How to Polish Cultured Marble

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Marble Care and Maintenance: How to Polish Cultured Marble

In our last post, we covered how to polish natural marble. Now we are going to go over polishing cultured marble. Cultured marble is much easier to clean than natural marble since it is manufactured with a protective coating that makes it much less prone to scratches and damage. However, it still requires attention and care.

Step 1: Determine whether you have natural or cultured marble

Temperature method: Natural marble is normally cooler to the touch than the ambient air, while cultured marble stays at around the same temperature as the ambient air.

Acid method: Put a few drops of vinegar on a small portion of the marble that is hidden from view. Natural marble will fizz or make bubbles. Cultured marble won’t do this. Wipe up the vinegar as soon as you’re done with a damp cloth to avoid damage.

Scratch method: Pick a portion of the marble that is hidden from view (you can use the same spot where you put the vinegar), lightly scratch the surface with a nail or other sharp object. Use a magnifying glass to check to see whether there are any visible scratches. Cultured marble is more resistant to scratching than natural marble.

*If after trying these methods you are unable to determine whether you have cultured or natural marble, use cleaning methods for natural marble to prevent any permanent damage.

Step 2: Polishing Cultured Marble

Remove any existing stains:  You’ll need a brush with soft nylon bristles and a non-abrasive household cleaner. Use this to scrub surface stains. Spray some white vinegar on the surface and let it sit for 45 minutes to remove hard water stains. Use plain water and damp rag to rinse off the vinegar and wipe away any residue.

Thoroughly clean and dry the surface by using a soft cloth and a non-abrasive household cleaner, followed by a clean, dry cloth.

Use a polishing compound specifically made for cultured marble to polish the marble surface making sure to follow the package instructions. Carnauba wax made for cars could also be used as a polishing compound.

  • If you want to seal as well as polish cultured marble you can use a gel polishing compound. However,  since cultured marble is manufactured with a sealed surface, this is usually not necessary,.

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