Marble Furniture Care and Maintenance

Decor8 Marble Furniture Care and Maintenance Tips

Genuine, natural marble tables add elegance to any interior. Marble is a natural stone that, while beautiful is also a very sensitive material that requires careful attention and maintenance. As a soft, porous stone, natural marbles should only be cleaned with a neutral pH cleaning solution and used with care. Read below for Decor8 Marble Care and Maintenance:

Since marble is a soft, porous stone, it is easily etched and pitted by acids, water rings and spots, such as those left by leaving a drinking glass. Any liquid whether from a spill or a water glass ring should be wiped off immediately. Spills from acidic materials like alcohol, citrus juices and coffee can wear away marble and must be wiped immediately. To avoid water rings the best solution is to use a coaster or use cup ware that does not produce condensation. For plants or flowers, it is also best to use a doiley, coaster or placemat. For food, it is also recommended to use a placemat. Surprisingly a lot of foods, beverages and foods are acidic like tomato juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, wine, etc., and other products that may be used near a table like nail polish remover or vinegar are enemies to marble.

Marble DONT’S

• While vinegar and citrus based cleaners may work for your other furniture or household appliances, they do not work with marble. Do not use vinegar, lemon juice or other cleaners containing acids on marble.
• Marble is soft and should not be cleaned with harsh cleaning agents. Do not use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners, tub & tile cleaners, or cleaners with harsh chemicals like bleach or ammonia.
• Do not use abrasive sponges or use excessive force when cleaning marble.
• Do not leave pools of water to dry on marble or this can end up leaving a stain.

Marble DO'S

• Clean marble frequently - Wipe up spills immediately, especially alcohol, citrus juices and coffee. Other foods with strong pigments such as coffee grounds or strong colored spices like curry powder should also be wiped away immediately.
• For everyday cleaning use a dry soft cloth, chamois or duster to wipe away dust. For a deeper clean, use a damp cloth. If any cleaner is to be used, use a very gentle pH neutral cleanser like a dish washing liquid diluted in water (See below for homemade marble cleaner recipes). Then completely wipe away any excess water droplets with a dry soft cloth. We’d like to emphasize again to use a dry soft cloth to wipe off all excess liquid to avoid streaks and ensure all moisture is removed from the marble top.
• Only use soft towels or a chamois using gentle circular motions with light pressure for harder to remove stains.
• Do not place hot, wet or abrasive objects on the surface
• Use placemats and coasters.

So as you can see, Marble may not be the easiest material to take care of, but by following the above simple maintenance tips & precautions, your Marble top will stay beautiful and enhance its longevity.

For Gentle, Everyday Cleaning

Decor8 Gentle Marble Cleaner

Ingredients:

• 2 squirts of pH-neutral liquid dish detergent
• 400 ml water

Materials:

• Spray Bottle

Instructions:

In a spray bottle mix together the pH-neutral liquid dish detergent with the water. Spray the solution directly onto your marble surface and wipe clean with a dry soft cloth or chamois.

For More Intense, Deep Cleaning:

Decor8 Deep Marble Cleaning Solution

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 1-2 tablespoons water

Materials:

• Small Bowl
• Small Spoon
• Plastic Wrap
• Nichiban Tape or Artist’s Tape*

Instructions:

In a small bowl, pour a few spoonfuls of baking soda then stir in a spoonful of water at a time until it creates a thick paste. Spread the paste generously over the entire stain. Cover the stain with a layer of plastic wrap and seal it in with Nichiban Tape. Let it sit for at least 24 hours.

After 24 hours, remove the Nichiban tape and plastic wrap. Wipe the surface with a damp soft cloth until all the paste has been removed. Then use a dry soft cloth to remove any access moisture. If the stain persists, repeat the process until the stain is gone.

*Don’t have Nichiban or Artist’s Tape? No problem, you can also use traditional masking tape. Just make sure its not the super sticky permanent type. We recommend Nichiban Tape because it doesn’t leave a sticky residue when you remove it from a surface. Masking Tape will also work, however you may want to remove some of the stickiness by running the masking tape over a cloth a few times.

Check out our modern wood furniture care and maintenance tips here.

Check out our modern leather furniture care and maintenance tips here.