Waxing Dull Marble Table
by gail baxter
QUESTION:I have a marble table that Mop and Glow was put on it. We tried taking it off with Lysol and amonia and some came off and now half the table is dull and half is shiney. My husband wants to put hard wax on it and buff it. It is a salmon color but don't know the name. I had an man look at it who suggest acid to take off the Mop and Glow and then hone it. He said that it would be better to do that than make it shiney again because it will show every mark. I can't get a hold of the man and my husband wants to work on the table himself. What should I do. Will hard wax really harm the table???ANSWER:I'm sorry to say it so bluntly, but everything you have done so far is wrong.First, you should use only products safe for cleaning marble. Most brand-name household products and other common cleaners like ammonia, vinegar, bleach, etc. are too harsh and will damage marble as you have seen. The dullness you are seeing is a chemical burn (called etching) from the products that have corroded the shiny polished layer of your marble table. Wax will not solve the problem, plus putting wax on marble countertops, floors or tables is a bad idea. Wax is still recommended in some circles and it won't necessarily hurt the marble, but it's a poor solution and is hardly ever used anymore. Wax scuffs easily requiring constant buffing, re-application eventually turning yellow requiring stripping. But even after waxing you'd still see the a difference between the dull and shiny areas. And acid will make the whole table dull because acid will do just what your cleaners did and corrode the shiny surface. This will leave you with a honed surface that won't show etch marks as easily as a polished surface, but it will stain more easily, so you'll have to seal it. What you need is to re-polish the surface using SCP: Marble Polishing Paste, which is easy to apply and use. Now, if you have caused excessive damage and the marble is rough to the touch, then you may have to call in a marble maintenance professional. Severe damage is pretty rare, so the paste will likely do the trick, but just so you know the paste works like magic on mild to moderate etching (which is what it is designed for) but professional refinishing is the only option for severe etching. Once you get the table repaired, be sure to always use place mats, trivets and coasters to protect the finish. If you do get an etch mark again, then you'll have the paste to quickly repair it restoring the shine and color. 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. |
