We have spilt some alcohol (isopropanol) on the surface of our table and it has taken the shine offand made it really dull in patches. Can you suggest something to restore it, I have tried a bit of household polish and it did nothing.

 

Dear Carol:

Stone is polished mechanically, by abrasion and friction, like gemstone, not by slapping some polish onto it – as you already found out.

Your spillage did not remove any finish: it actually etched (corroded) the surface of the stone.

I would suggest you to try a good-quality Marble Repair Kit, but if the etching is too severe it may not be aggressive enough to fully repair the damage. If you could use an orbital sander with a terry cloth bonnet or something similar, you would increase the performance of the centerpiece of the kit and may be able to pull it off.

Worse get to worst, if doesn't work well enough to meet your standards, you'd have to hire a stone restoration contractor that will slightly grind (hone) the surface and your stone and then polish it to blend with the rest.

Ciao and good luck,

Maurizio Bertoli