Mr Clean Magic Eraser
Marble Countertop Damage

QUESTION:

We installed honed white marble countertops. Our grown kids were visiting... got a water mark on it, and my daughter-in-law used a Mr Clean Magic Eraser (extra power) on it.

It removed the water mark, but now you can see the spot where the Magic Eraser was rubbed. Is this fixable?

ANSWER:

The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser seems like a squishy sponge but it's actually quite abrasive.

It's the fine abrasive texture that makes it so effective cleaning stuff off surfaces.

Marble is a soft stone easily scratched by abrasive cleaners and scrubbers like the Magic Eraser and that's why you see a new dull spot.

You can no longer "see" the "water mark" because the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser damaged the marble countertops even more so you can no longer see the original mark. Instead you just see the damage from the magic eraser.

In other words, it rubbed away the water spot but also sanded away some of the actual marble and created it's own new spot over the top of the old water mark.

Can Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Damage to Marble Be Fixed?

Fortunately, yes... marble repair for light scratches and dull spots is really pretty simple but it does depend on the type of finish... honed or polished.

On a polished surface you can use the Marble Polish / Etch Remover to polish out scratches and etch marks and restore the color and shine. This product is made specifically for this purpose.

If your marble countertop is in the kitchen, then you can expect many more episodes of scratching (and etching too which is like a burn from acidic foods and caustic cleaners), so the Etch Remover Polish is good to keep on hand.

However, you stated that you have honed (matte finish) marble countertops.

The above product shouldn't be used on a honed finished marble since it will make the surface shiny.

For a honed finish, you have two options to fix the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Damage along with any other scratches, etch marks, or dull spots.

Option #1: Use the Etch Remover & Marble Polishing Pads - drill kit.

These polishing pads are pretty slick making DIY marble repair a snap. You can even use them by hand if you like, but they are designed to be used with a drill or power buffer.

Also, the pads can create either a honed or a polished finish. It's just a matter of which pads in the kit are used.

Option #2: Follow the instructions in the Removing Etch Marks ebook. The same process of removing etch marks removes scratches too.

This method in the e-book basically involves sanding the spot until it is blended with the surrounding surface finish. It's not quite as sophisticated and may not yield perfect results but usually very satisfactory.

I know that seems completely counterintuitive to sand marble that was damaged by abrasives, but it's a matter of sanding with even finer abrasives until it is super smooth just like sanding wood from a rough to a smooth surface.

For instance, if you sand just a little, then all you do is scratch up the wood. But keep sanding with increasingly fine sandpaper and the wood becomes smoother and smoother.

The same basic process (using ever finer abrasives) is how you refinish marble countertops and tile to remove scratches, dull spots, etc. and restore it to a smooth and even surface whether polished or honed.

The polishing pads are the better bet to get the best finish on a honed surface though.

Marble countertops will get many fine scratches over time especially as a kitchen countertop.

But etching is usually the main problem with marble kitchen countertops. It's impossible to keep acidic foods and drinks from hitting the surface.

This is the reason most fabricators and installers will warn against installing marble kitchen countertops.

Well, there are permanent coatings that can be applied, but it's not a good idea... can make your marble look plastic and often cause more problems than they cure.

So, use coasters for drinks, trivets for hot pans (mainly to keep pans from scratching) and cutting boards for food prep.

Also, be sure to use only products safe for cleaning marble as many generic and branded household cleaners will etch marble countertops and tile.