I have a marble top in the bathroom with a circular white stain that is raised and dull against the shiny finish of the marble. I believe it is limescale or perhaps the result of Viakal cleaner.

I have tried gentle and not so gentle cleaners without luck.

Is there a way to restore this area to its original uniform and shiny look?

Is there a way to do a mechanical "spot" polish?

Are the marble polish cleaners any good?

Thanks.

On Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:53:52 +0000, asalcedo wrote:

I have a marble top in the bathroom with a circular white stain that is
raised and dull against the shiny finish of the marble. I believe it is
limescale or perhaps the result of Viakal cleaner.

Bit late now but don't let anything even remotely acidic near marble
it will dissolve it. Viakal is an excellent lime scale remover(*),
marble is to all intents and purposes lime scale...

Raised seems a bit odd for acid attack,, I'd expect a hollow. Does
this marble have any finish/polish on it or is the surface just
nicely polished smooth naked marble? Maybe something has got under
that finish and caused the marble to expand?

Does this raised section respond to a soft (non-metalic) scraper?
(Edge of old credit card cut to suitable width).

(*) I've used it to remove the bloom on tiles after not cleaning
waterproof (aka "cement") based grout of them properly.

--
Cheers
Dave.

The original stain was circular and raised (it is only just slightly raised, perhaps 0.2mm). Probably limescale deposit around the bottom of a glass.

The area around the stain is dull and rough, probably as a result of the attempts to clean the original stain with different products, including Viakal.

The raised stain, does not respond to non metallic scraper.

The marble has, I think, a polished finish.

asalcedo wrote:
'Dave Liquorice[_2_ Wrote:
;2660903']On Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:53:52 +0000, asalcedo wrote:
-
I have a marble top in the bathroom with a circular white stain that
is
raised and dull against the shiny finish of the marble. I believe it
is
limescale or perhaps the result of Viakal cleaner.-

Bit late now but don't let anything even remotely acidic near marble
it will dissolve it. Viakal is an excellent lime scale remover(*),
marble is to all intents and purposes lime scale...

Raised seems a bit odd for acid attack,, I'd expect a hollow. Does
this marble have any finish/polish on it or is the surface just
nicely polished smooth naked marble? Maybe something has got under
that finish and caused the marble to expand?

Does this raised section respond to a soft (non-metalic) scraper?
(Edge of old credit card cut to suitable width).

(*) I've used it to remove the bloom on tiles after not cleaning
waterproof (aka "cement") based grout of them properly.

--
Cheers
Dave.


The original stain was circular and raised (it is only just slightly
raised, perhaps 0.2mm). Probably limescale deposit around the bottom of
a glass.


It is likely sort of limescale, but its not the satin that's raised, its
the actual marble. Marble is largely calcium carbonate, highly
compressed an in your case, polished.

Any acid will turn that into a different calcium salt. So depending on
what has been there (acetic acid, vinegar lemon and wine, sulphuric acid
in strong bog cleaners, hydrochloric is you threw up on it or used brick
acid, formic or or sulphamic if it was a descaler etc) the marble is no
longer marble, but a different calcium slat whioch may be more bulky
than the marble was.


So its not stain, in the same way that rust on iron is not a stain.

The are around the stain is dull and rough, probably as a result of the
attempts to clean the original stain with different products, including
Viakal.


Arggh!

The raised stain, does not respond to non metallic scraper.

The marble has, I think, a polished finish.


all you can do is polish it back and hope. It will never go. Its ruined
basically, but it may look better .

use wet and dry paper wet, followed by car rubbing down compund.

On 15 Jun 2011 09:30:54 GMT, Huge wrote:

Marble is a crap material for worktops in kitchens or bathrooms. I have
no idea why anyone uses it.

'Cause it looks nice, the sales man pushes it and they don't know how
vulnerable it is.

I agree with TNP, very fine (800) wet & dry used wet around a firm
block and lots of elbow grease with rubbing compound afterwards. I'd
be tempted to try the rubbing compound first just in case it improves
without using the W&D. Polishing out the W&D marks *will* be hard
work.

A polishing machine of some sort will take a lot of the effort away
but be gentle marble is soft...

--
Cheers
Dave.

Huge wrote:
On 2011-06-15, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
asalcedo wrote:
'Dave Liquorice[_2_ Wrote:
;2660903']On Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:53:52 +0000, asalcedo wrote:
-
I have a marble top in the bathroom with a circular white stain that
is
raised and dull against the shiny finish of the marble. I believe it
is
limescale or perhaps the result of Viakal cleaner.-

Arggh!

Marble is a crap material for worktops in kitchens or bathrooms. I have
no idea why anyone uses it.

its very beautiful, and it has good properties or e.g. making pastry on,
but like wood, its vulnerable.

A point not appreciated by most of those who buy either.

Frankly, in kitchens stainless steel and ceramic tiles or slate or
granite...or melamine..

Its OK in bathrooms provided you don't put anything on it you wouldn't
put on your face or tongue..

On 15 Jun 2011 09:30:54 GMT, Huge wrote:

On 2011-06-15, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
asalcedo wrote:
'Dave Liquorice[_2_ Wrote:
;2660903']On Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:53:52 +0000, asalcedo wrote:
-
I have a marble top in the bathroom with a circular white stain that
is
raised and dull against the shiny finish of the marble. I believe it
is
limescale or perhaps the result of Viakal cleaner.-

Arggh!

Marble is a crap material for worktops in kitchens or bathrooms. I have
no idea why anyone uses it.

It was an ideal kitchen worktop material when people used to bake. But
nobody bakes any more, do they? Except me, perhaps. And I don't have a
marble worktop anyway. Perhaps I should get one.

Nick

On Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:28:35 +0100, Nick Odell
wrote:

On 15 Jun 2011 09:30:54 GMT, Huge wrote:

On 2011-06-15, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
asalcedo wrote:
'Dave Liquorice[_2_ Wrote:
;2660903']On Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:53:52 +0000, asalcedo wrote:
-
I have a marble top in the bathroom with a circular white stain that
is
raised and dull against the shiny finish of the marble. I believe it
is
limescale or perhaps the result of Viakal cleaner.-

Arggh!

Marble is a crap material for worktops in kitchens or bathrooms. I have
no idea why anyone uses it.

It was an ideal kitchen worktop material when people used to bake. But
nobody bakes any more, do they? Except me, perhaps.

So do I.

--
Frank Erskine

On Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:28:35 +0100, Nick Odell wrote:

It was an ideal kitchen worktop material when people used to bake. But
nobody bakes any more, do they?

Not many I bet, but wouldn't a lump of granite do just as well as
marble? Isn't it just to keep your pastry cool?

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 6/15/2011 11:28 AM, Nick Odell wrote:

It was an ideal kitchen worktop material when people used to bake. But
nobody bakes any more, do they? Except me, perhaps. And I don't have a
marble worktop anyway. Perhaps I should get one.


Lots of people still bake! (It's DIY, isn't it?)
I have a big marble slab which I store with my cutting boards - it's
only used for rolling out pastry. I wouldn't want a marble worktop.

On 15/06/2011 10:57, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Its OK in bathrooms provided you don't put anything on it you wouldn't
put on your face or tongue..

What, like vinegar? Or lemon juice?

Vomit is pretty bad news too...

Andy