Cleaning Marble Floor Sunscreen Spot

QUESTION:

My son got sunscreen all over the marble floor. I'm finding it very difficult to clean. I tried some soap and water but it is still there. What is the best solution?

ANSWER:

A couple of things could have happened, but I'm not sure what you mean by "it's still there".

What is still there? The sunscreen? A stain? A spot? What does it look like?

The most common issue with cleaning marble is etching.

Acidic foods, drinks and substances will cause a chemical reaction with marble that corrodes the marble surface leaving a dull and often lighter-colored spot.

This can also happen when using harsh cleaners (which is nearly all typical household cleaning products).

On polished (shiny) marble you can restore dull etch spots using the Marble Polish / Etch Remover. It will bring back the color and shine.

On honed marble you'll have to follow directions in the Removing Etch Marks e-book.

The Marble Etch Remover is suitable for polished marble finish only... not for honed or tumbled, etc.

Marble stains are not that common. You may read and hear that "marble stains easy," but that is not true. Marble is actually pretty dense and does not readily absorb liquids.

However, it does etch easy leaving the above described spots, which people (even some pros) confuse with a stain.

Stains occur when something absorbs into the marble leaving a darker spot.

Cleaning marble stains cannot be done using conventional cleaning methods since the stain is below the surface.

If you do have a stain, you'll find complete step-by-step instructions for removing all types of marble stains in the Removing Granite & Marble Stains e-book.