Maintaining Your Marble & Dolomite

Daily Cleaning

  • Use a Soft Cloth: Wipe down the surface daily with a soft cloth or sponge to remove crumbs and debris. This simple step helps to maintain the elegance of your marble.

  • PH Neutral Cleaner: For daily cleaning, use a PH neutral cleaner (such as Easy Oxy by MB Stone Care). These products are effective without being harsh on the marble. For deep cleaning, NSI recommends using MB-2 by MB Stone Cleaner, which is an alkaline cleaner.

  • Avoid Abrasive Pads or Harsh Chemicals: Steer clear of abrasive pads and any harsh cleaning agents that could dull the finish or strip the marble of its protective sealant.

Stain Prevention

  • Staining: The sealer acts as a water-resistant barrier between liquids and the stone. Liquids can still absorb into the marble if left on the surface for any extended period of time (liquid dependent). The main offenders are oils and acidic substances and these need to be cleaned up quickly. Pro tip: Never leave an oil bottle sitting on the countertop as it can leave an oil ring mark.

  • Impregnating Sealer: Marble and dolomite are more porous stones and typically need to have sealer reapplied every 1-3 years. This process should be completed with an impregnating stone sealer (Tenax Proseal, Tenax Ager, etc.) to allow for a molecular bond. Our company recommends using Tenax sealer products as a countertop sealant and all of our granite countertops we install come pre-treated with this sealer.

  • Not sure if your counters are due for another treatment?: You can absolutely test your countertops to see if they need to be retreated with countertop sealer. To do this, just take a few drops of water and drop it on your countertop. If the water beads up on the surface (like rain on a windshield treated with Rain-X) then you’re good to go, but if it starts to absorb into the countertop, then it’s time for another application of sealer.

Avoiding Damage

  1. Cutting Boards: Always use cutting boards when preparing food; direct knife contact can scratch the marble.

  2. Be aware that acidic foods (lemons, tomatoes, etc.) can etch the polished surface of any marble and dolomite. It is recommended to prepare acidic foods on cutting boards or other counters if you are wanting to keep the new/pristine marble countertop look.

  3. Heat Resistance: Marble is not as heat resistant as a granite or natural quartzite, so it is recommended to always use trivets for pots and pans. This will also help prevent bruising of your countertops that may occur when something heavy impacts your countertops. Depending on the the depth of the bruising, it may not be repairable.

Repairs

  • Chips: Restoration companies specialize in things like countertop chip repairs. If you are able to save the piece that chipped out, a it will allow for the most concealed fix, otherwise a color matched glue will be used to fill in the void. Once filled, the area is ground down smooth and refinished (if needed).

  • Scratches: Naturally scratches will happen to your countertops depending on how well they are used. These can be top polished smooth, although it is a labor intensive process. Finishes like leathered and honed will do a much better job of hiding these blemishes.