Don’t let oil, rust, and urine mar your marble: these tips for DIY marble stains removal from the specialists at TersoMR® have you covered!
Marble is a beautiful and durable surface, but under daily wear, it can still get unsightly stains. The most common ones we hear about are stains created by oil, rust, and urine. These can mar the luxurious look of your kitchens, bathrooms and jacuzzi areas, to name a few. Fortunately, there are some excellent products available that are simple and effective, even for DIY use.
OIL STAINS: DIY marble stains removal #1
Marble oil stains are often found on kitchen countertops, backsplashes, vanity tops, etc. Luckily there is a great product that can help remove most surface marble oil stains safely.
We recommend Lithofin Oil-EX Oil Stain Remover found at this link.
If you need to seal the marble surface after successfully removing the oil stain, you can also find a sealer at the same site they can recommend for your marble.
TIP: Based on our experience, marble impregnating sealers—while not a permanent block against stains—WILL give you time to blot up any accidental spills, thereby protecting your marble or stone surface from many oil or water-based stains.
The sealer will not, however, provide surface protection from citrus spills such as tomato paste, wine, orange juice, or citrus household cleaners.
The best strategy is to learn which household items cause stains or surface marks and keep them off your marble surfaces.
#2 RUST STAINS (surface stains only)
Marble rust stains are frequently found by the toilet, jacuzzi deck, shower bench, and/or soap niche. They often result from people placing metal cans or other objects on them—objects that are prone to rust when exposed to water or moisture! A do-it-yourself approach to removing these stains from marble is possible, but will only be effective on surface stains.
For removing those surface stains safely and effectively, we recommend Lithofin Rust EX Non-Acidic Rust Stain Remover found at link.
Please note, however, it will NOT remove rust stains ingrained in the marble or underneath it.
Due to inherent natural ore/minerals within the marble, rust can continue to work its way into the materials—so it’s best to avoid putting rust-prone objects on them to begin with, or to remove them as quickly as possible when you see them.
Deep rust stains can often be found in marble heavily exposed to water—such as showers, vanity tops with sinks, kitchen sinks, and around the toilet. Prompt cleaning can help minimize the damage.
#3 URINE or ORGANIC STAINS (surface stains only)
Marble urine stains are generally found around the toilet, including bathroom grout. This type of stain is trickier than the other two, because the acid in urine can etch the marble surfaces. At that point you’re no longer removing a stain, you’ll need professional marble resurfacing.
The color of the marble also makes a difference. Urine yellows marble, so some colors show the stain more than others.
Note that the same process described below can also work on other organic stains, e.g., coffee, tea, leaves, and/or red wine (though again, not for etch marks left by wine).
Your DIY marble stains removal for this scenario will require two products, and the steps that follow
Hydrogen Peroxide 12% (found at this link)
and Diatomaceous Earth, (located at this link)
NOTE: Be sure to wear gloves to prevent the hydrogen peroxide from temporarily whitening the tips of your fingers or hands.
How to use:
Mix the two ingredients to create a consistency of a thick flour paste.
Apply over stain, being sure to cover the affected area completely.
Press on it gently to compact it on the surface.
Leave the mixture exposed to completely dry on the affected area.
Remove the dried powder and inspect to see if the mixture has done the job; repeat the process if necessary.
The combination will not damage the marble's finish, no matter how many times you reapply. It will only purify the affected areas and continue to draw out the organic impurities that can make the area cleaner than the rest.
If you have questions about any of the DIY marble stains removal steps or products, just email us at: info@tersomr.com
You can also check out TERSO MR® marble and porcelain surface care recommendations, as caring for your marble, natural stone, and porcelain should be simple. https://www.tersomr.com/post/terso-mr-marble-porcelain-care-recommendations