how to clean marble floors

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Marble is a somewhat soft and porous stone that needs to be cleaned with care. Due to the traffic they get, marble floors, especially, need extra care. There are, thankfully, several ways to safely clean marble floors. By using appropriate cleaning products and avoiding things that could damage your floor, you'll be better prepared to wash marble floors.

1

Use hot water. Whether you are creating a solution to wash your floor, or just using water, you should use hot water. Hot water will help cut through grime. Ultimately, by using hot water, you'll decrease the chance that you'll need tougher solvents that could damage the marble.

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Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids based in northern Colorado. Driscoll received her Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2016.

Michelle Driscoll, MPH
Founder, Mulberry Maids

Michelle Driscoll, a cleaning expert, recommends: "When cleaning marble, be sure to stay away from harsh chemicals, like bleach, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and vinegar. Use a pH-neutral soap diluted in hot water to mop the floors. Then, dry the marble with a soft rag rather than allowing it to air-dry."
2
Focus on distilled water. Distilled water is water that has gone through a process to remove minerals and other impurities. By using distilled water, you'll reduce the chance of discoloring or staining your marble.
- You can buy distilled water at just about any grocery store or box store. It is usually cheap.^[1]
3
Add a mild detergent to your water. Add a mild detergent such as 2-3 drops of dish soap into a bucket with your hot, distilled water. Follow the directions of the soap and dilute it with an appropriate amount of water. Mix your solution thoroughly. Make sure to only add pH neutral soap to your water.
- Harsh chemical solutions like bleach, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, and vinegar can be damaging to your floors. Avoid using these on marble.
- If you prefer, you may be able to use a commercially prepared marble cleaner. Simply follow the directions on the bottle and then clean as you would with a water and detergent solution. Some products include Stone Tech, Resolve, or Simple Green.^[2]
4
Use a soft mop on your floor. Take a mop with a soft mop head (preferably microfiber) and dip it into your solution of detergent and water. Wring out the mop head to relieve it of excess water and systematically mop your floor. Do short strokes that overlap.
- Rinse and wring out the mop head after you've covered 10 to 20 square feet (1 to 2 square meters). This might vary depending on how dirty the floor is.^[3]
5

Mop the floor again with clean water. After you've mopped your floor with a detergent solution, you should mop it again with cool clean water. By mopping it again, you'll help pick up any dirt or debris that remains on the floor. In addition, you'll remove any suds that remain on the floor.
6
Change your water frequently. When mopping your floors, you need to make sure you change the cleaning solution or water often. If you don't, your floor might become streaky or could be scratched by debris in the mopping water.
- If your water appears brown or you see it full of dirt, dump it. Refill it with new water (and soap, if you want).^[4]
7
Use a soft towel to dry the floor. Since marble is relatively porous, it's important to sop up as much of your cleaning solution or water as you possibly can. If you don't, the solution could leech into the marble and discolor it.^[5]
- Switch out wet and dirty towels as needed.

1
Wash your floor immediately after a spill. All spills on marble should be cleaned up immediately. This is because marble is a porous material and can absorb spills. If you let something sit too long, your marble will discolor or stain.
- Take a wet microfiber cloth and use it to blot up anything you've spilled on the marble floor.
2
Use pH neutral solution. pH neutral cleaners won't damage marble floors. As a result, stay away from acidic cleaners. They might scratch or hurt the shine of marble floors. Avoid:
- Vinegar
- Ammonia
- Citrus cleaners (like lemon or orange).
- Cleaners intended for ceramic floors.^[6]
3

Do not let your floor air dry. One of the worst things you can do to your floor is to let it air dry. By letting it air dry, you'll allow the water/solution to soak into the marble. This could stain or discolor the marble.
4
Seal your marble. The best way to limit staining on your floor is to seal your marble periodically. Locate a sealing product specifically formulated for marble. Read the directions and apply the seal onto the surface of the marble. Depending on the product (and use), you may have to reseal every three to five years.
- Make sure to protect other surfaces, such as wood, tile, or grout, with plastic or painters tape.
- Contact a professional if you are uncomfortable sealing your marble floors by yourself.^[7]
5
Use a felt pad to remove scuff marks. When you come across a scuff or other mark that won't come off during a normal washing, use a felt pad to remove it. Simply dab the pad in a mixture of detergent and water and rub the marble gently along its grain.
- Do not rub in a circular pattern. This will damage your marble.^[8]
6
Sweep and mop your floors regularly. Regularly removing dirt and debris from your marble floors will help prevent future scratching and scuffing. How often you clean your floors will depend on how frequently they get dirty. Aim to remove debris as you notice it.^[9]
- If, for example, you have children or pets that easily track in dirt, you may need to sweep your floor a few times a week as opposed to once a week.
7
Put down rugs to protect your floors. Area rugs and floor runners can help protect your marble floors, especially in high-traffic areas. Use area rugs in places like the living room and rug runners in hallways to prevent scuffing and scratching.
- Adding a no-slip pad under your rugs will help further protect your floors and keep your rugs in place.

