Orange Stains In Carrara Marble Floor

by Don
(Southampton, NY)

QUESTION:

I do not know where they came from, but I now have three orange stains in my carrara marble floor that are on the same side of the toilet. They are about the size of a quarter.

Any idea how to remove? How about using my steam floor cleaner?

ANSWER:

Thanks for the picture! It's a bit blurry, but these look like rust stains. Although they could also be stains from say a cleaner that possibly etched and stained the marble.

White marble like Carrara contains iron deposits. If these iron deposits get wet, they will rust. If the marble gets saturated from a relatively constant water source, then the water rusts the iron deposits and the rusty water leaches through the marble until it reaches the surface where it leaves a stain.

This is most common on floors and walls since water can be trapped underneath the tile from a leak, not sealing the sub-floor from moisture or even from constant exposure to water on the surface.

So, the top priority is to ensure no water is underneath the tiles. Check all grout lines for cracks and voids.

Make sure your toilet is not leaking under the tiles.

To remove the rust stains (or any other stain) follow the directions in the Removing Stains Manual.

Rust stains can be difficult, so you may have to repeat the procedure a number of times, but it won't come out any other way.

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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