Marble is a beautiful stone. It is also expensive and, being a soft stone, susceptible to damage. Marble can add glamour and sophistication to a home or office, but if it should not be maintained properly, its look will deteriorate and the end result will be the opposite of what was intended when the marble was installed. If you are in London and using the services of a commercial cleaner to keep your office or home looking at its best, they will look after the marble for you. However, it is still worthwhile to know what you can do to clean marble, should the situation ever arise, as well as the general principles of marble maintenance.
To clean marble you will need the following:
1. Soft cloths and sponges
2. Warm (not hot) water
3. Chamois cloth
4. Neutral non abrasive marble cleaners like acetone, hydrogen peroxide or ammonia
5. Marble polish
This is how to go about it:
- Wet a sponge or cloth with the warm water and wipe the stone surface thoroughly.
- Rinse out the sponge or cloth and wipe the water away from the stone surface. If a soapy residue appears, keep wiping and rinsing away at the stone until the residue has disappeared.
- If you find the marble surface is dull or has streaky marks on it, this usually means that a soapy residue is still left on the stone. This is often not easily visible. If this is so, keep on with the wiping and rinsing until all the streaks have gone and the stone surface has - an even glossy finish.
- Wipe the surface dry with a clean soft cloth. It is important not to let the marble air dry and this may cause the streaks and other marks to appear on the surface.
- While the above is all you need to do for regular cleaning, there are some more steps you can take on a six monthly or annual basis to maintain the marble. After completing the steps given above, clean the marble with the neutral non abrasive cleaner, being careful to look for stains camouflaged by the patterns on the stone surface.
- After using the cleaner, make sure all residues are removed using a clean damp cloth.
- Once again, dry the surface with a clean cloth. Do not allow it to air dry.
- Once the surface is completely dry, apply a marble polish to the stone. Since different polishes have different application methods, make sure that you follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully to get the best results.
Since marble is a porous stone that is easily stained, if you find any stains on the surface, it is best not to wait for the commercial cleaner to come, but to clean it yourself immediately.