Marble countertops are a beautiful luxury that brings a new level of style and class to your home. As with most beautiful things marble counters must be cared for delicately to maintain their beauty. Marble as opposed to granite is a soft stone. Granite is one of the hardest materials on Earth, second to diamond and that is why it is the best material for any countertop. Marble, even though it is a softer stone, is used for countertops because of its uniqueness and beauty.
First of all apply a marble sealer on top of the marble countertops 2 times a year. This will help a lot with staining problems. Marble counters must be treated much as you would wooden surfaces, because despite their polished surface marble countertops are very porous. This means that it is very easy to damage marble counters with liquids, acids, and oils. It is very important to know how to properly deal with each of these situations. Take care of the marble countertops through day-to-day life. Always be sure to use coasters under drinks to avoid condensation rings. Also while cooking on your marble counters tend to any spills quickly and thoroughly. I know at this point you may be thinking the hassle of caring for and maintaining marble counters is not worth their beauty and boldness, but this really isn’t so. Once you understand how to deal with any mishaps, marble counters can be much lower maintenance than many of the other surfaces in your home. For plain water just wipe as you would any surface.
When some liquids are spilled on marble counters, such as fruit juice or coffee, clean it up right away and no damage will be done as long as it is attended to immediately. Liquids that contain acid, which are not cleaned immediately may etch the polish of your marble counters. If this does happen don’t panic. With some sealers and buffing your marble counters will maintain their original luster. In the case that an acidic substance is spilled, don’t use harsh solvents, a damp rag will do the trick.
One common occurrence is rust stains on marble counters. This can happen from having metal objects left on your marble counters that either get wet, or in some cases the humidity in the air may be enough to form rust stains on marble counters depending on your location. In this case just pick up some over the counter rust remover generally used in showers and bathrooms, but be sure to remove this solution from your marble counters quickly as these chemicals may do more harm than good by etching the surface.
A less common but detrimental stain on your marble counters are oil stains. Oil Stain Remover made by DuPont StoneTech Professional. Apply as directed a layer of the paste that will remove oil stains.
Special attention must be paid to these. Calcium Carbonate (also known as whiting powder) is one of the approved cleansers for this natural stone and works wonders on oil stains.
Acetone (nail polish remover) may be applied, to get rid of other stains but be careful to apply it because it also may damage the polish. Find more information on how to remove different types of stains.
In general, when you spill something on your marble counters, the most important thing to do is to get rid of the liquid immediately, and blot the moisture into a rag. Once you have done that, you are free to treat the spot with a cleaning product and marble sealer. Marble counters require some additional care than other surfaces, but in the end, they have the ability to last longer, resell better, and best of all, they look amazing.
