If you want to add a dash of elegance to any room, you could do far worse than go for black marble tiling. The only potential snag is that, if you don’t clean your beautiful natural stone properly, it can lead to noticeable streaking. And things can go wrong in particular if you don’t use the right cleaning products.
What products can I use?
You can use washing up liquid, hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol to clean marble tiles without leaving a streaky finish. Washing up liquid in particular is perfect for both the tiles themselves and the grouting. So it suits all kinds of surfaces. Mix two spoons of dish detergent for every two cups of water.
To make up a hydrogen peroxide solution, mix two cups of it in a bucket of warm water. (Or use a spray bottle with two parts water to one part hydrogen peroxide.) You will find this disinfects your surface at the same time as cleaning it.
Another idea is to have two parts water to one part rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle for countertops and tiles. You will be able to clean the marble surface without damaging it.
The cleaning process
For floors, use a mop and bucket with your cleaning solution of choice in the standard fashion, wringing out excess water as you go. To avoid streaking, go over the surface with a dry cloth afterwards.
For tiles, countertops and backsplashes, you can use a spray solution then wipe with a dry, clean cloth.
And, by the way, while these solutions are perfectly safe to use regularly, you could even just use plain water for daily cleaning.
Shifting stains
You need to do this especially carefully since, unfortunately, stains on black marble can show up more noticeably than on other varieties.
As ever, mop up as much of the stain as possible, as quickly as possible. Blot (don’t rub) using paper towels or a clean cloth.
For acid-based stains, such as those caused by tomatoes, citrus fruit or vinegar, make a thick paste of water and half a cup of baking soda. Apply it evenly over the stain and allow it to dry. You can then wipe it off using a damp cloth.
You could try cornstarch on greasy or oily stains. Again, apply a thick layer, allow to sit for a few hours and then wipe away. For food, try rubbing with hydrogen peroxide until the mark has vanished.
Royal Stone Care: the marble specialists
Talk to us at Royal Stone Care about marble cleaning and marble restoration in London. We cover all of London area. Whatever your piece of natural stone, and whatever needs doing, we’ll have seen something similar before. Get in touch today.
