Marble Bathroom Countertop Cleaner Damage

by Velda Samuels
(San Angelo, Texas USA)

QUESTION:

My housekeeper used the wrong cleaner on my marble bathroom counter which left spots scattered all over and I want to find something to correct this problem. Hope you can advise me.


I don't know what she used. Spots are where the chemical was sprayed and unable to get a photo. Spots doesn't show up in photo.

ANSWER:

Well you and your housekeeper had to learn the hard way that you must use ONLY products safe for cleaning marble or you'll cause damage.

What occurred is the cleaner was too harsh and caused a chemical burn called "etching" that corroded the marble countertop surface.

Good news is that mild to moderate etching can be repaired on polished (shiny) marble countertops and floors using ETCH REMOVER / Marble Polishing Paste that is engineered just for this purpose.

This product is very easy to use and will restore the color and shine.

Just FYI... if severe etching occurs where the damage is rough to the touch (rarely occurs) you'll most likely need to hire a marble maintenance professional to repair it.

It's still a good idea (and cheaper!) to try the paste first in cases of severe etching, but if you don't get satisfactory results your only option at that point is to call a pro.

Honed marble is different...

I'm betting that your marble countertop is polished, but if it is honed then the paste cannot be used. On honed marble you'll have to follow the instructions in the Removing Etch Marks ebook.