How to Polish Marble
How to Polish Your Marble Home Features
Marble is an absolutely stunning material that adds simple elegance to any room in your home. Over time though, your marble may lose some of the qualities that made it appear new and recently-installed. If your marble has lost some of its sheen, there’s no need to worry – Impression knows just the trick. We know that marble’s shine is important, and it doesn’t look as impressive without it. Luckily, cleaning and resealing your marble can bring it back to life and give it a facelift with minimal effort!
It can be important to reseal your marble (and its shine) for a few reasons. For one, it doesn’t look quite as nice. It can be important to up the appearance of your marble if you’re having guests, holding a get together, or trying to sell or rent out your home. These occasions call for perfection! Second, a shiny marble countertop often means it’s been sealed or resealed recently. Sealing is important for protecting your natural stone from day to day use, preventing stains and dulling ensuring that it lasts a lifetime.
Clean Your Marble
To start the polishing process, you’ll want to make sure your marble is nice and clean. Begin by wiping the surface of your marble with a soft dry cloth to remove surface dirt. This step is important for not rubbing in dirt particles and creating microscopic etches. From there, use a soft sponge dampened with warm water to wipe the surface. Be sure to use minimal water and to not leave any standing water, as it can cause water stains. Then, use a stone cleaner specific to your marble. Dry your marble with a chamois cloth, or one of another soft material like microfiber, and dry in small, circular motions to buff the marble.
Remove Any Marble Stains
Next, you’ll want to make a poultice to remove any stains, so as not to trap them in the marble. Combine two tablespoons of ammonia with one cup hydrogen peroxide until it’s a thick paste. Spread the paste on your marble using a soft spatula, and then cover it with plastic wrap. The wrap can be taped down using painter’s tape if necessary. Allow the poultice to dry for at least 24 hours. Then gently scrape it off using a razor blade, taking care to not scrape the surface. Lastly, wash off any remaining powder using water.
Sand Your Marble Top
What many don’t know is that it’s best to sand your marble countertops and other surfaces when it’s wet. Spray the surface using a spray bottle of water, and continue doing so during the process. Use 120 grit sandpaper on a palm sander or a sanding block, and sand in circular motion. Repeat the process using finer and finer sandpapers, moving to 300 and then 600 grit. At the end, wipe down with damp sponge to remove dust
Seal and Shine Your Marble
The final step of polishing your marble is to bring back its shine! Cover the surface with marble-polishing paste or spray-on stone polish. Oil-repellent sealers tend to be most popular, but you can check out our blog on sealants to help you choose one! Be sure to pick a sealant with a long life expectancy, so you don’t need to repeat this process all too often.
Choose Marble From Impression
No matter what marble home feature you’re striving for, Impression can help. Our marble is specifically quarried and imported from France and Italy to bring you top-quality natural stone. Visit our showroom today to see our huge variety of marble colors, types, and more, or contact us to get started on a custom natural stone project of your own!
