Marble Repair: Dull Spot from Spilled Coke
by Barbara
QUESTION:Is there any way to replace the shine on a circular spot on my marble countertop (etching) caused by a spilled Coke? It sat overnight and now I have a dull, spot. Looks awful. Its a cream, beige color marble and the dull spot is right in front about the size of a bottom of a coke can. Help. How to fix?ANSWER:Like most soda pop, Coke is acidic and will damage marble countertops and floors upon contact resulting in the dull spot you see. It's actually a common marble repair issue.Marble is a made of calcium carbonate, which will react with acids (found in hundreds of foods & drinks like soda, juice, coffee, mustard, wine, spaghetti sauce, salad dressing). Strong alkaline substances like nearly all common household cleaners and products will also react with marble with the same result. Which is why you should use only products safe for cleaning marble like those we recommend. It's a chemical reaction called "etching". The substance corrodes or eats away the marble its in contact with. Of course this will destroy the thin shiny layer at the surface of the marble countertop revealing the more dull marble underneath. But you're in luck! You can repair marble etching on polished marble, travertine or limestone using the Marble Polish / Etch Remover, which is engineered specifically for this purpose and will restore the color and shine. Great stuff! Easy to use with quick results. One thing to understand though about repairing marble etching is that the longer the acidic substance is on the marble the more damage it will do and the more severe the etching will be. If the etching is so severe that the marble is rough to the touch, then the Marble Polish may not be able to completely restore the shine and you may have to hire a marble maintenance professional to re-polish the area. This is not because the product "isn't working". It's just the nature of stone. It simply takes a more involved and vigorous treatment to restore the shine on severely damaged, very rough or raw marble than a do-it-yourself product can accomplish. Severe etching is pretty rare though and the recommended Etch Remover does the trick in nearly all instances. And it's far cheaper than a pro, so even when etching seems severe, it's best to give it a shot first. 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. |
