Marble Vanity Top Stain Due To CLR Use

QUESTION:

Some CLR cleaner was used on the polished marble countertop. The shine is now gone and spotty.

Vinegar and Clorox cleanup were used to clean or alter the effect of the CLR. It did not work.

How do we restore the spots made by the CLR?

ANSWER:

All the products you used will damage marble with the results you describe.... dull spots.

CLR is highly acidic and acids corrode or "etch" marble countertops. Lysol cleaners do the same thing as does vinegar, bleach, ammonia, and acidic foods and drinks.

Etching is a chemical reaction with the marble that destroys the shiny surface leaving a dull spot. This is different than a marble stain.

These dull spots can also look chalky or clear or may only be seen from a certain angle or in certain light.

It's a very common problem that people are often not aware of or told about by their installers.

Luckily, there is a product that can repair etching if it's not too severe and very rough to the touch.

To restore dull spots from CLR use the ETCH REMOVER / Marble Polishing product which is specifically designed to remove etch marks from "polished" marble and make the surface shine again.

It's easy to use, but since your marble suffered repeated damage you may have to apply the paste several times.

Most etching is mild enough that the paste easily removes the marks, but again if the etching is too severe, your only option at that point is to hire a marble maintenance professional to restore the surface.

I always recommend people use the Etch Remover first because it is far far less expensive than a pro and typically does the trick.

On honed marble countertops a different procedure is required to fix etch marks since you don't want a shiny finish.

The Marble Polishing Pads - Drill Kit works great on honed marble.

From now on you should only use products safe for cleaning marble.

You may also consider investing in the Cleaning Marble Secrets Guide so you can learn everything you need to know for proper marble maintenance, solve problems, protect, clean, etc.

Marble care is not hard or complex, you just have to know what the surface is like and how to do it right just like learning how to take care of wood, clothes, carpets, leather, your car finish, etc.

And best not to experiment with random chemicals before you know what a particular countertop material requires.