Care & Maintenance: Limestone & Travertine
Polished marble, travertine, onyx, limestone, etc. are all calcite-based stones and, as such, are affected by pH active liquids, mostly acidic in nature. In layman language, when some acidic liquid hits a polished marble, travertine etc., it ETCHES it. That is, it leaves a mark of corrosion that looks like a water-stain or ring, or whatever shape. Such surface damage has nothing to do with the absorbency rate of the stone( typically quite low with marble anyway), but exclusively with the chemical makeup of the particular stone. Use coasters under all glasses, particularly those containing alcohol or citrus juices. Many common foods and drinks contain acids that will etch or dull the stone surface. Trying to remove the "marks" by poulticing it would be a useless exercise since it is NOT a stain! The only thing that will bring the top back to it's original beauty is to re-polish the surface. Most etch marks can be polished out by CMC using a polishing compound. Occasionally, the stone must be honed first and then re-polished for severe etching.
Do not use regular glass cleaner on your mirrors as overspray left unattended could damage your top. Use MB- 5 Marble, Granite and More spray cleaner. Do not use any powder cleanser or cream cleanser like "Soft Scrub"! Do not do your nails or your perm over unprotected marble. Keep shaving cream, perfume, wet bottles, make up, nail polish remover, etc. in a mirror tray. Make sure anything that sits permanently on the marble has felt bottoms.
Daily Cleaning
- Clean daily using a specialty product for stone, such as *MB STONE CARE MB-5 Marble, Granite and More Spray Cleaner. Use it full strength on the cooking and eating areas. Use it diluted in a proportion of 1:1 with water in lighter duty areas. Convenient stone wipes, like *MB STONE CARE MB-17 are also suitable.
- Use *MB STONE CARE MB-13 Stone Polish to occasionally “brighten-up” your shiny countertop. All of its components are rated “food-grade.”
CMC offers the MB Stone Care products through your dealer or you can contact Zach McCarter @ zach@cmcmfg.com to place an order.
