Daily and weekly routine
Daily: a soft microfibre dust mop, dry. That's it. Skip the wet mop unless there's actual spillage. The biggest enemy of marble flooring is grit — small particles tracked in from outside that act like sandpaper underfoot, slowly dulling the polish. A dust mop removes them.
Weekly: damp mop with warm water and a pH-neutral stone cleaner. We use and recommend MN Marble Care or any equivalent neutral cleaner. The key word is neutral — pH 7. Anything acidic (lemon, vinegar) or strongly alkaline (bleach, ammonia) damages the stone surface over time.
What to avoid, specifically
Avoid: vinegar-based cleaners (etches the surface), all-purpose sprays unless explicitly labeled as stone-safe (most contain surfactants that attack sealants), bleach (discolours and etches), powder abrasive cleaners (Ajax, Vim — scratches polish), steam mops (thermal shock and trapped moisture).
If a spill happens, blot it — don't wipe. Wiping spreads the liquid across more surface area. Blot until dry, then clean the area with stone soap.
Sealing — what, why, and how often
Sealants are penetrating, not topical. They sink into the stone's micro-porosity and reduce its absorbency, giving you a window of minutes to clean up an oil or wine spill before it stains. They do not protect against acid etching. Nothing prevents etching except keeping acids off the stone.
Sealing schedule: water test annually. Put a tablespoon of water on the floor. If it beads up, sealing is intact. If it darkens the stone within 5 minutes, time to re-seal. Most installed marble needs sealing every 18–36 months in a typical residential setting. High-traffic commercial floors need it twice a year.
Removing etch marks
Light etching (visible only in raking light, no texture change) can be polished out with a marble-polishing compound and a soft pad. Order: clean the area, apply compound with a wet pad, work in small circles for 2–3 minutes, wipe off, buff dry.
Deep etching (visible texture change, the stone has been chemically attacked) requires professional re-honing or re-polishing. Don't attempt it with home tools — uneven results are worse than the original damage.
Stain removal
Oil-based stains (cooking oil, food grease): a poultice of baking soda and water, applied as a paste 5 mm thick, covered with plastic and left for 24 hours. The poultice draws the oil out of the stone as it dries.
Organic stains (coffee, tea, fruit): the same baking-soda poultice, often with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. Test on an inconspicuous area first.
Rust stains: these are difficult and often permanent without professional intervention. Iron-based contamination can stain through the slab depth.