How to remove water stains from Travertine.

Dear Maurizio, My husband and I are trying to fix our travertine sink countertop to make it more functional. When we moved in we found water stains on the counter and realized that it had never been treated. Naturally, as it is near a sink, the water stains got worse. My husband and I went to Home Depot and asked their professionals what to do and they sold us a sealant, which has worked to prevent further problems, however the original stains are still there and we want to remove them. How would we do this?

 

Dear Elana:

Is your travertine polished or hone-finished?

How do your water stains look like, just dull or darker than the rest of the stone?

If you stone is polished and your water stains are just dull marks, they are not stains at all but surface damages (etch marks) created by the spillage of acidic substances. And the sealer that you applied to it will not do the first to prevent them, that's a promise! To remove the existing ones, if the etching is not too severe, a good-quality Marble Repair Kit will do the trick for you.

If instead your travertine is hone-finished and the water staining is darker than the rest of the stone, then the impregnator you applied to it will help prevent further staining, but you should have waited for the water to evaporate before sealing it in.

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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