Cleaning Cup Circle Stains Off Marble Tile Kitchen Countertops
by Sharon
QUESTION:We recently installed marble tiles on kitchen counter top. I have noticed little stains and circles where cups have been placed. Can you please help, How do I get rid of the marks??ANSWER:Cleaning marble and marble maintenance is not difficult and not much an issue except for marble kitchen countertops.Why? Marble is made of calcium carbonate, which reacts with acidic foods, drinks and other acidic and/or alkaline substances like most common household and brand-name cleaners. Acids will corrode marble upon contact damaging the surface layer leaving dull and sometimes discolored light spots. It's called etching. Etch marks are not stains. Stains happen when something is absorbed into the pores of the stone. In the case of etching nothing is absorbed. In fact, it's just the opposite... marble is removed... eaten away by the acid. The good news is that etch marks can be repaired on polished marble using SCP: Marble Polishing Paste, which is a specialized product made just for this purpose that we highly recommend. However, it is not available in Canada. If you are able to receive a shipment at a US address, then you are in business. If not, then the best I can suggest is that you contact a local stone warehouse or fabricator to see if possibly a similar product is available locally. The only other way to repair the etching and restore the shine is to hire a marble maintenance professional to re-polish the damaged areas. To prevent etching you must simply avoid contact with acids. And that is why marble is typically not recommended for kitchen countertops. It's impossible to avoid etching in the kitchen. Too many foods/drinks are acidic. Sealers help prevent staining not etching. Your contractor should have warned you about this. Of course, if you installed the tile yourself, you likely weren't aware of this issue. Good Luck, Ryan P.S. Get all the facts, answers, explanations and simple solutions with step-by-step instructions for any issue, problem or question with our Granite & Marble Maintenance Manuals. |
