Marble is a beautiful natural stone that has been widely sought out for its luxurious appearance and durability. But just as it is strong, it is also very susceptible to staining due to its porous structure. If you’ve got a marble floor, here’s how you can keep it looking its best for the long haul:
What You’ll Need
- bucket
- dust mop (preferably microfiber)
- soft cloths/microfiber towels
- wet mop
- pH-neutral soap
- etch remover
- stone cleaner
- 12% hydrogen peroxide
- ammonia
- marble polish
- sealer
- steel wool
- gloves
How to Clean Your Marble Floor
1. Clean with Dry Mop
Abrasive particles like dirt and sand can easily scratch your marble floor. To prevent this, we recommend regularly cleaning your floor using a dry mop with soft, natural, and chemical-free bristles. Because you want to be as gentle as possible when dealing with marble, is best to avoid using a vacuum cleaner for this step, as the vacuum’s wheels can easily scratch the floor.
2. Soap
When selecting a soap to clean marble floors, you’d want to pick a pH-neutral soap. Avoid cleaners with acidic ingredients, as this may cause etching and leave behind marks resembling water stains.
Fill your bucket with water and a few drops of the soap and begin mopping away, changing the dirty water as needed. Make sure you don’t over-soak as you mop the floor, as any standing water left on the marble can cause staining once it evaporates.
3. Rinse and Dry
After covering the entire floor with suds, rinse the entire surface thoroughly by mopping the floor again with clean water. Once you’ve mopped away all the remaining soap residue, dry the floor using a soft cloth or a dry mop.
4. Remove Stains
As mentioned earlier, marble is a porous material and is notorious for being susceptible to staining. So if you spill something by accident, be sure to blot and clean it up immediately. Though if the stain has been sitting for a while already, don’t worry—you can still remove the stain by spot cleaning with a solution of 12% hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia. Alternatively, you can read our guide on how to remove stains from marble here.
5. Remove Etch Marks
Etch marks are formed from acids that eat away at the surface of your marble floor. If you’ve got some minor etching, wet the affected area with clean water and sprinkle some marble polishing powder, and buff the powder into the stone in a circular motion. Continue to work the product in until the mark completely disappears.
If you have larger or more severe etch marks that have been left unattended, you may need the help of a professional to smoothen and re-polish your marble floor.
6. Seal
If you’d like to make your marble floor less prone to staining, we recommend sealing your floor every two to three years. While this won’t make your floor 100% stain proof, it will help in resisting those major stains as well as maintaining your marble’s luster for a longer period of time.
Marble Floor Maintenance Tips
Preserving the beauty of your marble floor will depend on how vigilant you are when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. If you’d like to keep your marble floor as spotless as possible, here are some additional tips you can follow:
1. Steer Clear of Tough Stuff
While marble is known for its durability, it is highly sensitive to anything acidic. Because it is a natural and calcareous stone, it is also best to avoid abrasive materials to maintain your marble floor’s smooth and glossy exterior.
In addition to selecting only non-acidic cleansers, cleaning agents like scouring powders, dry or soft cleansers, bathroom, tile, grout and tub cleansers, and even a cleaner formulated for granite might also be too abrasive for your marble floor. Swap out these products for pH-neutral cleaners, and only pair these with soft cloths to prevent scratches.
If you want to play it extra safe, you can perform a spot test in an inconspicuous area to make sure that the products don’t create any adverse effects on your marble floor.
2. Keep Tabs on Dust and Dirt
Accumulated dust and dirt can also cause scratches on your marble floor when left unattended. Hence, it is best to dust mop your marble floor regularly. A good rule of thumb is to base the frequency on the number of people in your household. So if you live alone, once a week would be enough. But if you live in a household with three people, dust mop three times a week.
If you want to make your job a bit easier, you can also place anti-slip mats or rugs around entrances to limit the amount of abrasive dirt being tracked in your home.
3. Do Deep-Cleaning Once a Month
Depending on the traffic or presence of dirt, periodic deep-cleaning is a must for marble floors. You can opt to use pH-neutral soap, phosphate free dishwashing detergent, or a stone soap formulated for marble, to gently but effectively clean your marble floor. Just be sure to dry your floor well to avoid any kind of stains.
Clean Marble Floors for Your Home
While maintenance isn’t the most exciting thing for most homeowners, it is highly necessary if you want to make the most out of your investment. Rest assured, while cleaning and maintaining your marble floor may sound tedious at first, it actually takes less time than people think.
For more handy tips and information about floor cleaning, visit our blog page!
