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To celebrate our first night in our new home, we ordered a feast of Chinese food. The next morning, to our horror, we found a huge stain on our kitchen’s marble counter where the moo goo gai pan had seeped out of its cardboard container into the stone. We went into a frenzy to try to find out how to remove stains from marble.

I know I’m not alone here. Even though marble counters and floors look like they can withstand whatever a cook can throw at them, these surfaces in fact are extremely porous and can soak up liquids. If it’s just water, it usually dries without a problem. But if you leave wine or grease spills on marble, you’ll have to deal with a stain.

The good news is that whatever goes in can come out, says Mark Meriaux, accreditation and technical manager of MIA + BSI: The Natural Stone Institute, based in Oberlin, OH. “But sometimes it takes a long time.”

How to prevent stains on marble

The best cure is prevention, of course: Always seal marble when it’s installed.

“Make sure it’s sealed with a good, impregnating sealer that soaks into the micro-pores just below the surface of the stone,” Meriaux says. Reseal the stone (it’s easy to do yourself) two to four times a year, or whenever you see water darkening the surface of the stone.

But, hey, we know you’re busy and liable to lose track of when it’s time to reseal the marble. That’s when stains happen.

If you catch a spill when it occurs, the fix is fairly easy: Grab a towel and blot the area immediately (don’t wipe, which will spread the stain). Flush the area with a little soapy water and rinse several times. Then, dry the spot with a soft cloth. That should prevent staining. But if the stain has been sitting there for a while, you have more work ahead.

Removing stains from marble

The first thing to do is figure out what caused the stain—the cause determines the cure. Is the ugly mark a wine ring from last night’s merlot, or a grease stain from a chicken dinner?

Here’s a guide on how to remove different stains, according to the Stone Institute:

Water spots and rings: Buff with superfine (grade #0000) steel wool. Oil-based: Stains from cooking oil, cosmetics, or grease will darken the stone, and they must be chemically dissolved before they can be flushed out. You can do this with a liquid cleanser containing bleach; for something stronger, try mineral spirits (paint thinner) or acetone (nail polish remover). Coffee, tea, tobacco: Stains caused by these nonoily organic compounds will cause a pinkish-brown stain, but they will eventually be bleached away by the sun (if such rays reach your kitchen, of course). Otherwise, you can hit the area with a 12% hydrogen peroxide solution mixed with a few drops of ammonia. Pen/marker: If the stain is on a light-colored stone, clean with a little bleach or hydrogen peroxide; if it’s on a dark stone, use a lacquer thinner or acetone. Metal: A poultice will remove the orange-to-brown stains caused by iron or rust (more on that below).

How to make a poultice

A poultice is a white paste that draws out stains. You can buy a stone poultice at the hardware store, or make one yourself by mixing two cups of baking soda with enough water to make a paste the consistency of peanut butter. Then follow these steps, according to MIA + BSI: The Natural Stone Institute:

Spread the poultice over the stain (like spreading peanut butter on bread), until it’s a quarter-inch to a half-inch thick. Cover the poultice with plastic wrap, and tape the edges. Let the poultice work its magic for 24 to 72 hours. Scrape off the poultice with a plastic spatula. If the stain persists, repeat the process until it’s gone.

 

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