Maintenance tips

Throughout history, the great monuments made to last a long time were made of marble because is one of the most durable, noble and beautiful stones that exist but, like quite everything requires a specific cares to maintain in the best conditions. 

The marble is a great beauty and durable material (a marble floor can last decades with the adequate  care). Is a stone composed mainly in calcium carbonate. This characteristic make it at first, a very porous material that can absorb liquids (have a special care with acid liquids because of the alcalin marble composition); secondly, it can be deteriorated for hardest surfaces that marble is. Is very important to keep it clean because it help in its conservation and durability over the years.

Marble cleaning

For the regular maintenance of the marble surfaces, with the vacuum cleaner or sweeping it´s enough. Besides that, the best and more used method for the daily cleaning is as easy as use a mop or a little wet cloth, rinsing and drying them well. If you make weekly or longer cleanings, you can use this method or use a mix of cool water and mild soap. It´s important to know that hot water has more cleaner power than cool water.

You cannot use any cleaning product for the marble care because a lot of them are abrasives and can damage it. You must use always specific marble products, available in any trade, or neutrals ph soft products, always diluted in water.

If our marble floor is in white or beige color, there is other cleaning option. You can add oxygenated water to the water (it don´t have any other cleaning product) in a relation of 1 part of oxygenated water for 12 parts of water. This method can´t be used in dark colors

A very important tip is to use a different mop to clean the marble floor than the rest of the house. In this way, you eliminate the risk of damage the floor accidentally with rest of bleach or other abrasive product rested in the mop.

The use of cleaning tools (mops or cloths) made with soft materials like microfiber or cotton. They help to keep a brilliant marble. The use of abrasive (aluminium pads) or stabbing (scrapers and blades) tools will make scratches and loss of brightness.

Accidental spillings and stains

Because of marble is a porous material, it absorb stains very easy, so in case of an accidental spilling or stain is suitable to act early. With a wet cloth we get off as early as we can the spilling liquid without rubbing, because of, as less time it stand in contact with the stone, less is the possibility that the liquid damage the floor.

The marble can be damaged for acid or alkaline liquids. Quite all the aliments and drinks are acids, that´s why when the spill can leave marks in marble. If  accidental aliment like coffee, juice or wine spilling happen in marble, the best is to act fast.

To avoid the liquids absorbtion and stains, you can prevently apply a wax coating. This coat help to plug pores and the surface get more smooth and easy to clean. Before of apply the wax, the surface must be perfectly clean, if not the stains will be inlay

Because of the continuated use of waxes in marble can happen that it takes a yellowish colour. In the event of this, you must take away all the wax using specific products, available in special shops. If marble is in a light colour, when you take away the wax you can use a oxalic acid. You dissolve the oxalic acid in the proportion of three parts of water and one of acid. Then you apply that and leave 2 or 3 minutes and clean it with water to balance the acid bleaching efect. Then you rinse well and dry and you can apply other wax coating.

The oxalic acid can be used also in dark stains getting a cotton or gauze in the mix and putting in the stain leaving it. A time passed, you take away the water and pass a very light sandpaper. This process can be repeat in the stain some times.

To eliminate the grooves and dark stains, you can make a proof in a little part rubbing softly with a wet dish cloth in gasoline or some spot of oxygenated water. If the stain were very dark, soak a sponge in gasoline and leave contact with the stain 2 or 3 minutes.

Then you remove the liquid softly with a dish cloth, rinse it with water and dry well. The stain can be dimmed but also can less the zone bright. If it is a little stain it wont show but, if it is bigger, once it be removed or hidden, you must polish the zone agai

To highlight the dark marble natural veins and lights, firstly you must clean the surface carefully with water and liquid detergent. Then you must rub with a cotton rag with a bit of gasoline. Finally, you must rinse it with water and dry.

When you use a mix of vinegar and lemon or any other more agresive compound to remove a stain, you must take into account that are corrossives for the stone, so you must use it carefully. Otherwise, you can spoil the stone. It don´t occurred if you apply the mix in the stain, you rub soft for some minutes and rinse it with plenty of water and soap. If the stain persist, you must repeat the action, being carefull that it don´t act more than a few minutes in the stone.

How to eliminate stains of the marble floor

Organic stains (tea, coffee, ….. textil or cool drinks)

Soak very well a rag, paper napkin or an old cotton rag with peroxid and add some drops of ammonia, put it on the brand and leave it all night. If you do it on day, don´t leave the rag dries, wet it with the mix of ammonia and peroxid ( if you don´t have peroxid you can use toothpaste). Then remove and clean the surface as usually you do.

If it´s acid fruit juice, soft drinks or other acids you must clean it inmediately (they attack the brightness) with a wet cloth. This way, wont stay any stain, if you let it dry, try with the previous tips.

Oil stains (butter, hand cream or lotion)

You must clean inmediatly the surplus with a paper napkin and add a little of talcum powder (flour and corn starch can also works). Remove and repeat the procedure in a couple of minutes and with a brush and let stand a day if it´s possible.

To clean it later, you must rub with hot water and detergent and a semihard bristle brush, also you can make a wet cloth in ammonia; to finish, you must rinse and dry. If this alcalins solutions don´t eliminate the oil, then you can try with a dissolvent.

For the white circles stains like "cloudy" that stay when you have the mistake of put pots directly on the floor, you can use the previous method and to clean, use a wet or dish cloth with acetone or amyl acetate (sold in pharmacies) ; make sure you have a good ventilation and you´re not near of any fire focal point.

Oxid stains

The most common is the stain that leave our interior plants metal pot holder or a lamp. To clean it you can use occasionally water and lemon (the juice). You can also use a bit of salt. Is very important don´t leave on the surface, remember that acid can hurt the marble superficial coating.

Abrasion or drawing ruled lines

Depending of the marble floor use you do, it will be loosing the bright in a greater or lesser extent. So is recomended to make a polishing and grinding of the surface every number of years

In the event of a major agression consequence of an abrasive liquid, a drawling ruled line or other hurt not easy to restitute, we recommend you our professionals team that, with other technicals, can solve this more complicated situations.