Water stains and water rings on marble are caused by the mineral deposits present in hard water. Sometimes these won't clean up with a wet towel, in which case your best bet is to apply a poultice to your marble to bring back its luster.
How to Create a Poultice for Your Marble
A poultice is a liquid solution or compound combined with a white absorbing material to create a paste that forms the consistency of putty. The paste should be thickso that it can be spread however not so thin that it's watery. The poultice is spread within the stained spot to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2 inch with a wood or plastic spatula, lined with plastic food wrap and left to sit for 24 to 48-hours. The stain will be drawn out by the paste in to the absorbent material. Poultice methods may need to be repeated to thoroughly remove the stain. Based upon the spot or stain severity, some might not be completely removed. The stone may be etched by more ore than two or three poultice applications over the same spot to remove a stain. If the stain doesn't come out after 2 to 3 poultice attempts, you need to consult with a professional.What Poultice Materials are Available for Marble?
There are several types of materials that's utilized in making poultices. A few of these products contain kaolin, fuller's earth, whiting, diatomaceous earth, powdered chalk, talc and white molding plaster. Approximately one pound of prepared poultice product can cover one square-foot of marble.
- Kaolin is a soft white clay substance that's used in the making of pottery and is also used in the making of paper, rubber and a great many other items. Purchase it at ceramic pottery supply houses: it's generally not available from large hardware chains.
- Whiting - This is just a calcium carbonate de-greaser. You will find this on-line and also at stained glass supply houses. This is normally unavailable at hardware stores.
- Fuller's earth - This is just a clay-like natural substance that's used like an absorbent. Nearly 70% is mined primarily in the south-eastern United States and you can find it available from online retailers. Warning: Don't use whiting or fuller's earth iron-type with acid compounds. The chemical reaction may cancel the effect of the poultice.
- Powdered Chalk - This is employed for marking boundary lines in sports fields as well as toothpaste. It easily obtainable at arts and craft stores, online stores, and most hardware stores.
- Talc - This mineral, produced by the extraction of 'talc' stones from the earth and then prepared by crushing, drying and milling. It's useful for its absorbency in several products. Talc powder can be obtained easily through online stores.
- Diatomaceous earth - This is a delicate, siliceous sedimentary rock that's easily crumbled into a fine white powder. It's utilized in pest-control products and numerous different applications like cleaning outdoor pools}. This can be found in hardware stores, through pool cleansing businesses and at on-line retailers.
- White molding plaster - This a typical material and is the powdered form of gypsum found in drywall, casting for art materials, casts for broken bones and several other different uses. White molding plaster is easily obtainable at drywall suppliers, online retailers, crafts stores and hardware stores.
- Cotton balls and gauze - A poultice may also be prepared utilizing white cotton balls, white paper towels or gauze pads.
Another good opton besides poultices is to buff out these stains with dry #0000 steel wool (the highest quality employed by furniture finishers). Then you can restore any glow to that particular region by applying marble finishing powder.
