Marble tiles make incredibly beautiful floors. They are soft stones belonging to the limestone family. This stone is delicate and can easily tarnish if proper care is not taken. Let’s look at some simple steps that help retain the shine of marble tiles.
1. Easy Daily Cleaning: Less is always more when it comes to quick cleaning and marble touch-ups. A soft cloth, preferably one with microfibers, is good for cleaning. Warm, distilled water is recommended for cleaning marble countertops. Do not air dry marble surfaces as they tend to leave water stains. Dust every day to preserve the shine of marble tiles.
2. Break out the big guns for special occasions: Marble is a delicate stone, so don’t go overboard on cleaning. If you want to do a special and deep cleaning for special occasions, then use neutral pH soap. Acetone for dark marble and hydrogen peroxide for light marble are good when mixed with water. Clear ammonia is also good when used diluted with water for cleaning purposes.
3. Rinse well – Whatever cleaning product you’re using to clean marble surfaces, remember to rinse well. Make sure there are no residues and completely dry the surface after rinsing.
4. Clean acid stains immediately: Wine, orange juice, some soft drinks, and tomatoes are not good for your marble floor or countertop. To retain shine, you must blot up spills immediately and do not wipe or rub. If there is still a stain, use a commercial stain remover or homemade stain remover. You can make your own stain remover by mixing baking soda with water and turning it into a paste. Use rubbing alcohol to remove oil-based stains.
5. Protection is better: Use coasters to prevent your marble from getting stained or scratched. Avoid rust stains by not using metal containers. Use ceramic or stone containers on marble countertops. Place rugs in areas that see heavy traffic. Use furniture pads on marble floors.
6. Shine your floor or countertops – Use a commercial polish for use on marble to restore its shine. After polishing the surface with a commercial polish, use a chamois leather and wipe the surface. Chamois is made by mixing baking soda and water. This is rubbed into the surface and left to dry for a few hours. Rinse and wipe with a new cloth dipped in crushed chalk. Rinse and dry the surface well.
7. Sealant increases the life of marble tiles – A porous stone like marble definitely requires a good quality sealant. This protects the surface of the stone from losing its shine and becoming tarnished. Reapply sealants every few years and keep them shiny for many years.