Cleaning Cultured Marble

Regular marble is soft, delicate and very porous. It is notorious for staining or etching when coming into contact with non pH neutral products.

All cultured stone products like marble, onyx and granite products have a resin finish that is a non-porous, and stain resistant.

Cultured marble is made by mixing 75% marble dust and 25% resin. Most cultured marble has a gel coating that makes it very durable. Voila. You have the perfect stone product.

Important Things To Know Before You Clean Cultured Marble:

Finishes:

We know that cultured marble is marble dust and plastic resin, but that doesn't mean that you can clean it with just anything.

Things to consider are the finish: glossy or matte, if your finish is glossy, take extra care with cleaning because the finish shows every little scratch.

Consider also whether it has that gel coating I mentioned above. Gel coated marble is impervious and much less delicate than cultured marble that does not have the coating. Don't use strong acid or alkaline based cleaners on non-coated cultured marble. You risk dulling the finish.

Using Abrasives:

Do not use an abrasive cleaner. Don't use Ajax or Comet, even in cream form. Don't use a scouring pad, the scratchy side of sponge, steel wool or any thing else that could scratch the marble. The general rule of thumb is this: Only use a soft cloth or chamois. Period.

Regular Cleaning:

The majority of all cultured marble products can take strong acid or alkaline cleaners, but some can't. What you can use to clean it will vary by the manufacturers product, so please don't assume- you really should check your product care manual to be sure.

Cultured marble is normally cleaned with a little soap or a mild detergent. Regular bathroom cleaners work well but be sure to read the product label to make sure the product is safe to use.

Soap scum or build up can be removed from showers, sinks, or bathtubs using a 50/50 mixture of distilled white vinegar and water. Add about 1/2 cup of each to a spray bottle and spray a small area. Wipe the area immediately with the soft cloth. You may need some elbow grease to get it all off. Keeping on top of build up before it gets out of control is a good idea because you can't use abrasives. Rinse the marble after cleaning. Buff dry for a nice shine.

At Mrs. Clean (we are a real cleaning company) we use a solution of 1 gallon of warm water to 1 cap full of Murphy Oil Soap. This cleaning solution is pH neutral and will not damage any marble. It removes soap scum and leaves a nice shine.

Hard Water Stains:

If you're cleaning cultured marble because of hard water stains, use the same water and vinegar mixture above but let it dry for 30 minutes.

Then, using a clean, damp cloth, wipe down the hard water stained area. If this doesn't remove the stain, repeat the process. Remember not use abrasives when scrubbing.

Hard water spots are caused by minerals in the water. Some area's have very hard water and this is a real problem. Drying the shower bathtub or sinks after using will go along way in avoiding water spots in the future.

Removing Stains:

If you need to clean hairspray or some other sticky substance from cultured marble, use denatured alcohol. For those of you unfamiliar with denatured alcohol, it is for the most part, rubbing alcohol. Depending on the manufacturer, the bottles in your local drug store may read, "denatured" or "rubbing." Pour a little bit on a cotton ball or cloth and apply to a small, hidden area of the cultured marble. You want to make sure that it won't discolor or damage the marble. If it's ok, then apply the alcohol to the hairspray and wipe it off. Don't pour too much alcohol on the cloth or cotton ball at one time. Work slowly and patiently until it's all removed.

Shining Marble:

Some cultured marble manufacturers suggest using car wax or a special countertop wax to clean and shine the marble. Again, always apply the wax to a hidden area to make sure it won't damage the marble.

Once you know it's ok, apply as follows:

• Apply the wax to the countertop according to the directions
• Most will recommend to let the wax dry for 15 to 20 minutes
• Once the wax is dry, use a clean, damp cloth to remove it
• Follow that with a dry cloth to remove any remaining wax

If you are using wax in the shower or tub be sure to test for slipperiness before getting in again!