Dear Shier:

I'm busy alright, but part of my schedule is to answer queries like yours.

The popular and "easy" recommendation is to use pH neutral cleaning products when dealing with stone. It's a myth.

I could give you samples of pH neutral product that will affect stones like marble and limestone and more! On the other hand, I can give you a product with a pH of 9 - like MB-5 which is safe on all natural stones.

What's the story?

It's quite simple:

In formulating a cleaning product there's much more than simply putting several ingredients in a pot and then stirs them with wooden spoon!

Say that you mix an acid with a base (a.k.a. alkali). You can balance them to reach a pH value of 7 – dead neutral. However, if you don't stabili z e the formula in a way that the two ingredients are properly bonded, certain stones will dissociate them and react with acidic part of the compound!

On the other hand, if a chemical is formulated properly, even if its pH value is on the alkaline side (above 7), it will be safe on natural stone.

(Of course, nothing below 7 (acidic) could be safe on stone – no matter how you try to “fix” the formula.)

In formulating our MB-5 the manufacturer chose an alkaline product because it's supposed to be used on kitchen countertops – among other uses. pH neutral cleaners don't have enough muscle to deal with residue of grease that could be found on a kitchen countertop.

I hope I was able to explain the “mystery” of chemistry in a few sentences…

Ciao and good luck,