Homemade Cleaning Solutions- How to clean marble

Cleaning solutions for Marble Kitchens, Floors and Bathrooms.

Marble is a beautiful stone that enhances the look of many kitchens, bathrooms and is even used on floors. But one of the most common misperceptions of marble is that as a stone it is indestructible, but it is actually porous which means it stains very easily and is not impervious to harsh treatment.

Never use vinegar, lemon or any other acidic ingredient on marble as acids will eat through the protective finish and damage the stone.

General Marble Cleaning

Bench tops and floors

1. For a quick touch up use a microfiber cloth and warm water, wipe it down with a dry cloth. Marble can be prone to water spots so it’s best to avoid air drying, never leave any water on the bench tops, droplets, water rings always wipe off.

2. For a deeper clean on your bench tops wash with a neutral Ph. dish soap on a damp sponge or cloth, but you can also use acetone on dark marble and hydrogen peroxide or clean ammonia for light marble. Whatever you use make sure you rinse thoroughly, dry completely

3. For your floors a light clean with dry microfiber or soft cloth should be all that is needed on a daily basis, or wash down using a Ph. neutral dish washing soap mixed with lukewarm water

4. Recipe idea for cleaning marble

1/3 fabric softener, 2/3 water and spray bottle.

Mix solution together in spray bottle, spray onto the marble wiping with a soft cloth, before buffing dry. Can also use this in a bucket, dip in a microfiber cloth and wipe until marble is clean, before buffing dry

Removing Mold from Marble Showers

1. Using a sponge and warm water scrub down, rinse. Mix 1/2 cup of bleach, peroxide or ammonia with a gallon of water, scrub walls and floors, this will clean the mold and kill it, for problems areas, saturate with solution and leave for 5 minutes before scrubbing with a soft brush. Rinse out! Using a toothbrush and the solution you can clean the grout like the rest.

Rinse and Buff dry.

2. Removing mildew and cleaning grout on mold recipe

1 part baking soda, 1 part bleach, bucket, rubber gloves

Pour the baking soda and bleach into the bucket and mix, apply generously to grout or mildew, pasting, patting it on. Scrub with an old toothbrush or SOFT cleaning brush Rinse with warm water and buff dry.

Cleaning a Marble Bath

1. General care

Wipe down after each use with a towel to help prevent soap scum, Clean at least once a week using a Ph. neutral detergent or liquid soap mixed with warm water, Apply to mix to the surface of the bath scrubbing with a soft sponge, Rinse thoroughly and buff dry.

2. Mix a solution of one gallon of water and 1/2 cup of ammonia, apply mixture to surface of the bath, scrubbing with a soft sponge, great at removing soap scum. (Always wear gloves when using Ammonia or bleach) Rinse well and buff dry.

3. Fill the marble tub with warm water and 3 tablespoons of Ph. neutral detergent, once full add 1/2 cup of bleach, scrub with a SOFT brush to remove dirt and grime, once finished drain bath before refilling with warm water to rinse out soap, grime and bleach. Drain water from the tub before wiping dry. If needed repeat.

Stains on Marble

Being porous marble stains easily, wine, orange juice and tomatoes are just a few things known to cause stains on this beautiful stone which can ruin the look of the best stone.

Ideas on removing more stains from marble

Baking Soda my all-time favorite is able to be used by mixing a thick paste of water and baking soda together, looking for something as think as peanut butter. Apply the paste to the stain and cover with a sheet of plastic to keep it damp. Leave it to sit for 10-15 minutes before wiping off, Rinse with water and dry. Repeat if necessary. (I have heard it can be left for 24 hours before wiping off, but I am unsure of this method)

Coffee and Juice stains

wash with warm water and Ph. neutral dish washing detergent,( as above) If the stains stays try...wetting a paper towel with hydrogen peroxide, lay it over the stain and cover with plastic, allow the paper towel to dry fully before removing (24-26 hours) rinse with clean water, if stain is still present repeat.

Oil Stains

Cover the area with cornstarch for 24 hours to absorb excess oil, wash with warm water and dish washing detergent. (Like above). If stain persists, scrub with a scouring paste containing bleach. Rinse with clean water, and repeat if needed.

Watermarks

Wash with hot water and Ph. neutral dish washing detergent, if stain doesn’t go away, scrub with a scouring paste that contains bleach. Rinse and dry repeating if needed.

When cleaning marble it is always a good idea to avoid cleaners such as Ajax or Jif as these cleaners are abrasive and may scratch the surface of your marble finish.

Reselling your marble floor is as easy as waxing a floor and should be done annually to keep them stain resistant, products for these can be brought at a home improvement shop, builders and cleaning supplies.

Tips to remember,

Never use vinegar, lemons or other acid based cleaning product on marble, and also try a small patch test first if unsure of any method