Our cleaners in Hobart explain how to clean marble

Marble: is there a better way to instantly add wealth and sophistication to your home?

Whether it’s a kitchen bench, staircase or bathroom tiles, marble simply reeks of opulence and exclusivity.

Unfortunately, it’s also very fragile, and comes with special cleaning requirements.

Today, our cleaners in Hobart will explain a couple of them.

How to clean marble

Marble is a soft, porous stone mainly composed of calcium carbonate that is found in shells, pearls and natural stones.

And since it’s so soft and porous (relatively speaking), marble cleaning can be quite challenging.

Moisture and stains have an easy time digging into marble thanks to its porousness. Once it gets into the stone itself, it’s impossible to remove.

And when you consider that in most houses with marble use them in kitchen benches and countertops – surfaces that are notoriously prone to spills and scratches – it quickly becomes clear why maintaining marble is so hard!

Taking care of your marble is very important if you want it to last for a long time. In particular, cleaning is a large part of the equation.

So, how exactly do you clean marble?

Wipe it immediately

The best way to clean a marble bench? To do it quickly, before spills and stains have an opportunity to stick.

As soon as dirt and spills happen on the surface of your marble countertop, the best thing to do is to not let it linger and wipe it immediately.

Letting a spill stay there for so long can make them harder to remove. This translates to more effort needed to remove it in the future.

And that means a much higher risk of scratches – the very last thing you want happening to your marble bench!

In addition to leaving visible marks, scratches can also wear away the coating, exposing the marble underneath to further damage.

To clean stains off marble, we suggest using a soft cloth and a sponge to wipe the marble surface.

Stick to mild products

If your go-to products are harsh or acidic, we strongly recommend keeping them in the cupboard – marble only plays nice with mild, gentle products.

In particular, we suggest sticking to mild soap and lukewarm water. Anything stronger has the potential to damage the sealant, and maybe even the stone itself!

Strong chemical content can cause the surface to scratch, which is why you’re better off sticking to the gentle stuff. If you want to use something stronger, we suggest finding out what type of marble do you have.

If you catch it early enough however, mild soap and lukewarm water should already be enough to clean your kitchen countertop and marble flooring.

Need something stronger? Luckily for you, there are plenty of specialised marble spot cleaners and polishing creams you can use to target more stubborn stains.

Avoid air-drying

When it comes to marble, you’ll want to avoid letting it air-dry. Instead, moisture and puddles should be dried immediately with a paper towel.

That’s because puddles can cause discolouration on the surface of your marble, especially if it’s been a while since you had your marble resealed.

Do not put more than a few more drops of ammonia as the acid can weaken and cause damage to your marble.

Whether it’s a puddle from a freshly-washed bowl or water that’s been left behind after a counter clean, take a minute or two to wipe up and dry it.

Are you sealing your marble?

If not, you should be!

Like the name suggests, sealants protect the stone. While they don’t make marble surfaces stainproof per se, they can make them more stain resistant.

As we mentioned above, marble is porous. It takes on moisture and stains much more easily than other materials. Sealant forms a protective barrier, protecting the stone from further damage.

We know what you’re thinking: “Resealing my marble? That sounds like something only a builder can do.”

Luckily, there are plenty of household products that you can use to reseal the marble.

We suggest contacting your marble supplier if you still have their contact details for their recommendations.

Once you’ve gotten an answer, we suggest applying sealant once a month or so.

And that’s all it takes!

If all else fails, contact a professional

Let’s face it; marble, while beautiful, can also be very pick from a cleaning standpoint. If nothing’s taking, we suggest contacting a professional.

Marble restoration and refinishing services specialise in looking after marble – specifically, marble that has suffered from:

Stains
Scratches
Discolouration

These types of problems can’t be wiped away, no matter how hard you try. In fact, you’re more likely to cause further damage with vigorous scrubbing than you are to remove the stain!

Need a cleaner in Hobart?

At Master Cleaners, we’ve earned the title. Our our cleaners in Hobart can clean all sorts of household surfaces:

Metal
Natural stone
Carpet
Floorboards
Windows
Plaster

Naturally, this includes marble surfaces too!

If you don’t have the time to do your spring clean (we don’t blame you – it’s a big job) our Masterful cleaners can help out.

Our specialty is those big, challenging cleaning jobs – you know what we’re talking about.

In addition to marble cleaning, Master Cleaners provides specialised cleaning services in your home, such as:

If you’re interested in learning how our home cleaning services in Hobart can help, get in touch with our friendly team for a no-obligations quote.