How To: Polish Marble

Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about How To: Polish Marble and hope the blog can help you.

Has your shiny marble has lost some of its luster with use? It’s not uncommon for dull spots to show up on polished marble—in fact, the occasional imperfection is easy enough to fix yourself. Read up on how you can restore its good looks using just a few specialty stone products.

Marble—a white or uniquely variegated type of limestone that has been exposed to extreme heat and pressure—has a long history of being favored by artisans and builders, from Michelangelo’s David and Moses sculptures to The Taj Mahal. So it’s no wonder that marble in the modern home is both prized and expensive. Its natural beauty, depth of pattern, and unique markings make it an elegant, luxurious choice for flooring, countertops, tabletops, and vanities.

However, soft and porous marble counters have their downsides, and chief among them is their tendency to stain or etch. The latter problem, etching, refers to dulled spots that sometimes appear pitted and feel slightly rough to the touch. These may occur after exposure to acidic or highly colored foods (red wine, tomatoes, vinegar, and citrus) and even acidic or abrasive cleaning products. While a matte marble finish can minimize the appearance of imperfections, the glossy finish that most homeowners prefer on their countertops often shows off every etch and stain.

Still, the beauty of marble—and the value it adds to your kitchen or bathroom—makes it worth a bit of extra trouble. When your marble surfaces have lost their shine, the following procedures will bring back the glory of this classic stone.

Before You Begin

Before tackling the cleaning and shining of your marble counters, it helps to understand the two different marble finishes before you fruitlessly try to restore a shine to one that’s not designed to be glossy.

• Honed marble has been sanded to create a velvety finish—not quite matte, but definitely not shiny. Less slippery than polished marble, honed marble is very well suited for floors. Some homeowners also prefer honed marble for their countertops, as it’s less likely to scratch than polished marble and hides etching better than a shiny surface.
• Still, polished marble is the more common choice for the kitchen countertops or table inlays. The less porous option, this finish won’t stain as easily as honed marble might and does not demand the same frequency of sealing. Plus, its shine offers a semi-reflective surface that is both attractive and helps to make a small kitchen appear larger than its footprint.

While it is possible to transform a polished marble counter into a honed surface, or vice versa, the project requires skill and experience and special equipment—in other words, it’s best to leave this job to a professional with a stone polishing machine. If you’re looking to restore shine to your polished marble counter or tabletop, though, you can do so with these accessible supplies and steps.