Top tips for taking care of marble worktops

If you are planning to make changes to your home in 2023, there are so many factors to consider. For
example, if you are going to refurbish your kitchen or bathroom, or perhaps install a stylish bar area in
your home, you need to think carefully about the best materials to use.

One excellent option for worktops is marble. Marble worktops add the perfect touch of elegance and
luxury to your home. Whether you choose to have them in your kitchen, bathroom or bar area, they will
always bring both a distinctive beauty and a sense of timelessness to that room.

At Zenstone, we supply a wide range of marble worktops, in many different colours and finishes. Take a
look at our marble library here. As you can see, if you decide to have marble worktops in your home, you
will be spoilt for choice!

But once you have marble worktops in your home, what is the best way of taking care of them? How can
you ensure that they will look just as good in future as they do right now?

In this article, we share five top tips for looking after your marble worktops. We explain how and why you
should:

● Seek professional advice about sealing.
● Protect them from excess wear and tear.
● Wipe up spills straight away.
● Use a soft cloth to clean and dry.
● Only use appropriate cleaning products.

Seek professional advice about sealing
Most marble worktops need to be sealed professionally when they are first installed. This is because
marble is a porous material and can absorb liquid. This in turn could lead to staining.

Sealing makes your marble worktops more hardwearing against water and moisture. It protects them
from staining by slowing down the process of the stain settling into the marble’s surface. Sealing can also
help to prevent your marble worktops from etching : a physical change that happens to marble if it is
exposed to acidic substances.

Some marble may need sealing again from time to time to boost the protection, but it is important to take
professional advice on this as excess sealant may not be able to be absorbed and could spoil the
appearance of your marble worktops.

At Zenstone we are always available to advise on the best way to preserve the life of your marble
worktops, including the optimum amount and frequency of sealing.

Protect them from excess wear and tear
Although marble is hardwearing, particularly once sealed, you still need to treat your marble worktops
respectfully to protect them from excess wear and tear. Avoid leaning or sitting on a marble worktop – for
example when cleaning – in case you either damage the worktop or injure yourself by slipping.

Another consideration is that, whilst marble is reasonably heat-resistant, it is always a good idea to place
hot items such as pots and pans onto a mat or trivet rather than directly onto the marble itself to avoid
the risk of heat damage.

Marble can also stain easily, so as a general rule it is better to use ceramic or stone containers for kitchen
storage rather than metallic ones, which may cause rust stains. Also try to avoid your marble worktops
getting scratched, as deep scratches may need professional attention to be fully removed.

Wipe up spills straight away
If you spill anything on your marble worktops, it’s important to wipe it up straight away. This particularly
applies to acidic spills such as wine, coffee, fruit juice, or fizzy drinks. The reason for this is that marble is
a porous substance which reacts with any acids. Prolonged exposure to acid can result in etching that we
referred to earlier and appears as permanent spots of discolouration on your worktops.

So always wipe up spills straight away to keep your worktops in peak condition. It’s also important to
make sure that you clean your marble worktops regularly to remove general kitchen grease and dirt.

Let’s take a look at the best way to do this.

Use a soft cloth to clean and dry
The best way to clean your marble worktops is firstly to dust them gently to remove any surface debris.
Then follow this by using a sponge or soft cloth and some warm water to give them a thorough clean.

Plain water is often all that is needed, but you can add a small amount of washing-up liquid or speciality
marble cleaner to the water if you prefer. However, avoid abrasive cleansers (see next tip).

The next essential thing is to ensure that your marble worktops are completely dried after you finish
washing them. If you leave water on the surface, there is a risk that it will be absorbed by the marble, and
could lead to a dull appearance. Taking a few minutes to dry your worktops will not only avoid this risk
but also some gentle buffing will prevent a streaky finish on your worktops.

If you want your marble worktops to shine and sparkle, you could give them a polish with chamois and a
gentle natural-based polish. And, as we’ve just seen, it’s important to make sure that everything is dried
properly when you finish to avoid the risk of moisture being absorbed by the marble.

Only use appropriate cleaning products
It’s important to use appropriate cleaning products on your marble worktops to keep them looking at
their best. So look for cleaning products that are specifically designed for marble. As a guideline, these
will be pH neutral, rather than an acidic cleaner such as anything containing lemon, vinegar or bleach – all
of which are to be avoided.

Also avoid abrasive cleaners and any kind of tough scouring pad, as these are likely to leave scratches
behind and cause permanent damage to your marble worktops.

If you would like to know more about marble worktops or to see some examples of different types of
marble, Zenstone would be happy to help. Get in touch with us or drop into our Chobham showroom
to find out firsthand how marble worktops could enhance your home.