If you have young kids at home, or even if you just love to keep all surfaces in your home clean, you should know how to clean a marble top.
We are very passionate about this topic because even regular wiping and cleaning of the marble surfaces results in spots and faded areas. Sometimes, placing a hot pot on the table can cause the polish to become dull, and you see a round scar on it, which looks unpleasant.
However, we have come up with a few ways to help you clean the marble tables and all other surfaces to keep your home looking shiny and new! Try these out and tell us how you liked each of these tricks.
How to Clean a Marble TableTop?
Some marble table tops are polished with chemical compounds to give an ultra-glossy look. While these table tops look amazing with this finish, you would have to know how to clean them properly to keep the shine for years.
If you use these tables for food service, be sure to try a few of the methods shared below to ensure the new look for long.
• Cleaning Marble Tables With Detergent:
Using clothes detergent on table tops is a bad idea because it cuts through the chemical polish and dulls the surface. However, if you are using dishwashing detergent, it works like magic.
Take a spray bottle and add almost a tablespoon of dishwashing detergent. Fill the bottle with water and shake it to form a soapy solution. Use a damp micro-fiber cloth to go with this, and spray the solution on your tabletop.
Wipe the surface clean with a wet cloth. We like to play around with the lather to ensure the surface has no stains. Use a fresh, damp cloth to wipe the marble and then dry it with a dry cloth.
Using a micro-fiber wipe will help significantly because it does not scratch the polish. If you use an abrasive cleaner, the marble surface will get scratched, and the surface will lose its shine after some time.
• Wood Polish Wipe:
An excellent way to keep your marble table tops shining and clean is to wipe them clean with a wood polish wipe. You can buy thin wipes from any hardware store and scrub the marble tables to restore their shine.
However, this method is only to give the tabletop an extra gloss, which will not remove any stains. If there are oily stains, use the dishwashing detergent solution to clean them, and you can follow up with the wood polish wipe on a dry surface.
Removing Oil Or Food Stains
Removing stains from marble can be challenging because the porous stone absorbs color, and the pigment becomes permanent over time.
However, there will be no stains if you actively clean your marble tables. There are oily food stains, and some colors make the surface dull because they inactivate the polish.
Oil Stain Removal:
For removing oil stains, vinegar or any other acidic substance will not work as it dulls the polish and makes the marble table look worn out and unkempt. You will instead need to use any alkaline solution.
The best one is to use baking soda with water, forming a thick paste. Smooth this paste over the surface and cover it with a plastic film or a wrap that does not let it dry.
Leave the paste for at least 24 hours, and the oily stain will be gone! The baking soda paste pulls out the oily stain, and the stone top looks even in color.
Marble Poultice:
Another effective way of removing oil stains is to make a marble poultice. Rip up a paper towel in small pieces. Keep in mind that it should be a white paper towel and not the printed or colored ones. Next, soak the paper towel pieces in hydrogen peroxide and lay them on the oil stain on the marble table top.
Cover the poultice with plastic to let it work for a few hours. You will have to keep checking the marble top under the poultice because the hydrogen peroxide can over-lighten the area. Remove the poultice and wipe the table dry when you feel that the stain is bleached.
To remove marble etching caused by placing a hot cup of coffee or a steaming pot of soup, you will need a slightly abrasive cleaner to scour the surface and remove the crust that has formed on the surface, making the polish appearance dull.
The light abrasion will scrub out the crusty stain and reveal the smooth, polished surface. Since the tint is light, and does not need a heavy scrubbing job, ensure that you keep the abrasive action mild.
The Do's and Don'ts of Marble Cleaning
Marble is a porous stone; if a colored liquid or solid food comes in contact with the surface, a little bit of it is absorbed. This forms the stain, but if you use a lot of abrasive cleaners, the marble's surface becomes dull.
Another thing to avoid is the use of lemon juice, vinegar, or any other acid on polished marble. The polish loses its gloss, and the surface of the marble table top becomes rough. You can see these dull stains from a distance, and it looks worn-out and old.
Always use micro-fiber cleaning wipes on your marble tables because the simple cotton ones can also dull the polish as you scrub. Stiff cleaning cloth can cause tiny scratches, which make the polished surface look dull and that leads to the surface looking old.
Do not leave drops of spilled drink or food on the table unattended. Quickly wipe the surface so that there is no stain due to absorption of the food or liquid. Moreover, keep the surface clean with a wet wipe after a few hours to ensure no chemicals are on the surface.
Frequently Asked Questions
• Is it OK to place a hot food pot on the marble table top?
Marble can withstand the heat, but the polish might become dull since the heat from the pot can make the polish burn, and a whitish crust is formed. This crusty polish makes a white round appearance on the tabletop, which makes the polish look uneven. We suggest using pot coasters or tiles to place hot pots on the table. These coasters do not let the pot heat spoil the table's look.
• Should I apply a seal to the marble table top?
Applying a seal to protect the polished table top is a good idea. However, test your tabletop before applying any sealant. Leave a tiny pool of mineral oil on the marble table top for at least ten minutes and then wipe it. If the stain from the oil remains, it means that you should apply a sealant. If there is no stain, then the marble top is treated, and you can use it regularly by cleaning it with a wipe and ensuring that there is no food or drink left on the surface.
In a Nutshell
Marble table tops can uplift the look of the room, but one has to be careful in cleaning them. It would be great if you wiped the surface clean after a few hours.
However, if ever any stain gets into the surface or dulls the polish, there are several ways to clean it. If you know how to clean a marble table top with the right soapy solution or the right kind of cloth, the table will look new and fresh for a long time.
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