How to Care for Marble Surfaces
- 1). Use a dust mop on marble flooring once a week to remove dirt and debris. Dirt and debris can scratch the marble surface. The dust mop should be dry, and you shouldn't use any sort of liquid or cleaning product at this time.
- 2). Use a stone cleaner and cloth to polish the marble surface. You can purchase these in a polishing liquid or a cleaning solution for marble flooring. A stone cleaner is a cleaner specifically designed to be used on stone; it is not abrasive to the stone, and it contains a mild waxing agent to protect the marble and make it shine. Microfiber cloths are the best to use, but something like a soft dusting rag is more than appropriate. Choose something that will not be abrasive to the marble, but will still move the cleaner around and polish the marble.
- 3). Use coasters for drinks at all times on marble table surfaces. Some types of liquids, especially citrus and alcoholic beverages, can scratch and etch the marble. Coasters should be made of a particle board, or, if they a coaster is made of glass, wood, or other material, it needs to have a felt backing so that it does not scratch or otherwise harm the marble.
- 4). Put glides on all furniture that sits on marble flooring. This will prevent the marble from being scratched. Glides are adhesive backings that you can place on the bottoms of chair feet, sofa feet, etc., which allow the furniture to glide across the floor. They are normally made of felt on one side and an adhesive on the other. They are flat pieces of material that can be purchased already cut, or in large squares so that you can cut and custom-fit the glides for furniture yourself.
- 5). Squeegee marble bathtubs after each use to cut down on mildew and soap scum. A squeegee is a "T"-shaped tool with a rubber flat end. It is able to move water without leaving much behind. You know what a squeegee is if you've ever washed your car windows at a gas station. No ingredients are needed to squeegee the bathtub, the goal is to move all the water down the drain. You squeegee by placing the black rubber end on the bathtub side and moving it forward toward the drain. Repeat on all surfaces of the bathtub.
- 6). Apply a penetrating sealer to frequently used surfaces such as kitchen counter tops, vanities, and bathroom sinks. Penetrating sealers penetrate the marble and provide a lasting protective coating on the marble to further protect it from scratches, etching, and damage. This sealer should be applied with a buffing machine on flooring, and a soft cloth on surfaces like counter tops, sinks and bathtubs. There are several kinds of penetrating sealers on the market and some of them need to be applied once a year, or once every few years. Refer to the label on your particular sealer.
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