Removing curling iron burn mark from white cultured marble vanity top

by Donna
(Lexington, KY)

QUESTION:

I have a 72" all in one piece (sinks, top) white cultured marble vanity top.


Unfortunately, I left a straightening iron on and burned a small area near the sink. It is red and light brown burn.

Any way to repair a curling iron burn on cultured marble?

If I use a light sand paper/steel wool to remove the stain, what do I use to bring back the low shine?

Thank you for any input. Donna Lexington, KY

ANSWER:

First understand that any type of abrasive paper, pad or cleaner will scratch and damage the protective gel coat of cultured marble countertop, so typically you do not want to use such things for cleaning.

But of course the curling iron has already damaged the surface, so yes...

Light sanding may work to remove the red/brown burned material.

The best advice is to hire a cultured marble professional to attempt a repair. Cultured marble is difficult and tricky to repair once damaged. No really good DIY solutions, so if you truly want to fix it a pro will have the knowledge and experience to achieve decent results.

But, often replacement is more cost effective than repair.

If you want to do it yourself sanding should help, but first, I'd try a bleach solution (diluted with plenty of water) and a soft-bristle brush first and see if that works to remove the burned discoloration.

FYI... don't use straight bleach on cultured marble. It will damage the surface.

If not, apply a rubbing compound made for cars and sand lightly using a high grit 800 or 1000 wet/dry sand paper.

Once all the discolored material is removed and you've smoothed the area, you should buff it with a buffing pad. Easiest if you use a hand held drill to do this.

Then you should periodically apply a liquid gel gloss (made for cultured marble) to the whole surface, which will help condition and maintain the original gel coat and keep the surface shiny.

You'll likely always have a noticeble area of damage, but the above should help you remove the burn mark and approve the appearance.