Caring for your marble counter top

Marble began its existence as limestone. It has been highly valued for centuries for its beauty and ability to resist fire. The same qualities that make it a great material for sculpture and buildings are what make it a great choice for a counter top. Caring for your marble counter

top will guarantee years of service. 

In spite of rumors to the contrary, marble is easy to care for and with a few simple strategies, you can be sure that it will be as beautiful in twenty years from now as it is today.

When it comes to cleaning marble, less is better. For the average daily clean-up,  you don’t need much more than just plain water. It is best to use filtered water because tap water may have impurities in it that can cause spots or dulling. Microfiber is a good option both for wiping down the counter top and for drying it after. It will look better if it is dried instead of letting it air dry.

Avoid using any acidic cleaners. While white vinegar is wonderful for almost all cleaning jobs, it is not good for marble. Any cleaners that have anything acidic in them can really damage your marble counter top. The safest thing to use when you need more than just water is dish liquid, just make sure that it is pH neutral.

It is important to use coasters to protect your counter top. If however, in spite of your diligence you get a stain on the counter top, what is the best way to handle it? It is always a good idea to have some marble specific cleaner on hand. This should be available from the dealer where you purchased your stone. Always read what is in the cleaner and never just assume what works for granite will work for marble, that will lead to problems.

You can make your own stain treatment from baking soda, turn it into a thick paste with either water, for oil based stains or rubbing alcohol for stains that have no grease. Spread the paste over the stain and allow it to stay there for up to twenty-four hours. You can cover it with Saran Wrap to allow it to set. Wash it off with water and dry immediately, the stain should have been lifted out.

If you get scratches in the marble countertop you can use a very fine sandpaper to sand these out. Some people like to put a protective coating on their marble. Most marble is treated when it is installed, you may want to seal it again to help it maintain its beauty.

If you want to make your marble really shine, there are commercial products that are safe to use on marble that can be placed on the surface and then buffed off, resulting in a soft shine. The best way to care for your marble counter top is to protect it from acid, don’t place hot things on it and keep any metal that might rust away from it. Marble is one of nature’s wonders and it is strong, hard and quite beautiful.