Marble surfaces to clean? Discover DIY ways to remove stains and polish the surface

Marble countertops are one of the most desired finishes in the kitchen and bathroom, but this precious stone can also be used in many other ways in furnishing a home. Its natural beauty is always appreciated - its unique veins and colors, and the fact that it is a durable material that never loses its charm. To preserve it in such a way that it always remains as beautiful as it originally was, however, it needs to be treated in the right way.

It is in fact a stone that can easily lose its enamel coating over time if it is cleaned with the wrong substances and products. So what do we need to do when stains need to be removed? We show some remedies below:

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• If there are no hard-to-remove stains, the marble can be simply cleaned with hot water, a soft sponge or a microfibre cloth.
• Whenever acid substances such as vinegar or lemon juice fall into it, they must be quickly removed with a cloth and rinsed away.
• If you need to wash dirt off, use delicate detergents specifically for this type of material. Alternatively, you can use some Castile (Marsiglia) soap with warm water.
• When there is some small build-up of dirt, you can use baking soda, rubbing it with a damp cloth in order to exploit its' delicate abrasive power. Be careful though - doing it too often can ruin the glossy finish of your marble.
• If you notice streaks and old limescale stains, you will need to use descaling products - but always diluted with an equal amount (or at least equivalent to half of the descaler) of water.
• To clean grease and oily stains, sprinkle them with rice or corn starch, or even potato starch. Then wipe away everything with a damp cloth and wash it with warm water and a little mild soap.
• If there is a damaged or yellowed spot that you cannot treat with the other methods, you can try pumice stone. Be careful though - it is quite abrasive and scratches the surface, so you should first do a test on a hidden corner and see how it affects the marble. If you want to use a pumice stone, you will need to rub it gently on the affected area, then rinse and wash away with a little mild soap.

If you want to polish the marble, you can instead take some gypsum powder, sprinkle it on the perfectly cleaned surface and then rub it around gently using a suede cloth that is only very slightly dampened and making circular movements. Then wipe away everything with a dry cloth (even microfibre) until all the powder disappears and reveals a shiny surface.