Stained Marble Surface? Let Me Tell You About Poultices!
Updated: Feb 21
When we think of the word poultice, we usually visualize the old fashioned term for a soft usually heated and sometimes medicated mass spread on cloth and applied to sores or other lesions.
Well these days’ poultices can be any type of paste, usually with some gritty texture used for cleaning. In the restoration industry, we use poultices for removing stains in marble.
Marble looks gorgeous. We want it everywhere in our home. But unlike its cousin Granite which will still stain, Marble is quite porous and stains much easier. Whether you have honed or polished marble, stains can become an issue.
Yes your marble was certainly sealed when it was installed and if it was properly applied, this has guarded against most stains. But after time and with repeated daily cleaning using soaps and harsh chemicals, the sealers ability to fend off stains becomes increasingly less effective.
Things that can stain your marble include coffee and teas, fruits and vegetables high in beta carotene such as carrots, beets and blueberries, hard waters high in minerals, as well as ammonia and hydrogen peroxide which can leave dull spots.
If you catch these stains early, you indeed can make a very simple homemade poultice and can quite possible remove this stain yourself. Using simple household ingredients, you can mix a nice heaping tablespoon of baking soda with a bit of water to form a thick paste. You can even add a few drops of hydrogen peroxide if you think the stain may be a little extra cranky. The mixture should resemble a thick pancake batter. Clean the area with soap and water and dry well. Now spoon the paste on top of your stain and let it sit overnight. The next morning the poultice should be dry and flaky. Scrape the dried poultice off the stain, I like using a firm plastic spatula as to not scratch the surface. Now once again wash and dry the area. Hopefully this took care of the stain. If not, you know who to call!
At Olson Marble and Stone Care, we specialize in unsightly stain removal on Marble Floors, Countertops, Showers, Walls or any surface. With our decades of experience, we can discern what type of stain you have, how old it may be and how powerful of a poultice we will need to use. At Olson’s, we have several levels of professional strength poultices at our disposal designed specifically for your stain.
Of course once we remove your stain and bring your surface back to its original luster, we will put a great seal coat on to hopefully deter that coffee ring from the bottom of your cup from settling in permanently.
So don’t walk past that ugly yellow stain in your beautiful marble counter one more time thinking it is ruined forever. Just give Olson Marble and Stone Care a call and we’ll bring our poultice to the rescue!
Olson Marble and Stone Care have been serving San Jose and the Greater Bay Area for over 37 years. We are the San Francisco Bay Area's NUMBER ONE choice for ALL your Interior and Exterior Natural Stone and Concrete Solutions!
