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How to clean marble floors
How to clean marble floors
A cumquat (citrus fruit) fell from our little tree onto the marble floor during the night. It burst and left a stain that won't lift with ordinary cleaning products. Anyone know what to do for this? Is it maybe that acidic stains aren't repairable?
'Are you trying to tempt me because I come from the land of plenty?'
- sierra2469alpha
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- Global Citizen
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Hey Ozzie, I came across some suggestions from a forum and I'll do a cut and paste job here of some of the solutions. Hope they help.
DO NOT USE PEELAWAY to get out a stain on marble! The acid neturalizer could etch it further.
I've had great success with a homemade poultice: Mix talcum powder (any cheap brand is fine, but make sure it's talc and not cornstarch)with hydrogen peroxide until it's a thick paste. Spread the paste 1/4" thick on the stain, and cover it with plastic wrap. Seal the edges of the plastic wrap with masking tape or blue painter's tape to keep air out and let it sit for 48 hours, then gently scrape it off. If the poultice has had some effect but there's still a stain left, you can repeat the process.
If this doesn't work, you may want to call a marble guy.
*************************************************************
I've used baking soda mixed with peroxide and ammonia. Make it into a peanut butter consistency cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 24-48 hours.
As it dries it will draw out the stain. It also works for urine.
Don't ask.
*************************************************************
i just cleaned my marble mantle and it looks great. i mixed baby power and hydrogen peroxide into a paste, brushed it on thickly, and covered with plastic for 48 hrs. then wiped clean with a soft brush and rags. it worked better than i thought it would.
*************************************************************
DO NOT USE PEELAWAY to get out a stain on marble! The acid neturalizer could etch it further.
I've had great success with a homemade poultice: Mix talcum powder (any cheap brand is fine, but make sure it's talc and not cornstarch)with hydrogen peroxide until it's a thick paste. Spread the paste 1/4" thick on the stain, and cover it with plastic wrap. Seal the edges of the plastic wrap with masking tape or blue painter's tape to keep air out and let it sit for 48 hours, then gently scrape it off. If the poultice has had some effect but there's still a stain left, you can repeat the process.
If this doesn't work, you may want to call a marble guy.
*************************************************************
I've used baking soda mixed with peroxide and ammonia. Make it into a peanut butter consistency cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 24-48 hours.
As it dries it will draw out the stain. It also works for urine.
Don't ask.
*************************************************************
i just cleaned my marble mantle and it looks great. i mixed baby power and hydrogen peroxide into a paste, brushed it on thickly, and covered with plastic for 48 hrs. then wiped clean with a soft brush and rags. it worked better than i thought it would.
*************************************************************
One man's meat is another's poison.
- Global Citizen
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- sierra2469alpha
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If you can't find hydrogen peroxide there's a couple of blonde russian girls from Bricks who you could tape to the floor ...they love talc as wellGlobal Citizen wrote:Hey Ozzie, I came across some suggestions from a forum and I'll do a cut and paste job here of some of the solutions. Hope they help.
DO NOT USE PEELAWAY to get out a stain on marble! The acid neturalizer could etch it further.
I've had great success with a homemade poultice: Mix talcum powder (any cheap brand is fine, but make sure it's talc and not cornstarch)with hydrogen peroxide until it's a thick paste. Spread the paste 1/4" thick on the stain, and cover it with plastic wrap. Seal the edges of the plastic wrap with masking tape or blue painter's tape to keep air out and let it sit for 48 hours, then gently scrape it off. If the poultice has had some effect but there's still a stain left, you can repeat the process.
If this doesn't work, you may want to call a marble guy.
*************************************************************
I've used baking soda mixed with peroxide and ammonia. Make it into a peanut butter consistency cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 24-48 hours.
As it dries it will draw out the stain. It also works for urine.
Don't ask.
*************************************************************
i just cleaned my marble mantle and it looks great. i mixed baby power and hydrogen peroxide into a paste, brushed it on thickly, and covered with plastic for 48 hrs. then wiped clean with a soft brush and rags. it worked better than i thought it would.
*************************************************************

The other one i've heard is UV light. Based on the principle that everything fades including stains you can mask off the area surrounding the stain and blast it with a UV lamp .
The success of this depends on the nature and components of the stain.
You could also crush some more of the fruit and stain the whole floor of course

Good luck
Good on ya guys! A little experimentation on the weekend to see if I can fix the floor....gonna start with the vinegar and if necessary move onto peroxide etc--- can I get that from a pharmacy?
What am I growing? Sigh.....just a little cumquat tree to celebrate the CNY ...who would have thought it would bring such grief ?! It's now out on the balcony- evil little tree that it is! Grrrr...
What am I growing? Sigh.....just a little cumquat tree to celebrate the CNY ...who would have thought it would bring such grief ?! It's now out on the balcony- evil little tree that it is! Grrrr...

'Are you trying to tempt me because I come from the land of plenty?'
- sierra2469alpha
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- Joined: Tue, 27 Feb 2007 10:50 am
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Perhaps follow the other thread about nits and gnats in hair, Oz - maybe some kero and the judicious use of a box of matches may be in order for the problematic plant!!!! Whoosh, the plant is history!
Re: Hydrogen Peroxide - not sure if you can get it from chemists here - I did see a thread a day or so ago about DIY dry cleaning fluid (which is the same chemical).
Baking soda mixed to the same consistency as peanut butter (as some of Global Citizens suggestions mention) might also be another stop action.
Lemme know how you go.
Capt. P
Re: Hydrogen Peroxide - not sure if you can get it from chemists here - I did see a thread a day or so ago about DIY dry cleaning fluid (which is the same chemical).
Baking soda mixed to the same consistency as peanut butter (as some of Global Citizens suggestions mention) might also be another stop action.
Lemme know how you go.
Capt. P
Mm...well the white vinegar doesn't work...so next step is the peroxide thingy if I can get ir or make it as suggested above....who would have thought that a little citrus fruit could cause such a problem.....Forks wrote:There are some absolutely amazing ways here to deal with stains, mind boggling, who would have thought there would be so many suggestions on how to get rid of them, shows how many stains I have had to deal with.
'Are you trying to tempt me because I come from the land of plenty?'
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