Glass Rings on Marble Kitchen Countertop

by Terence
(RI)

QUESTION:

I had Carrara marble installed as a kitchen countertop last year. I have not kept up the sealing of the marble since the original installation. There are several circular water rings from glasses/cans place on it. I would like to remove these stains/rings and then apply a sealer to protect it afterward. What would you recommend? Thank you.

ANSWER:

The "water-spots" and "glass-rings" have nothing to do with sealing.

What you have is called "etching" and is the main reason marble is not recommended as a kitchen countertop.

Marble is sensitive to acidic substances (coffee, juice, soda, salad dressing, condiments, wine, etc.) and to harsh alkaline cleaning products, which is most of the typical household products you find at the store.

These will corrode marble upon contact eating away the shiny surface layer creating dull and/or discolored spots and rings, etc.

The only thing you can do to prevent etching is to avoid contact with acidic substances, which is essentially impossible in a kitchen.

The good news is that etching can be repaired using SCP- Marble Polishing Paste.

It's easy to use, will restore the shine and color and remove the rings.

Now, regarding sealing....

If the marble is polished, quite likely it doesn't need or in fact cannot be sealed. Marble is NOT very porous like you often read on the internet. Lots of misinformation about marble and granite in general out there.

You definitely should seal it if testing shows you should and that it can take a sealer. Testing is easy to do and will give you a definite answer on the matter. Use the "water-drop" test.

If it needs sealing, I recommend STONE SENTRY or SenGuard Sealers.

But again, sealing prevents against stains... substances absorbing into the marble and not against etching which is corrosion of the marble and not a "stain."

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.

I highly recommend Stone Care Pro Products to maintain all your marble, stone and granite countertops and floors in optimal condition. I've used other good products (Stone Tech, Miracle, MB) but found Stone Care Pro is the most reliable and effective and cheaper too!