Marble Fireplace Pumpkin Stain
by Rae
QUESTION:Help we have a marble fireplace top that our Grandchildren put their pumkin on, we did not notice that the bottom of the pumkin had rotted and taken off the finish, leaving a cloudy stain, that is rough. Is there anything we can do to get the shine back and remove the cloudy stain? Our marble is black with gold streaks, do not know the mane as it came with the house.ANSWER:Based on your description you actually have corrosive damage called "etching" from the rotting pumpkin and not a stain.Marble is reactive with certain types of substances. Anything too acidic or alkaline will chemically react with the marble eating into and destroying the smooth and/or shiny marble surface until the more dull and rough raw marble is exposed. Now, most etching is mild to moderate leaving dull, lighter-colored and sometimes "cloudy" spots that are still smooth. These etch marks can be easily repaired using the ETCH REMOVER / Marble polishing paste designed just for this purpose. However, marble etching is a matter of degree. The longer the exposure to a damaging substance the deeper and more severe the etching will be. The Etch Remover product is excellent for mild to moderate etching, but severe etching that is rough to the touch typically requires more vigorous and specialized treatment that can only be done by a marble cleaning and restoration professional. Basically, at a certain point the marble surface will need to be ground down and refinished. This is not a DIY job and there aren't any DIY products that can be used to repair severe etching. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell for certain when the etching damage can only be repaired by a professional. Unless, the surface is very rough and you can feel the spot is depressed/unlevel it is often worth it to give the Etch Remover a shot since hiring a marble cleaning / restoration pro is expensive. It can sometimes fully restore somewhat severe etching, but it may take several applications. Good Luck, Ryan
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