How to Care for your Marble Countertops

Everyone wants their kitchen to have an elegant feel to it and marble countertops are a classic, timeless beauty, – if they are taken care of correctly. Marble has been used for centuries to construct historic pieces of beautiful architecture and can take any space and make it feel elegant and refined like your kitchen belongs in the Louvre in Paris.

Marbles are wonderfully durable materials, but choosing a marble countertop means a different set of expectations. Marbles need to be sealed, just like a granite countertop. If sealed properly, your marble countertops will be as stain-resistant as any other surface. Sealers prevent the stone from absorbing moisture and potentially causing stains. A good quality sealer could even last a lifetime.

Marbles are softer than granite and quartz surfacing, so they are more prone to scratching. Just like hardwood floors or your wooden kitchen table, scratches can occur. This is part of the character that develops with a marble countertop. Choosing a marble countertop means embracing the aging of the stone that comes with it. This patina will simply make the countertop more beautiful.

Marbles are also calcium-based materials, which means they can etch when exposed to something acidic. When an acid reacts with the calcium in the stone, a chemical reaction occurs, and the result is what we call an etching. An etch will appear as a dull spot in the stone. Etches are again part of the character that develops over time. Sealers do not prevent etching from occurring on a marble. Sealers are to prevent the stone from absorbing something and causing a stain. They do not prevent etching, which occurs on the surface, right at the point of contact. This means you should make sure not to use any acidic cleaner on them like vinegar-based cleaners or any other acidic cleaners to minimize the etching.

Marbles have been used for thousands of years, and have built up amazing things like the Taj Mahal, the Lincoln Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and every headstone in Arlington National Cemetery. They are wonderful materials, which are extremely durable, and will outlast us all. Choosing a marble countertop means understanding the characteristics and embracing the aging and beauty that develops over time.