If you have White Thassos Marble floors in your home, you know how beautiful they look when freshly cleaned and polished. Your floors should last a lifetime, but they can be prone to damage if you clean them with the wrong solution or chemicals despite the durability of marble. Please find out how to take care of your marble floor and keep all your marble surfaces shiny and smooth for years to come with our comprehensive guide.
Getting engravings in your marble doesn’t mean it’s ruined forever. You can purchase stone cleaning powder, polish any minor incision marks and scratches, or call a professional to rehabilitate the floor if the damage is very serious.
The best way to keep your marble pristine is to prevent damage. Find out what can and what cannot damage your marble floor and how to clean and treat it to keep it looking beautiful.
Avoid anything rough or sharp that could damage the sensitive surface of the marble. Soft materials like suede and dust cloths will protect your marble better than abrasive brushes and sponges. Dry gums are particularly not recommended because they act by rubbing the surfaces to clean them.
Before you start:
Remember to keep the exact color and composition of your marble floor in mind when choosing cleaning solutions. Strong alkalis such as hydrogen peroxide and ammonia can whiten dark marble. Always try any cleaner on an inconspicuous area first.
Whenever you clean marble, start with a neutral solution such as water or a PH-balanced marble cleaner and use stronger solutions only when necessary. When you’re done cleaning the marble floor, always rinse the area with clean water to neutralize the pH of any remaining chemicals, then dry thoroughly afterwards.
How to clean a White Thassos Marble floor:
Start cleaning your marble floors by carefully preparing the surface. Carefully remove dust or dirt with a clean, dry cloth or soft cloth. Do not drag the cloth or brush hard on the surface, or you may scratch the floor.
You can use plain water for this or a cleaner look, a mild, non-acidic cleaner designed for marble surfaces. If the water in the mop discolors, change it to avoid soiling the clean floor.
To clean the floor:
- Use a diluted ammonia solution.
- Prepare a solution of 0.5 cups of ammonia in 1 gallon of warm water.
- Remember that ammonia has a strong odor and should only be used in well-ventilated areas.
Do not immerse the White Thassos Marble in a cleaning solution. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the mop or rag before scrubbing the floor. In the end, dry the floor with a soft cloth to avoid watermarks or rust stains, which can remain on the marble containing iron oxide if in contact with water.
If your marble has oily marks, try applying cornstarch to the stain and let it remove the stain. When finished, rinse the area with clean water and dry thoroughly to protect the marble.
Maintain your marble floor:
It is important to take care of your marble and clean it regularly to keep it in its best condition. As a general rule, dry clean it with a soft cloth or mop once a week for each person or pet in your household. For a single-family home, a weekly patrol should suffice. If there are two of you, dust the floor twice a week.
For four people and a few dogs, you will likely need to dust the floor every day. This reduces the amount of dirt that can build up on the foundation and helps keep the marble scratch-free and looking good.
DIY marble floor cleaners:
Many specialty marble cleaners are alkaline or PH-neutral to protect the surface from stains or scratches. However, you can still use home supplies to make DIY marble cleaners that won’t cause any harm.
Water and soap:
Regular dish soap is a good cleaner for marble floors. Use a very diluted solution to avoid streaks, then gently buff the floor to dry and remove any residue.
Hydrogen peroxide:
Hydrogen peroxide is great for removing stubborn stains from light marble. Keep in mind that it can act as a whitener and discolor dark marble, so always try an inconspicuous area first. Hydrogen peroxide works best on organic, organic, and water-based stains like fruit juices or washable markers. You can use a strong solution and leave it on the stain overnight before cleaning the marble.
Acetone:
Found in most nail polish removers, acetone has similar cleansing properties to hydrogen peroxide, but with the added benefit that it does not discolor dark marble. Use a cotton ball dipped in acetone to gently remove the stains, and then wash the area with plenty of clean water.
Ammonia:
Ammonia is probably the most powerful home solution you can use on marble before resorting to professional solutions or calling the experts. Half a cup of ammonia per liter of water is a good cleaning solution.
Identify the stains on the marble:
The different stains on the marble floor respond best to other treatments. Here’s how to identify the most common products and the right cleaner to use to remove them.
- Oil-based stains:
You can get marble floor oil from various sources, such as motor oil, spilled cooking oil, or dropping lipstick. Oily spots are usually dark, dull spots in marble that penetrate deep into the stone. To remove them, you need to remove them.
- Inkblots:
Ink is difficult to remove from any material. As soon as you spill the ink on the marble floor, take immediate action to wipe away the excess, and then wash with diluted dish soap to break up the stain. Apply a rag soaked in denatured alcohol to the area to break down, absorb the ink, and use diluted ammonia to remove the rest of the stain.
- Organic stains:
If your dog pees on the marble floor or if your kids spill a glass of orange juice, don’t panic. Blot as much stain as possible as soon as possible. Do not rub the stain. You will only smear it or force it to penetrate the stone. Use hydrogen peroxide or a diluted ammonia solution to break up and remove organic stains.
- Plants stains:
Suppose you have potted plants on your White Thassos Marble floor or an indoor fountain. In that case, you may notice algae, lichen, moss, and other plants growing where they are not desired. Plants can stain the marble, so carefully remove them and clean the area with a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution or acetone to break down the biological material and prevent further growth.
- Metallic spots:
Since marble comprises many different elements, some marbles contain metals that can cause stains to appear on the floor surface. Iron, copper, and bronze are all found in marble and can get stained when wet. Look for reddish-brown or green spots to identify them.
- Water spots:
The most common marks you will see on your marble floor are watermarks or streaks of cleaning solution. The best way to remove them is to buff the surface with a soft, dry cloth such as chamois leather. Use a circular motion, and your floor will be shiny again in no time.
Conclusion:
White Thassos Marble can be difficult to clean. Still, by following our tips and paying attention to the solutions you use, you can keep your marble floors clean and protected for years to come without spending a fortune on expensive cleaners and materials. I hope our guide will help you to clean your marble floor easily.