When selecting flooring for your home, marble is an elegant and enduring choice. Marble can last a lifetime or even longer. Many of the world’s most famous buildings, from churches to museums and monuments, are built using this precious natural material. It is pliable enough to be cut for use and resilient enough to be used on floors, counter-tops and walls. But like any natural stone, marble is also porous and delicate, requiring careful maintenance. Periodic professional steam cleaning is  recommended to keep your marble floors shiny and beautiful!

But it is the day-to-day treatment that will prove to be the most important upkeep you can do to avoid damage and costly repairs. There are some definite do’s and don’ts when it comes to do it yourself marble care!

Do’s:

  1. Make every effort to keep the marble clean on a daily basis. Clean any spill as soon as possible to avoid allowing stains to set into the grain of the stone.
  2. Place mats at all doorways to minimize the amount of dirt that gets tracked into your home. Rugs or runners in entryways and high traffic areas will enhance your living space and protect the floors from degradation.
  3. Use warm water only and a cotton mop for daily cleaning.
  4. If that is not strong enough to get the job done, dilute a very small amount of Ammonia in water for a cleaning solution. Less is more when using cleaning agents, so only use this cleaning treatment as a last resort, rather than everyday
  5. Use diluted, PH balanced dish-washing soap as an alternative cleaning solution. Please test any cleaners in a small spot before applying to the entire area!

Don’ts:

  1. Never allow liquid, grease or oil to stay on the floor. Prompt attention is required for all spills and messes. Marble is very susceptible to rust, and discoloration even from smoke. Many common household items such as makeup, juice, or coffee can leave a stain if not lifted up immediately. .
  2. Avoid acidic cleaners at all costs! Never use vinegar, lemon juice, or any product with even the smallest amount of acid, which will erode the marble surface.
  3. Powder cleaners and abrasive scrubbing items should not be used. Keep scouring pads away from your floors. Stick with soft, microfiber towels for small wipe-ups and cotton mop-heads for overall cleanup.
  4. Do not allow dirt, grime or sand to lay on the floor, these gritty substances can cause scratches on marble. The use of rugs and mats cannot be emphasized enough to keep these destructive materials off the floor to begin with.
  5. Salt is also known to dissolve marble and cause a pitted surface. So be extra careful in winter-time when salt mixes are used on roads and sidewalks to dissolve ice.

Marble is a rare and expensive material which will instantly give your home a classy and timeless look. Avoid scratches, staining, cracking and dullness by treating marble with the care it deserves. Studious prevention and daily housekeeping will make all the difference!