Marble is a versatile and elegant stone suitable for use in any part of the home or a commercial building. It can be found in different colors and in a hone or highly polished finish.
Compared to other types of surfaces, marble is a very soft and porous natural stone, prone to scratching and staining.
Marble is made up of limestone rock that has been transformed by means of extensive heat and pressure.
It starts as limestone in lake beds, river beds, ponds, or even ocean bottom. As the Earth plates move and the limestone rock moves further deep into the Earth, it gets pressurized and cooked and recrystallization occurs, transforming the limestone into a metamorphic rock called marble.
Marble is very sensitive to acidic products and chemicals. This means that one has to be aware of the cleaning products being used on or near marble floors, marble walls, marble showers, marble countertops or marble vanity tops.
Always test new cleaning products on a scrap piece of marble before using it on your marble surface. If a scrap piece of marble is not available, use a ph test strip available at pool supply stores.
Use cleaning products tested and proven to be safe on marble. All marble cleaning products must be ph neutral – ph7.
If an approved cleaning product is not available, you can mix a once of neutral – noncitrus dishwashing liquid in a gallon of hot water. Soak a cotton towel with the cleaning solution and wash the marble with it. Next, take a clean cotton towel, wet it with clean warm water, and wash the marble again to remove any soap residue.
Take a dry cotton towel and dry the surface ensuring that there is no soap residue or oily feel.
If after washing, there is evidence of oil build-up, use straight Acetone, available at your local hardware store. Take a dry clean cotton towel and wet it with the acetone, wipe the marble surface until the oil striking disappears.
Caution: Acetone is a solvent and flammable, ensure that there are no open flames and plenty of air movement. Use hand gloves when handling solvents. Some people are sensitive to the fumes.
