Cleaning Marble Tile

[sambette]

I just got polished white marble tile installed in my shower two months ago. I have been squeegeeing and drying it after every use, but I have not yet cleaned it because I haven't been able to find a cleaner that is safe to use on marble tile. I purchased Dry Treat S-P Cleaner, but I'm afraid to use it without cleaning the shower with something else first because I don't want to seal in the dirt. Do you know of any marble-safe cleaners that can be used on a regular basis?

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[cx]

Welcome, Samantha. Please go to the UserCP, find Edit Signature and enter that name so it appears in each post and we don't gotta go searchin' about to see who you are, eh? :)

For your marble the big-time cleaning gurus herabouts are gonna recommend a neutral cleaner. One of those is StoneTech Professional's Stone & Tile Cleaner. For cleaning with a little protection added in, they have Revitalizer.

You can see or buy both at Tile Experts.com (http://www.tile-experts.com) and have'em delivered to your doorstep.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[sambette]

Thanks! I checked out the website though and the description of the cleaner (below) says to use the Revitalizer on marble. Have you ever tried the stone 7 tile cleaner on marble? I'm just worried about sealing in stains with the revitalizer.

Stone and Tile Cleaner (24 oz. spray)
Economical all-purpose cleaner for everyday soils and spills all over the home; gentle, neutral formula is safe on stone; great for ceramic and porcelain tile. For natural stone such as marble and granite we recommend Revitalizer Cleaner and Protector.


Thanks again!

Sam

[sambette]

Someone else recommended the following products, have you ever heard of any of these?

-Armstrong Once & Done
-Stone Technologies Stone Soap Ultra
-Mira Clean #1
-Black Diamond Stoneworks Marble Cleaner

[GeorgeT]

Hi Sam -

The real key is how you use a product....
If you have not sealed yet, use a heavier duty cleaner first (ours is KlenzAll) and get the surface very clean. If you have stains treat them. Your concern about "sealing in dirt" can be addressed this way.
Then seal the stone and jump into your maintenance cleaning with a neutral pH cleaner....neutral pH so you don't degrade the sealer in the stone (or damage the stone)....
There are no magic cleaners... you still have to do the work....As long as you work with products designed for stone you'll be fine.....

[StoneRenew]

Sam, As you mentioned in your first post you had a 'Polished" white marble installed. In most cases if a marble has a high gloss polish on it...that means it is already 'sealed'. A polished stone is not as porous as unpolished stone. This is due partly to the mechanical polish during the sanding, grinding, process. It also is partly due to the final polishing method that puts the shine on the stone. (trying to use easy to understand terms) Can polished stone still be stained? Yes it can, but its much harder then a honed surface such as most travertine floors or shower stalls. I still would recommend sealing it because it does help keep soap residue and other soils from penetrating, and it helps give you peace of mind. Also, I want you to know that just because a stone is "sealed" does not mean it cannot become stained or etched from the wrong chemicals or big amounts of dirt and soil. So with that being said I wouldn't worry too much about staining or etching your polished marble. Keep doing what your doing after you seal it and you'll be fine for years to come.

[cx]

Welcome, StoneRenew. Please put a first name in a permanent signature line for us to use. :)

And come on over to the Professional's Hangout and start an introductory thread and meet the other folks there. We're a pretty friendly group and we can always use another hand hereabouts, especially here in the Cleaning/Sealing forum.

[doitright]

Hi Sam, Welcome! :)

Along with all that's been said, I'll throw in a few extra questions/comments.

Is this a pure white marble or does it have veining?

Is the shower pan marble also?

Is this a steam shower?

Since it's only a couple months old, TEST your surface by rubbing your finger on the wall and see if it smears or smudges. If it does, more than likely a soap film has already started to form and needs to be removed.

A stone specific high alkaline cleaner (such as Stone Tech's Klenz All) will assist with the light soap film removal. Try to stay away from products from your local supermarket or hardware store. Some of the big box stores have decent products, but you have to know which ones are the most suitable for your installation.

[Veola]

Several months ago we had a natural marble floor installed. It has this haze on the tile. I went back to the contractor and he didn't know what to do. So I went to lowes and ask for something that would clean it off. I have spend about $125 on stone cleaner and everything I can find. Nothing seems to be helping. If you touch the tile it is smooth but it is not shiney and pretty like when we picked it out. I haven't used vinagar or anything like that on it because I heard that it can damage natural marble. I don't know what to do. I'm so tired of spending money to get no results. Can anyone please help me?

[doitright]

Hi Veola, Welcome! :)

It sounds like your floor needs to be polished by a professional. There are products for DIY's, but you'd still need some talent and equipment.

Where are you located?

[Veola]

Hi,
thanks for responding. We are in McMinnville TN. I would rather someone else do it. Have any suggestions?

[ccarlisle]

Normally, the place you bought it from can help you - that is with the exception of big box stores...that's not their business. So where did you buy it from? and what is the name of the marble? If you don't know that, give us an indication of price per sgft or per tile you paid, that'll help a bit.

[Veola]

We bought it at Lowe's. It's just called natural marble. I don't remember how much it cost.

[graffster]

Try to find a qualified stone restoration company in your area that deals with granite & marble. Check out there references too!!! You might try local granite shops they may know of a good company.

[doitright]

Hi Veola :)

You can click on the MIA link at the bottom of my signature. It has a member search feature that includes a drop down list at the bottom of that page to specify restoration & maintenance. If you don't have any success with that I may be able to come up with a few other resources. There's not a lot of companies that really know their business regarding stone restoration and/or cleaning.