Marble worktops are very popular and look amazing – but do you struggle to keep yours sparkling clean? As great looking as it is, marble does have its challenges!
The look of your kitchen surfaces is undoubtedly made immeasurably better with the addition of a cool, robust and classy marble worktop. But it’s not all good news. Marble is porous so will quickly absorb any surface liquids, potentially marking your marble if left unattended. It is a relatively soft material and will scratch more easily. Marble worktops are also notoriously good at inviting grease and grime and leaving a sticky finish in an otherwise immaculate kitchen.
Protecting Your Marble
Once you have invested in your marble kitchen worktop, you will maintain the best of the new feature only when you know how to look after it over for long term. It is far more susceptible to staining and scratching than many other materials, such as granite, so it’s important to do what you can to make sure your timeless feature remains exactly that.
At the point of its installation, you can protect the porous nature of marble with a treatment. You can choose to have your marble ‘sealed’ with a quality marble-specific product that will protect it from marking as well as making it easier to clean. It’s also important to also act quickly with any non-liquid spillages with strong colouring e.g. if you manage to spill cumin, saffron or coffee granules, wipe them up as soon as possible. Remember to reseal your marble worktops every couple of years in order to maintain its usefulness and good looks; preventing those spillages turning into permanent stains.
Avoid Scratching
Presence of forethought can also help preserve your investment in marble. You will protect it from scratches with the use of cutting boards, coasters and mats. If you do scratch your marble slightly, just give it a gentle rub with a warm, wet cloth – small scratches should disappear – and be careful not to over-rub. Because marble can be scratched, never use an abrasive cleaner.
General Cleaning
For the general cleaning of your marble, you should never use acidic (including natural acids such as vinegar and lemon juice) or alkali cleaning products as these can eat away at your marble. Be sure to use only a PH Neutral product for use only. Simply use warm, soapy water with a microfiber-style cloth – gently drying the surface afterwards to avoid leaving excess water on the surface of the marble. For tougher stains, a purpose-made marble polishing powder will be best to use.
A chamois cloth is one of the gentlest and simplest ways to polish your marble surfaces. The same chamois will last for a long time so you should afford yourself a good quality one to keep your marble looking polished and sparkling clean. Simply ‘buff’ the marble with your chamois cloth to a shiny finish.
