unpolished marble kitchen floor tiles

My landlady put in marble floors. She used polished marble in the bath and entryway, which are easy (imo) to care for, compared to the tile in the kitchen. It is "unfinished" or something. It has a matt finish and (she got it REALLY cheap) is probably low grade. It has so many fissures that they stay black w/ dirt. I can't keep them clean... it drives me crazy. I finally used a vapor cleaner on my hands and knees but there are so many fissures it takes literally 12hs and is dirty w/ in days. Is there anything I can do? FYI.. she says she applied a sealant (but I could never have told... the fissures are deep! and suck in the muck). If you need to know, it is light tan/cream w/ brown streaks. HELP ME PLEASE.

 

Dear Nikole:

The polished marble may seem easier to clean, but it does have its own issues: it is sensitive to acidic substances and it gets permanently damaged on contact every time one spills orange juice lemon juice, a drink, salad dressing and so on through a very long list on it. And that is why it's a HUGE no-no in a kitchen environment.

As for the “cheap” thing, quality and price seldom match when it comes to a natural commodity: it is strictly demand and supply. I can appreciate the problems that you're having (which have nothing to do with the sealing of the stone), but unless you want to pay on your own a professional stone restoration contractor to professionally fill all the fissures and holes that you have in your floor, it is something that you will have to work out with your landlady.

May I ask you now to please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm?

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

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