Cleaning Marble Mouthwash Stain
by Tim
QUESTION:Apparently our mouthwash container had a leak and now there is an oval stain on our bath vanity. The mouthwash is blue but the stain is not, it just darkened the marble. Thank You.ANSWER:If it's darker, then it's a stain. The marble absorbed the mouthwash. You'll need to make and apply a poultice... possibly several times, but you should be able to remove it. More than likely, the acidic mouthwash has also etched or corroded the surface destroying the polish, so you'll have to re-polish the surface after removing the stain.Make A Poultice The ingredients and tools for making a poultice are simple and you probably have most already, but I've also made them available on our products page for easy acquisition. 1. Buy 12% Hydrogen Peroxide (the 3% drug store kind is too weak) and some talc powder. 2. Mix the powder and hydrogen peroxide into a paste like peanut butter. This is your "poultice." 3. Apply the poultice to the stain 1/2 thick with a 1/2 border. 4. Cover the poultice with plastic wrap, seal the edges with masking tape and let it sit 48 hours. 5. Remove the plastic wrap, but don't touch the poultice. Let it dry another day until it is hard. The hydrogen peroxide breaks down the stain and as the powder dries out it sucks it all up. 6. Scrap off the poultice with plastic or wood spatula and clean with hot water or a marble cleaning spray. 7. Repeat above steps (if necessary) until stain is gone. Re-polishing The Etch Mark Buy an ETCH REMOVER / Marble Polishing Paste suitable for removing etch marks. If you don't get satisfactory results from this procedure, then the damage is severe and will require professional help, but I think you'll be able to get the job done yourself on this one. Good Luck, Ryan |
