I hate marble

Mrs. Richie · 06-14-2008, 12:03 AM

Grrr...the individual who built my house loved marble and it is everywhere. I knew nothing about caring for marble but learned fast (the hard way LOL) to wipe spills up before they'd etch. I have also learned to not use the typical bathroom cleaners in my shower. The walls are white marble and they are fine as I squeegie them all the time. I am having trouble cleaning the white tiles on the shower floor because the ledge of the shower (where the glass walls and door sits) is black marble and I don't know what cleaner to use that won't ruin the white marble walls or the black marble ledge (the middle of the tile shower floor is fine but the edges that abut the marble are so grungy...yuck). Any suggestions, folks? Another bathroom problem is the area directly in front of the toilet...I have all boys in the family and there is a white cloudy area that has developed in front of the toilet...uric acid I imagine, right? Any suggestions for that? I also dropped a bottle of vinegar in the entry hall so you can guess how lovely that area is.
I am pretty sure my issues require professional restoration but here is my problem. The one company in my area that everyone seems to recommend sent someone out to my house a few years ago (at the request of my painting contractor) when some paint cans were left on a clean drop cloth for a few days and when the cloth was removed there were 3 white paint can rings on the black marble floor (the painter was sick about it and I was baffled as how this happened but my marble floor is on a slab so somehow leached through). The restoration guy tried using some kind of poultice that sort of did an ok job but I also saw him rubbing in some black magic marker in a section where the poultice didn't seem to work at all (was that a normal professional "trick" to cover over an etched area?). I don't know why he didn't actually attempt to restore the area but the marble guy said that his effort was the best that could be done and I wasn't as knowledgeable as I am now (thanks to these kinds of websites) to insist on a better repair job. I would like to hire a professional marble repair person who is really proficient at restoration but don't know whom to trust. Can anyone recommend someone in the Central PA area? Thank you. (note: I've posted this on some other forums too so don't think you're going crazy if this message sounds familiar!)

Huligar · 06-14-2008, 03:40 AM

It does not sound like you hate marble, but it does sound like you need some help with the care your marble.

If you can upload some images of the areas that needs some care, we will be able to help.

How far from the GW are you.

Karen Church · 06-14-2008, 02:52 PM

What type of cleaning does the shower need? Soap scum removal? Mildew Stain Removal? Water Spot removal?
There are products available that are safe to use around marble. We like Envirosafe Water Spot (or A-1 Hardwater Stain) remover for the glass, frame, fixtures and tile. It's a paste that doesn't contain abrasives or acids, but it works well to remove hard water spots. We started using it about 7 or 8 years ago and haven't found anything better.
MB Stone makes a very good soap scum remover and mildew stain remover.
I've never used the MB Stone soap scum remover around black marble, so I'm not sure if it would bleach it, but when I'm working on sensitive areas that I'm unsure of I apply the mildew stain remover with a Q-Tip just to the stain. If it's the silicone caulking that is stained... nothing will clean it and you need to have it removed and replaced with new occasionally.