1

Sweep the floor with a soft broom. Take a soft dust mop or a broom with soft bristles and sweep the floor. Make sure to sweep up as much debris as you can. Pay special attention to areas along walls or doors.^[10]
2
Be careful using a vacuum. If you choose to use a vacuum, you need to be careful not to damage your marble floor. The plastic on the nozzle or wheels of a vacuum can etch or scratch marble. As a result, use caution if you decide to use a vacuum
- If you have a central vacuum system in your home, you may be able to use a soft floor attachment on the nozzle. However, you should test the attachment in an inconspicuous area (such as behind a door) before using it.^[11]
3

Use rugs and mats throughout your home. Rugs and mats will help accumulate debris. As a result, sweeping or vacuuming your floor will be easy. In addition, rugs or mats will protect high traffic areas from scratches.^[12]

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Question

How do you clean marble floors naturally?

Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids based in northern Colorado. Driscoll received her Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2016.

Founder, Mulberry Maids

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

It is best to avoid harsh chemicals on your marble floor, so it is actually safest to clean them naturally. Use hot water mixed with pH-neutral dish detergent. You can use environmentally friendly dish soap if you wish. Sweeping them on a regular basis with a soft mop will help reduce the usage of any strong chemicals on your floors.
Question

What is the best way to clean marble floors?

Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids based in northern Colorado. Driscoll received her Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2016.

Founder, Mulberry Maids

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

The best way to clean your marble bathrooms floors is with hot water and a couple drops of mild dish detergent. Be sure to use a pH-neutral detergent so you do not damage your floors. Always rinse and dry your floors after mopping them.
Question

After spilling wine on my marble floor and wiping it up right away with paper towels then washing it with water and a ph solution, it left a dull area. What can I use to polish it up?

Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids based in northern Colorado. Driscoll received her Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2016.

Founder, Mulberry Maids

Expert Answer
Question

What is the best way to clean urine off of the floor?

Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids based in northern Colorado. Driscoll received her Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2016.

Founder, Mulberry Maids

Expert Answer
Question

Where would I buy polish?

Jamie Shoebridge

Community Answer

There is no real polish; the different grades of diamond pads remove the very fine scratches on the surface of the stone cause by dirt and grit abrading the floor when we walk on it over time. Diamond polishing in simplest terms is similar to rubbing down a rough piece of wood with sandpaper, going from a coarse grade up to smooth. With marble, that smooth finish produces the shine as the light can now bounce off the surface of the stone whereas it couldn't before due to the surface scratches. To provide the a mirror finish requires another process called powder polishing or crystallization, which has a chemical reaction with the calcite in the stone.
Question

How should I clean vomit off a marble floor?

Attend to it immediately. Use paper towels to clean up as much vomit as you can. Then, take a cloth with warm water and wipe up any residual vomit. Create a mixture of mild soap and warm water, and mop the area. If there is a stain, you may need to apply a poultice to it. Buy a poultice appropriate for marble at a home improvement store. Apply the poultice to the stain (about half an inch thick). Cover the poultice and let it sit for 24 hours. Remove the poultice and mop the floor again.
Question

I would like to polish a very large marble area. Should I purchase a polish machine or have it done professionally?

You should get a professional. Marble is very expensive and easy to mess up.
Question

What is the best method to shine a marble floor without wax or buffers?

Use warm/hot water with mild soap.
Question

Do perfume and alcohol damage marble surfaces?

They could; by just using hot water, you'll decrease the chance that you'll need tougher solvents that could damage the marble.

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Things You'll Need

Hot water
Bucket
Neutral pH detergent or liquid stone soap
Mop (preferably microfiber)
Microfiber towels
Felt pad and powder cleanser for spot removal
Sealant

About This Article

Article SummaryX

Before you wash marble floors, use a soft dust broom to sweep up most of the debris. Then, heat distilled water so it is less likely to discolor the floor and mix in a bit of dish detergent. Use a soft mop head to mop the floor with the solution in short, overlapping strokes. Once you've mopped with a detergent, mop the floor again with cool, clean water to remove any remaining debris or detergent. Finally, dry the floor with a soft towel. To learn how to clean up spills and how to fix scuff marks, read more!

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