Caring for your Marble

The Origins of Marble

The term “marble” (marmor in Latin, mármaron in Greek) derives from the Greek verb marmáirein, which means “to shine”, “to sparkle”: thus, the word refers to the appearance of the rock, appreciated since ancient times for its whiteness, purity and shininess.

Marble surfaces be it your flooring, wall, or countertop, has been trusted for its enduring nature, dependability. Marble has also become people’s favourite due to its shining look, durability, and perfection. Marble is available in different colours and textures. It’s also available with a polished or non-polished finish, and in an array of thicknesses and shapes.  We should take proper care of marble to make its shining, and durability even longer. A little mistake or unawareness can harm the glow of marble surfaces.

Marble has a porous nature; it has a tendency to soak anything that is dripped on to it. People sometimes use acids, or rough cleaning materials to clean these stains caused by porous nature of marble, resulting scratches. These scratches on your marble will result in the loss of beauty of this stone.

One needs to be cautious while working with marble. Never use vinegar or any other type of acidic or rough cleaning products to clean marble floors. Marble is delicate and should only be cleaned with PH natural, gentle cleaners. Even, mild acid present in vinegar can prove dangerous to the overall finish of marble flooring. Always use neutral PH cleaning products for cleaning marble. One of our chemicals that works well on marble is our Joy Multipurpose Cleaner JOY MULTIPURPOSE CLEANER – Chemicals|Cleaning Chemicals|Corpchem Chemicals (corpchemonline.co.za) available in 5lt and 25lt.

Consider the following tips when working with marble:

1. Non-polished marble is very porous, stains easily, and must be sealed with a commercial sealer. Do not use varnish or lacquer to seal marble; it quickly peels off. Polished marble is less porous but can still be stained; a commercial marble sealer is also recommended for this finish.
2. Marble floors look great after being damp mopped using either clear water, our multip-purpose cleaning solution JOY MULTIPURPOSE CLEANER – Chemicals|Cleaning Chemicals|Corpchem Chemicals (corpchemonline.co.za) in warm water, or a mixture of 1 cup fabric softener JOY FABRIC SOFTNER – Chemicals|Cleaning Chemicals|Corpchem Chemicals (corpchemonline.co.za) and 2 litres of water.
3. In case anything spills on a marble surface, wipe it with a damp cloth or terry cloth almost immediately. The more you let the spill sit, the more stubborn will the resultant stain be.
4. While wiping marble, always make use of a damp rag. Thereafter, buff-dry it with a chamois cloth.
5. Always wet the marble top with lukewarm water. Don’t use hot water. You don’t require to scrub marble surface unless there are some hard materials present on it. Use a mild detergent to clean marble.
6. For removing stubborn stains from marble surface, make use of neutral, non abrasive cleaners. Check out our website for more of our products available to manage your marble at all times www.corpchemonline.co.za
7. Mix liquid dishwashing detergent with some warm water. Take a sponge, dip it in the solution and use it to clean your marble. Thereafter, buff-dry it with a chamois cloth.
8. In case your marble has become dull, you can brighten it once again by using our marble cleaner and polish/wax.
9. In the bath/ shower or other wet areas, soap scum can be minimized by using a squeegee after each use.
10. In outdoor pool, patio or hot tub areas, flush with clear water and use a mild bleach solution to remove algae or moss.
11. For removing rust stains from marble, use our rust stain remover it is the best. However, do not let it sit on the marble for too long. Do not use stain remover on a regular basis as it damages the floor.
12.  If oil stains on marble are bothering you, dust the area with an absorbent fine powder like whiting or corn starch and let it stand for 24 hours. Thereafter, wipe with ammonia-dampened cloth, rinse and wipe-dry.
13. If you want to dry and shine the marble, use dry terry cloth or paper towels. In case, you require something more than just a mild detergent to clean the marble, you can purchase our marble cleaner.
14. In case of marble floors, you can also use a stone sealer. Maintain your marble floor and tiles regularly to make its shine and beauty long-lasting.
15. Self-polishing liquid wax is a fast, shiny finish for marble. Occasionally, you’ll have to strip the wax buildup and rewax. After applying the stripper according to the manufacturer’s directions, rinse the floor thoroughly, then apply wax.
16. Use either a water-base self-polishing wax or a paste wax. If you use a paste wax, test it in a corner to see if it will discolour the flooring. If a solvent-base paste wax is used, rewax to strip the old wax and to renew the shine.

• Non-polished marble is very porous and stains easily. Do not use varnish or lacquer to seal marble; it quickly peels off. Polished marble is less porous but can still be stained; a commercial marble sealer is also recommended for this finish.
• Marble floors look great after being damp mopped using either clear water, our multi-purpose cleaning solution in warm water, or a mixture of 1 cup of our fabric softener and 2 litres of water.
• In case anything spills on a marble surface, wipe it with a damp cloth or terry cloth almost immediately. The more you let the spill sit, the more stubborn will the resultant stain be.
• While wiping marble, always make use of a damp rag. Thereafter, buff-dry it with a chamois cloth.
• Always wet the marble top with lukewarm water. Don’t use hot water. You don’t require scrubbing marble surface unless there are some hard materials present on it. Use a mild detergent to clean marble.
• For removing stubborn stains from marble surface, make use of neutral, non-abrasive cleaners. Check out our website for more information on what we have available at www.corpchemonline.co.za
• Mix liquid dishwashing detergent with some warm water. Take a sponge, dip it in the solution and use it to clean your marble. Thereafter, buff-dry it with a chamois cloth.
• In case your marble has become dull, you can brighten it once again by using our marble cleaner and polish/wax.
• In outdoor pool, patio or hot tub areas, flush with clear water and use our bleach solution to remove algae or moss.

Michael Angelo

The marble not yet carved can hold the form of every thought the greatest artist has.

• For removing rust stains from marble, a commercial rust stain remover is the best. However, do not let it sit on the marble for too long. Do not use stain remover on a regular basis as it damage the floor
• In case of organic stains like tea, coffee or soft drink, use our marble cleaner which you would spray on the stain with a soft cloth, and let it dry on its own. Then wipe the marble with a warm, damp cloth, and dry it with a towel.
•  If oil stains on marble are bothering you, dust the area with an absorbent fine powder like whiting or corn starch and let it stand for 24 hours. Thereafter, wipe with ammonia-dampened cloth, rinse and wipe-dry.
• If you want to dry and shine the marble, use dry terry cloth or paper towels. In case, you require something more than just a mild detergent to clean the marble, you can purchase our marble cleaner.
• Self-polishing liquid wax is a fast, shiny finish for marble. Occasionally, you’ll have to strip the wax buildup and rewax. After applying the stripper according to the manufacturer’s directions, rinse the floor thoroughly, then apply wax.
• Use either a water-base self-polishing wax or a paste wax. If you use a paste wax, test it in a corner to see if it will discolour the marble flooring. If a solvent-base paste wax is used, rewax to strip the old wax and to renew the shine.