Marble polishing is done to renew marble surfaces that show enough wear to dull their shine. Marble is widely used for living areas such as floors, tables, kitchen counters, and showers. This means that the surfaces see a lot of human activity. Marble floors can be marred by foot traffic, not to mention stains from spilled liquids. Kitchen counters will see a lot of spilled juices, sauces, and oils. Of course, marble surfaces receive treatments to keep them stain resistant, but they will still see a fair amount of discoloration if not kept carefully clean. The basics? Try to keep things tidy. Marble may be a stone, but it requires more maintenance than, say, synthetic tiles. In reality, all surfaces used in architecture need some form of maintenance to keep them clean and attractive.
Preventing stains should be your top priority. Marble polishing will eventually come on the scene, but you’ll have an easier job if you just keep that surface as shiny and clean as it came new. Marble is very porous, which means stains will settle into the stone unlike glass where all you need to do is loosen dirt from the surface. Immediately wipe up juice, sauces, and other spilled liquids before they can seep to the surface. Keep surfaces free of debris, as debris will build up and make cleanup more tedious. Avoid damaging the relatively smooth surface, which means you won’t drag your sofa across that expensive marble floor. Avoid placing hot items like frying pans on bare marble surfaces, as they will definitely leave a mark. Water can stain your marble shower, so take a few minutes to blot the surface to remove any standing droplets.
There is cultivated marble and there is the real thing. Although commercially manufactured or cultured marble has a hardened surface, it will still need a lot of marble care and polishing. Try to feel the temperature of your marble surface. Natural marble will feel slightly cooler than the air around it, while cultured marble will reflect the ambient air temperature. Just because cultured marble is tougher than its natural version doesn’t mean you can cut vegetables on that counter. Use cutting boards and their protective pads as if you were dealing with natural marble; the same goes for cleaning up spills and avoiding hard impacts on surfaces. Absolutely do not use metal polishes on marble, natural or cultured surfaces.
Marble polishing aims to reduce surface scratches on marble surfaces by restoring the smoothness of the stone. This means that it is a good idea to start with an already clean surface. Surface dirt is easy. Use common detergent and water to remove the film of dirt that covers the marble. Household cleaner will also work as long as you don’t use the abrasive kind. Remember, do not use anything abrasive and nothing acidic. Acids will attack natural marble, so vinegar is out of the question. There are commercially available cleaners at hardware stores, but only get those that are reputable and hopefully from a source you can trust. There isn’t much you can do about damaged marble, and repairs can be time consuming and expensive.
Marble polishing can now be done when you have sufficiently cleaned the marble. Chemical strippers are used to remove previously applied sealer from the surface to make it resistant to stains. This will be reapplied after sanding the marble. Powdered chemical polishers are used on the surface to achieve a deep gloss finish and then the surface is treated with a sealer to saturate the pores and prevent premature staining. Some old stains will be very stubborn and you may consider using poultices made with baking soda and water to remove these stains. The ingredients are mixed to a paste-like consistency and are normally left on the stained surface for about 24 hours. There are also commercially available poultices if you are not comfortable cooking your own mixture.