Red Wine Stain In Marble Floor
by Desperate
QUESTION:Help please! I live in a rented apartment, with what I think are marble tiles on the floor - they are white and extremely porous, and I don't know when (or if) they have ever been sealed. I have recently (earlier today) spilled red wine on the floor.We immediately rushed to blot it with kitchen towel and then absorb it with salt (which has worked so well previously for me with carpet!) but its as if the stain formed the second the wine touched the floor. Now it is a kind of purple grey colour - I have not tried any chemicals or poultices yet - please help!!! Desperate! ANSWER:Okay Desperate...don't panic... you should be able to get this out with a poultice made with 12% Hydrogen peroxide.I don't know if or where this product is available in Dubai, but it's "hair bleaching strength" peroxide, so check a beauty supply store. Also, maybe a hardware or drug store, but usually they only carry 3% which is just too weak. If you can't find it locally, you can order it from our products page. If you find hydrogen peroxide in higher concentrations like 30%, you can use it just be careful... it becomes dangerous with higher concentrations. You did the right thing acting quickly. The marble must be honed and not polished. Polished marble is not absorbent it would not have stained if you wiped it up immediately. A honed finish leaves the marble surface more porous and why it stained right away. So...here's what to do: Mix the 12% hydrogen peroxide with talc powder into a peanut butter-like paste. Apply it to the wine stain 1/2 inch thick and cover with plastic wrap sealing the edges with masking tape. Let it sit 48 hours and remove the plastic, but leave the poultice to dry out for another day. Remove the poultice and clean with hot water. Hopefully you'll notice a big improvement or the stain is gone, but you may have to repeat the process a few times to clean the marble completely. Comment back via the link below to let us know how it goes. Good Luck, Ryan
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