Q. I have a new marble sink I ruined the shine on by accidently spraying it with a strong bathtub cleaner. I have tried to shine it up using a good furniture polish but it get dirty and has to be redone. What can I do to fix this sink? Is there a good cleaner for marble sinks that is safe to use? I have two other marble sinks. Thanks so much, Susan

 

A. Hello Susan. All furniture polish will do is add a coating of wax -- definitely not the right solution. What has happened is that the acid in the strong bathtub cleaner etched or ate away the surface of the marble. Now you will need to have it polished mechanically. Think of it like a gem. If you scratch or damage it, the surface around the damage would all have to be polished away until a perfectly flat surface was restored.

 

If the damage area was very small and not too severe you could try polishing it yourself with marble polishing powder, (MB Stonecare MB-11 Marble Polishing Powder) but in your case I think you will have to have a pro come in.

 

As for a good cleaner for your sinks, you want to use only a neutral or slightly alkaline cleaner designated safe for natural stone. I would recommend MB Stonecare MB-5. It works great not only for your sinks but you can use it on the mirror over your sink to avoid overspray of any harsh window cleaners getting on your marble.

 

If you need to contact a qualified stone restoration contractor to restore your sink, visit: www.stoneandtilepros.com/findapro.php.