Orangish Marble Vanity Top Stain

by Lindsey
(Michigan)

QUESTION:

We have a marble countertop in our master bathroom. We have had the countertop just a little over a year and recently noticed an orange-ish stain on it that won't come out. I do not know of anything that got on it or sat on it for awhile. How can we get this out? Is there a product out there ? Will using Mr. Clean and water on the countertop cause damage?

ANSWER:

You didn't say, but I'm guessing this is a white marble and most likely this is a rust stain coming from deposits of iron that occur in most white marble.

These can be a problem on floors and in showers with a poor installation that allows water to accumulate behind the tiles, but hardly ever a problem on countertops unless there is a leak that allows water to leach through the marble... rust the iron... and the rusty water leaches to the surface as an orange stain.

Another, likely possibility is that it has always been there, you just noticed it and you don't have a leak.

Obviously, you need to fix any leak or source of constant water. If the iron happens to be right at the surface then water on the marble surface could cause some rusting, but it would take a constant supply of water to saturate the marble if the iron is in the middle somewhere.

To remove any stain (after fixing leak if necessary) follow the steps outlined in the Removing Stains Manual.

Do NOT use Mr. Clean or any other typical household cleaning product. Most all of these WILL damage your marble causing dull and discolored spots.

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.

I highly recommend Stone Care Pro Products to maintain all your marble, stone and granite countertops and floors in optimal condition. I've used other good products (Stone Tech, Miracle) but found Stone Care Pro is the most reliable and effective.