How to clean your Marble Countertops in Chantilly, VA

While marble countertops are made from a durable material, cleaning them can be a little tricky to make sure they keep looking as pretty as they can. There are also a lot of kitchen countertops in Chantilly, VA, so many people in the area are asking about how to clean marble countertops in Chantilly, VA.

In this guide we will go over the best methods of cleaning marble countertops in Chantilly, VA so that you can make sure that they keep looking their best. We will also go over some facts about marble so that you can better understand this stone that makes your kitchen island in Chantilly, VA look so elegant.

Best Cleaner For Marble Countertops Chantilly, VA

For cleaning your marble countertops, the best cleaner is a simple one of mild soap and water. You can buy specialty marble cleaners from the store, but they won’t necessarily work any better than just putting some of your regular soap to work. 

Marble can react badly to too harsh of cleaners and you could end up damaging the surface to the point where it will need to be refinished. You really only need a little bit of soap and water to clean marble effectively, so don’t go for anything stronger. For a better and safe cleaning for your marble countertops, better hire some professionals like this cleaning company.

Cleaning Method For Marble Countertops

To clean your marble countertops, use a damp sponge with a few drops of mild dish soap. You want to use the soft side of the sponge to scrub the marble to cover it well with some soap.

Rinse the soap off of the marble with some clean water. Then you can dry the marble countertops with a soft cloth, using a circular motion to sort of buff the surface.

This is a good method for regular cleaning of your marble countertops that will leave them looking great. 

What Is Marble?

Marble is a rock that can be found all over the world. It has been prized for millennia as a building material and for statues. It is so sought after for its beautiful appearance, which can be pure white, veined, or different colors like green, red or blue.

White marble countertops are one of the most popular types in Chantilly, VA and throughout the country. They make a kitchen look clean, bright and elegant.

Calcium carbonate comprises a large portion of marble, and it is this mineral that makes marble so difficult to clean. It can react with acidic cleaners which causes the mable to etch, leaving the surface looking dull and rough.

What Not To Clean Marble With

To avoid damaging your marble countertops, be sure never to clean with acidic cleaners like vinegar, bleach or lemon juice. These acidic substances will damage the shiny finish of your marble countertops and leave them looking dull.

I learned the effects of lime juice on marble the hard way. One night, I was mixing margaritas on a marble coffee table and got a little sloppy as the night went along. In the morning I noticed dull spots in the glossy finish of the table where lime juice had splashed, and when I went to clean them they would not go away.

Do not let this happen to your nice marble countertops, learn from my mistake and keep acidic substances well away from your marble. 

Can Etching Be Fixed?

The good news is that etching does not damage the marble in any permanent way and with a bit of work you can get them polished and looking new again. Etching only affects the surface of the marble, and the structural integrity will not be damaged at all.

Some people even leave etching on their marble countertops and let it build up over the years, showing that their marble has been there for a long time and seen a lot of good memories. You can decide what you like if your marble becomes etched.

To fix etched marble, you can buy a marble polishing kit from the store that will have instructions on how to go about fixing the etched marble. Usually it comes in a powder that you rub onto the etched marble with a soft cloth, clean it off, then repeat until the polished finish is restored. Also, you can always update your kitchen by hiring some remodeling company.

How To Avoid Etching

Any acidic food or beverage can cause etching on marble, it is just one of the drawbacks of having this beautiful material in your home. You need to be very careful about cleaning up spills and you want to avoid having acidic substances spill at all.

You may not realize it, but many foods and drinks have an acidic nature. This includes milk, coffee, tomatoes, oranges and vinegar. Keep these items away from your marble countertops and if they do happen to spill make sure you clean them up quickly.

If an acidic substance is left on marble countertops too long it can continue to eat away at the marble and the damage could become more severe. At a certain point a DIY marble restoration will not be enough and you will have to call in professional stone repair services to get your marble countertops looking as good as they should.

Sealing Marble Countertops

To help avoid spills becoming stains, you can seal your marble. We suggest resealing marble countertops every six months to make sure that they are protected as well as possible.

Start by cleaning the marble with the method described above. Make sure to get off any stuck on grease or food. You may also need to strip off the old sealer using acetone, make sure you use proper safety equipment if you use acetone.

You will need to purchase a marble sealer from a home improvement store and you can follow the instructions that come with it. This usually involves spreading the sealer evenly over the entire countertop with a clean, soft cloth.

You may need to wait for some time for the sealer to set up. Read the instructions that come with the marble sealer to see if you need to apply two coats or not.

If this seems too difficult, you can always call in stone finishing professionals to help you reseal your marble countertops so that they will be protected from stains. Marble sealer does not prevent etching though, so you will still need to be extremely careful not to spill anything acidic on your marble countertops.