Marble Nightstand Water Ring

by Cindy
(Clarksville, IN)

QUESTION:

My husband has set a a glass of water on the nightstand a couple of times and left a permanent water ring. I tried to remove it by buffing it with a soft cloth, but it seems like it is permanent. I don't know if the furniture company sealed the marble or not. Also there are tiny scratches, although I always use a coaster with a cork bottom for my glass. I do not know the name of the marble, but it is black with some white, gray and a tiny bit of gold veining. Any advice? Thanks, Cindy

ANSWER:

Cindy, I'm not saying that it isn't stained, but water does not stain, etch or damage marble with such limited exposure.

It is possible that the marble absorbed the water and made the water ring appear darker. Is this what you've noticed? You could buff it and wipe it dry and it would still appear darker until the water evaporates from within the marble.

You can test this yourself. Pour a little puddle of water on the marble. If the marble under the puddle darkens then it is being absorbed and the marble should be sealed. If the marble has a matte honed finish it will be much more porous and absorbent than if polished.

Give it a few days and see what happens. My bet is that the water ring will be gone. If not, then I don't have an answer for you except to suggest that something besides water has come in contact with the marble.

For the scratches, you can use a marble polishing cream (see products page) to remove them if the surface is polished and not honed.

Let me know what happens via the comment link below.

Good Luck,
Ryan