Scratches in honed travertine slab

Firstly thanks for all the information on your website, I'm happy I found it before cleaning our new travertine shower walls with the wrong product. Are the MB stone cleaning products safe to use around nickel faucet and valve trims? We have a honed travertine vanity top and back splash. Unfortunately the contractor (somehow) scratched the back splash during the installation of a wall mount faucet. There are 4 scratches of varying depths, the deepest almost completely disappears when dabbed with water. I'm wondering if I hide these scratches with a small amount of MB-6 or MB-4? Or do I need sandpaper and your honing powder (the area is about an inch square) Also, we have honed travertine tiles (unsealed) in the shower which the contractor left grout on, I understand I need to wet sand these with metal grade sandpaper and then apply the MB-6 enhancer. Would honing powder help here? Lastly, I notice some of the grout between the tiles cracked as it dried and so I will need to fix this with unsanded grout. Should I try to remove the cracked grout or just regrout over it. I understand I should wait a few weeks before sealing. What grout sealer do you recommend? Thanks in advance for your help, Lynn

 

Dear Lynn:

 

“ Are the MB stone cleaning products safe to use around nickel faucet and valve trims? ”

 

They usually are (in over 17 years we only had a negative report from a customer who used MB-3 on pewter-finished metal trim in a shower). However, our own extensive testing of our products before we put them on the market is limited to a huge array of stones. We can't be responsible for different types of finishes on metal fixtures.

 

“ ? Or do I need sandpaper and your honing powder (the area is about an inch square) ”

 

Personally I would sandpaper. The use of honing powder is mostly for professionals, for it requires special equipment.

 

“ I understand I need to wet sand these with metal grade sandpaper and then apply the MB-6 enhancer. Would honing powder help here? ”

 

See my comment above about the honing powder.

 

“ I notice some of the grout between the tiles cracked as it dried and so I will need to fix this with unsanded grout. ”

 

Remove and apply fresh grout.

 

“ What grout sealer do you recommend? ”

 

If you plan to use MB-6 after sanding the surface of the stone with sand paper, it's all the sealing you will ever need. MB-6 is a terrific colonr enhancer as well ans an impregnating sealer.