Six possible stains that may touch a marble table and seven realistic ways how to prevent them.
The primary way to effectively protect a marble table from stains is to seal it. The rest will depend on how you use the table (e.g. dining, and preparing food) and how you respond to possible causes of stains.
In this article, we will briefly cover the types of stains, how to prevent them from occurring on your marble table, and how to remove them.
How to Prevent Marble Table Stains
As a stone table factory, we ought to share only credible information about natural stones which in this case, are realistic methods of stain prevention in marble tables.
To begin, let us see first the kinds of stains that we may encounter with our table.
- Water stains
- Organic stains from food or other liquids aside from water
- Burn marks
- Oil-based stains from oily or greasy food or formulas such as lotions
- Etches from acidic substances such as juice or wine
- Mold and mildew due to excessive moisture, water, and humidity
- The ink from writing materials
1. Seal the Marble Table
When our clients abroad import wholesale marble tables, they never ask us to seal them. We believe it is either they are planning to seal the products themselves, they have their preferred experts, or their customers simply don’t like them sealed.
Applying penetrating sealers is a highly effective way to prevent stains on marble tables—whether for dining, coffee, or writing desk.
Sealers cover up the porous surface. So if you accidentally spilled your coffee on your white Calacatta marble coffee table, the latter won’t absorb it. The same will happen with other organic, water, and grease stains, along with etches.
It can also protect the table from mold and mildew. Although this rarely happens with kitchen furnishings, there is still a possibility that too much water or moisture gets inside the marble’s porous exterior.
How Often Should You Seal a Marble Table?
The frequency of sealing depends on the color and quality of the marble table and the brand of the sealer that we are going to use.
Some sealers last for three to five years, but there are also brands that have to be reapplied once or twice a year.
Should I Seal a Polished Marble Table?
Depending on client specifications, our marble factory supplies polished marble tables which are less porous and prone to stains. However, we still recommend sealing them using specific products for polished marble. You can read this blog “Should I Seal Marble Table?” for more ideas.
A sealed marble table is neither an excuse to not clean nor be reckless with it. Incorporate the other methods in this blog and we are certain that no stains will come on the said furniture.
2. Store In a Clean and dry Place
We supply marble tables to different businesses—either retail or wholesale.
There are furniture shops and depots, but one thing we always advise them on is to keep the marble tables in dry and clean storage at an adequate temperature. If possible, cover the furniture to ensure that no external element will stain them.
3. Use Trivets and Saucers
Marble is naturally resistant to heat, especially when sealed. However, we still have to be cautious since the heat might not destroy the marble table, but it might leave nasty burn marks.
A trivet is what we place between the table and a hot cooking material (such as a pan or casserole), to protect the surface from heat exposure. This is very beneficial for a real marble dining table, as we can preserve its luster and beautiful color.
There are also different styles and designs of a trivet so there’s no need to worry that it will mess up the look of the kitchen.
With a marble coffee table or a plinth side table that you also use for casual drinks, we recommend using a saucer for the cups. Hot cups and sweating glasses can stain the marble, leaving a circle mark.
If droplets from your drink—which can be coffee, hot chocolate, or tea—that usually sit on the tip of the cup fall on the marble table or plinth, they might leave a stain. If this happens, immediately pat to remove. Better yet, use a saucer so it can catch the droplets.
4. Use Bowls and Placemats for Acidic and Greasy Food
Oil and grease can darken the marble table’s surface, and acids can turn it yellow.
Acidic food such as citrus fruits should be put in a bowl before serving them on the marble dining table. We also recommend placemats when eating something buttery or oily such as fried food and other cuisines with greasy composition.
In this way, the bowls or placemats will catch the juices or grease instead of staining our beautiful marble dining table.
5. Use a Transparent Vinyl Tablecloth for Marble Vanity Tables and Desks
For marble vanity tables, personal care products such as lotions and creams are considered greasy. We can use a transparent vinyl cover for them to protect the stone while still seeing its natural beauty.
On the other hand, with marble desks that we use to study or work, a vinyl tablecloth is also a good choice. Sometimes the ink seeps through the paper and onto the surface, especially if you use a thick-colored pen.
With this cloth, you won’t accidentally write on the table and we don’t have to worry about ink spillage.
If you are thinking of putting this on your marble dining table instead of placemats, it could also work.
6. Keep Marble Table Off the Sunlight
Ultraviolet (UV) rays can fade or discolor a marble table, turning it yellow. That is why we don’t recommend this furniture outdoors.
However, sometimes it cannot be helped. A lot of us will want a Calacatta viola table in the backyard or veranda for a casual outdoor coffee. In this case, we must ensure that the marble table is still under shade. When indoors, we have to close the curtains or window blinds to block the sunlight.
7. Clean Regularly Using Marble-Friendly Cleaners
A white marble dining table, for example, will accumulate dirt. Great news—this is normal. We eat, prepare raw ingredients, and even perform activities on the table not related to eating such as working.
At some point, there ought to be dirt. What’s important is we clean using materials that are suitable or made for marble such as marble stone cleaners.
Also, don’t be aggressive and just gently wipe or pat the stain with a cleaning solution with a chamois cloth. Rubbing might spread the stain further and you might even scratch the material too.
How Often Should You Clean a Marble Table?
Generally, you have to immediately clean the table once you see stains or dirt on it. This could be every day, especially with marble dining tables where we eat and drink different food and beverages.
Aside from this, we recommend deep cleaning a marble table once a month. Side tables such as plinths which you don’t use often can be an exception, but it is better to clean them as well to maintain their luster.
How to Remove Stains on Marble Table
What you need to prepare:
- liquid detergent diluted with water
- marble cleaners
- soft or chamois cloth
Ensure that the pH level of the solution is between 7 to 10, and 11 if the stain is bad.
We can easily remove stains and dirt if we address them immediately. If you spilled water or juice by accident on the table, grab a soft cloth and let it absorb the liquid. You can read this blog “Are Marble Tables Durable?” to get more ideas.
- Next, use a liquid detergent diluted with water or marble cleaners.
- Gently wipe the stain off the marble table with a soft or chamois cloth.
- Rinse using a wet cloth.
This will do the trick most of the time in removing stains. However, if the stain that your marble dining table has is stubborn, we recommend getting in touch with professional marble cleaners because they know how to approach the natural stone without damaging it.
We have been in the stone industry and have been wholesaling marble for many years, and we see a lot of internet DIYs on how to clean marble surfaces.
Do not believe everything online, especially when they teach you to use vinegar on your marble table to lighten the stains. Vinegar is acidic and hence, it can etch the natural stone.
Conclusion
Staining a marble table is normal, especially since we actively use them every day. But before thinking of stain removal, we can perform preventive measures to protect the table.
Sealing and using surface protection such as trivets, saucers, or tablecloths are some examples to safeguard a marble table’s quality. We should also keep it away from sunlight and if we need to store the table, let us do so in a clean and dry place.
Lastly, cleaning the marble table regularly is not enough; we should also use solutions suitable for the marble to avoid damaging it.
