident in your ability to handle them yourself, it may be time to call in a professional. “Stain removal should generally be left to professionals who know which commercially available ointments to use and how to adjust the strength of the ointment depending on the stone and color,” says DosSantos.
DosSantos said it’s not much different than other marble surfaces. When cleaning marble floors, start with a dust mop to avoid getting coarse particles on the surface. Dust or sand thrown up from a vacuum cleaner can cause even more damage. “When people walk on marble floors, the friction of dust will cause the floor to become dull over time,” DosSantos said. After dusting, prepare a warm water solution. “Mix a gallon of water with a little dish soap to remove any remaining grease,” he adds. “If a stronger cleaning solution is needed, use a pH-neutral cleaner.”
Need to repair your engraving? To remove water stains, minor scratches, and chips, try buffing your marble with dry 0000 steel wool. Any scratch deeper than the surface will require professional help.
“Sealing your marble is the most important part of protecting it,” DosSantos said. No matter what type of marble you have in your home, it needs to be sealed regularly. Sealers don’t make the stone stain-resistant, but they can increase its resistance to stains, according to the Natural Stone Institute. Consult your marble supplier for product recommendations (and always check to make sure it’s food-safe if you’re using it in the kitchen).
Enciso says not all marble has the same sealing cycles. “The frequency of sealing depends on the maintenance conditions, where the marble is installed, and the amount of traffic in the area,” he says. In high-traffic areas like kitchens, bars, and showers, apply a sealer once a year to keep them in top condition. However, DosSantos warns that marble sealers don’t last forever. You’ll have to reseal the marble over and over again. “Sealers wear out over time due to use and regular cleaning,” he says.
How do you know if your marble needs to be resealed? “Inspect the marble surface for water rings, stains, or streaks,” DosSantos said. “As long as the marble is sealed, water is not a problem. If water leaves a ring mark, it needs to be sealed.”
DosSantos suggests a simple test to determine if a marble countertop or surface needs to be resealed. “Pour a small amount of water (about 2 inches in diameter) into several different spots on the countertop,” he says. “Leave it for 30 minutes. The water should bead up, as if it were poured onto a mirror. When the water runs clear, the marble color should remain the same, indicating it is sealed. If the water runs and the area darkens after 30 minutes, it will need to be resealed.”
If you see anything more than just water spots, such as white bloom (visible crystalline deposits on the stone, usually white or gray in color), this may mean there is moisture underneath the stone and you should seek professional help.
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