Dog Urine Stains On Marble Tile

QUESTION:

Our pets have had accidents on the new marble floor tile we installed.


The dog urine left a few marble stains that I cannot get out.

ANSWER:

You may actually have two types of "stains" in the same spot. Each requires a different method to remove or repair.

Urine can both "etch" and "stain" marble, limestone, and travertine tile.

This is true whether it is dog urine, cat pee, or human urine.

Urine is acidic and usually has a yellow color. The acids will etch the marble and the yellow color will cause a stain.

A marble stain occurs when a liquid or substance is absorbed into the marble and causes a spot that is darker than the marble (and/or it has a color too).

Etching occurs when an acidic food, drink or substance (like urine) contacts the marble. The acids corrode the marble leaving a dull and lighter spot.

If you have both a marble stain and etching then it will look like a stain and you may not notice the etching until removing the stain... although it could still look dull (a sign of etching).

Removing Urine Stains in Marble

Remove the stain first and then repair the etching. You'll find complete step-by-step instructions in the Removing Stains Manual.

If your marble floor tile was properly sealed, then liquids should not absorb and stain... not easily anyway. But it could still stain if the liquid is left on the floor long enough (even if sealed).

Sealers work by delaying absorption not by forming a film over the stone.

How long is "long enough"? Well, that depends on the stone and the substance/liquid, but it could be anywhere from an hour to 10 hours or more.

If you wiped up the urine quickly, then it probably didn't stain.

So, it may be that you have only a chalky dull spot... that's an etch mark.

Etching happens instantly, thus you definitely have an etch mark. A stain takes longer to develop as the liquid needs time to absorb.

But if the spot is at all darker or yellow in color, then you have both a stain and etch mark. And probably some odor too.

Again, remove the stain first, and then deal with any remaining odor, then tackle the etch mark.

Removing Urine Etch Marks in Marble

Solutions for repairing etch marks depend on the type of finish on the marble tile (honed or polished).

Use the ETCH REMOVER / Marble polishing paste on a shiny polished marble or travertine tile.

No specific product exists to restore etching on a honed marble but there is a simple DIY solution.

I'd recommend you get the Cleaning Marble Secrets Guide, which thoroughly covers both staining and etching for honed and polished marble along with everything else you need to know to properly maintain marble long-term, product recommendations, etc.

Removing Urine Stain Odor from Marble

Eliminating the urine smell is a bit tricky too. There are many odor removers out there for urine and other substances. I would recommend using one of the more natural brands that employ enzymes or micro-organisms.

The issue for removing urine odor from a marble stain is whether the product is too acidic or alkaline, which may damage (etch) the marble surface. The more natural de-odorizers usually are pH neutral.

Make your own odor remover with just plain baking soda. Make a paste with baking soda and water and apply the paste to the smelly areas.

Cover it with plastic wrap and seal around the edges with masking tape. Let it sit for a couple days. Remove the plastic and let the baking soda totally dry out. This should help quite a bit. Repeat the process a few times if needed.

If it doesn't take care of it, then try the specially formulated odor removers on the urine stain, but try to get some information regarding pH from an MSDS sheet for that product. You want the pH to be between 6-8.

Vomit stains are similar to urine stains in marble whether from pets or people.

Summary

Dog urine, cat urine, and all urine is acidic and will etch marble, travertine tile, and limestone... all calcitic stones.

Urine can also stain marble. So it is possible to have both etching and staining in the same spot.

First, remove the stain following the solutions outlined above.

Then, eliminate the odor as this can create more etching depending on the solution you use.

Lastly, repair the etch mark.

You can help prevent staining by applying a stone sealer, however, the only way to prevent etching from cat or dog urine is to keep your pets from peeing on the marble tile.

Etching occurs instantly upon contact of the urine with the marble and causes physical damage to the stone. Sealers will not prevent etching, scratching or any type of physical damage.