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This post is a brief guide explaining how to remove marble etching, with a word about preventing it from happening again! If you own marble countertops (or other natural stone surfaces), you are probably familiar with etching – dull spots on the stone that almost look like permanent water marks. Etching is famously frustrating, not only because it diminishes the beauty of one’s marble surfaces but also because it can seem difficult to avoid and impossible to fix!
Why does marble etch? Can marble etching be fixed? And how can you prevent marble etching in the future?
What is Marble Etching?
Marble etching is not a stain on your stone’s surface. Marble is a relatively sensitive natural stone, and when acidic liquids like lemon juice and vinegar touch its surface, they immediately dissolve a tiny bit of it. What is left is a distinct spot with a different sheen than the surrounding surface – an etch.
How to Remove Marble Etching
Because etches affect the stone itself, removing them is no quick trick. To remove marble etching, you’ll need to refinish the surface. That typically means honing the stone to an even finish and then polishing it to your preferred sheen. I recommend consulting a trusted professional to help with this work, as the cost of attempting it yourself and making a mistake will be higher than hiring a pro.
How to Prevent Etching
I know how annoying it is to look for an easy, DIY solution and get “hire a pro” as the answer. That’s why I advocate for prevention! Best practices for preventing etching include diligently using secondary surfaces like cutting boards. For marble countertops, there’s an even better solution: TuffSkin Surface Protection.
TuffSkin Surface Protection is a game-changing sealer technology that completely prevents liquids from touching the surface of your marble counters. Conventional sealers are critical for stone care, but they won’t stop acidic liquids from coming into contact with the stone’s surface – so they don’t prevent etching. TuffSkin does.
TuffSkin protects your marble countertops without diminishing the stone’s look or feel. Many of our clients even report that TuffSkin enhances their stone’s appearance!
If TuffSkin isn’t in the budget, or you prefer using conventional sealers, we highly recommend solutions from Rockstar Sealing Systems. Rockstar boasts various stone sealing and cleaning solutions to meet any need. They are a game changer in the stone sealing industry, and we couldn’t recommend them more highly!
Conclusion
Etching on your stone surfaces is annoying. The best thing you can do to solve etching is to prevent it with TuffSkin Surface Protection. If you need to correct existing etching, consult a trusted professional, and ask them about TuffSkin Surface Protection!
