How to Polish Marble and all Other Natural Stone

A polished marble counter top in a kitchen.
There’s nothing like the “wow” factor polishing gives to marble, granite and all other natural-stone surfaces. The reflective shine and luster becomes a centerpiece of your home décor, not to mention a source of envy among your guests. While polishing enhances your stone’s inherent and must-have beauty, it also provides multiple other benefits:
  • Reinforcing the protective seal, forcing liquids such as wine and coffee to bead on the surface for quicker and easier cleanup. Conversely, an unsealed and rarely polished stone surface will absorb liquids, leading to stains, etches and costly repair and replacement
  • Providing ongoing protection against water spots and fingerprints
  • Preventing soap scum build-up on shower walls and tub surrounds

Before ensuring the shine and luster of your expensive and beautiful stone surface, however, begin with daily cleaning. Many times your stone looks perfectly clean, but even the tiniest piece of food, dirt or liquid can lead to disaster by breaking down the protective seal. What’s more, using a granite cleaner made specifically for natural-stone surfaces such as granite, marble and travertine will give you peace of mind knowing there aren’t any harsh ingredients damaging your protective seal.

Another critical step before polishing is making sure your stone is sealed properly. Frequently sealing granite countertops and all other natural stone surfaces maintains maximum surface protection, penetrating stone surfaces to provide superior, long-lasting resistance to staining, etching and soil build-up. Here’s how to determine whether your stone needs to be resealed: Pour water (about 3 inches in diameter) on the surface in several locations and let it sit for 30 minutes. If you see a dark mark or ring, the water is penetrating the stone and it’s time to reseal. Wait at least 24 hours for the seal to cure to the stone; then you can begin polishing.

Now, learning how to polish marble, granite, travertine or any other natural stone isn’t at all complex or time consuming. It’s quite easy when compared to polishing your car. Polishing your stone is as simple as spraying the polish onto the stone, buffing it with a dry paper towel or lint-free cloth, the wiping it dry with another dry paper towel or lint-free cloth. Voila; you’re done! We don’t recommend polishing stone floors – too slippery!

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Blog Team   |   Posted on October 18 2013

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