The natural marble stone that you have purchased for your home or office is an investment that will give you many years of enjoyment and service. Marble stone is a natural product and simple care and maintenance will continue to keep it looking beautiful for many years to come. Here are some recommendations for the routine care and cleaning of your beautiful marble stone product.

Clean stone surfaces with a few drops of neutral cleaner, stone soap (available at hardware stores or from your stone dealer) or a mild liquid dishwashing detergent and warm water. Use a clean rag mop on floors and a soft cloth for other surfaces for best results. Too much cleaner or soap used during cleaning may cause a film residue and cause streaking to occur on your marble stone product. Never use products that contain lemon, vinegar or other acids on marble or limestone. Always rinse the surface thoroughly after washing with the soap solution and dry with a soft cloth. Change the rinse water frequently. Do not use scouring powders or creams, these products contain abrasives that may scratch the surface.

In the bath or other wet areas, soap scum can be minimized by using a squeegee after each use. To remove soap scum, use a non-acidic soap scum remover or a solution of ammonia and water (about 1/2 cup ammonia to a gallon of water). Frequent or over-use of an ammonia solution may eventually dull the surface of the stone.

Vanity tops may need to have a penetrating sealer applied. Check with your installer for recommendations. A good quality marble wax or non-yellowing automobile paste wax can be applied to minimize water spotting.

In food preparation areas, the stone may need to have a penetrating sealer applied. Check with your installer for recommendations. If a sealer is applied, be sure that it is non-toxic and safe for use on food preparation surfaces. If there are questions, check with the sealer manufacturer.

In outdoor pool, patio or hot tub areas, flush with clear water and use a mild bleach solution to remove algae or moss.

• Do dust mop floors frequently.
• Do clean surfaces with mild detergent or stone soap.
• Do thoroughly rinse and dry the surface after washing.
• Do blot up spills immediately.
• Do protect floor surfaces with non-slip mats or area rugs and countertop surfaces with coasters, trivets or placemats.
• Don't use vinegar, lemon juice or other cleaners containing acids on marble, limestone, travertine or onyx surfaces.
• Don't use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners or tub & tile cleaners.
• Don't use abrasive cleaners such as dry cleansers or soft cleansers.
• Don't mix bleach and ammonia; this combination creates a toxic and lethal gas.