Honed Marble Countertop Cleaning
by Kim
QUESTION:The countertops in my kitchen are honed marble. So, first, does this mean I do or don't seal them? Second- do I use an abrasive pad on spots, the whole thing? I do have some spots- how do I get them to be less noticeable? Thanks!ANSWER:Marble is actually pretty dense and not very absorbent... but YES, you should seal honed marble... especially in the kitchen.FYI, polished marble is actually less absorbent than honed. This is true of any polished stone.... polishing reduces the rate at which a particular stone will absorb a substance and stain. Still, most stones should be sealed whether honed or polished. Some granites should not be sealed and soapstone doesn't need sealing either... But honed marble in the kitchen--seal it. I recommend using SenGuard or Stone Sentry Sealers with SenGuard providing the very best, most durable on the market. For general cleaning, Do NOT use abrasive pads on marble. Marble is dense, but soft and abrasive pads will scratch or mar the surface. Use only products safe for cleaning marble with a sponge or soft cloth. For certain types of "spots" an abrasive pad or even sand paper can be helpful to remove the spots, but you may want to hire a marble maintenance professional instead of doing it yourself. You have spots. What kind? Stain: a spot darker than the marble color indicating an absorbed substance. OR Etching: a spot lighter than the marble color, possibly duller than the surrounding finish and possibly with a slight depression in the surface indicating chemical damage as a result of contact with an acidic substance like juice, coffee, alcohol, fruit, salad dressing, etc. If you have a stain, you'll need to follow the step-by-step instructions in the Removing Stains Manual. Regular cleaning methods won't get a stain out of stone. Etch marks are a different story. Most likely you'll need professional resurfacing as noted, but light etch marks can sometimes be removed on honed marble by sanding. Etch marks are typically not as visible on honed marble as polished marble. If they are easily noticeable, it makes me think they are deep. Deep etching takes experience and skill to remove and restore the countertop surface so it all looks new again. You can use abrasive pads to wear away the etched marble, but the remaining surface could look different than the rest of the honed surface. Blending it back in is the hard part. So, the best recommendation is to get a pro to take a look, but if you want to give it a go, you'll find complete instructions in the Removing Etch Marks Manual. Marble is typically not recommended in the kitchen because you WILL get etch marks and sealing has NOTHING to do with etching. Sealing helps to retard staining only. The only way to prevent etching is to prevent contact with acids... nearly impossible in a kitchen, but using coasters, trivets and large cutting boards for all food prep will help. Hops this helps! 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.
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