Our Stone Cleaning Was the Perfect Solution To Revive This Marble Floor in Watchung, NJ

February 14, 2019

Marble is an elegant type of stone that can look great on nearly any part of the house. Because of its beautiful patterns and many available finishes, marble is a popular choice for flooring. Most people believe that since it's stone, marble is naturally resistant to damage. Unfortunately, it's not always the case, as shown by the effect of many traditional cleaners. Marble is very susceptible to acidic substances like bleach and homemade cleaners; acids can stain and etch the stone, ruining its color and sheen. A homeowner in Watchung, NJ, came to this realization when she started noticing the changes in the marble surface of her guest bathroom.


The floor was noticeably soiled, with large brown spots that darkened the stone in different parts of the room. The owner hadn't been able to make any significant progress with her own cleaning efforts, so after browsing several websites and reading accounts from people with similar issues, she learned that the floor's current state was likely the result of it coming into contact with acidic substances. The best way to deal with the resulting discoloration was with the assistance of a stone restoration professional, so she went online once again to search for companies in the area. This is how she came across Sir Grout Western New Jersey and our stone cleaning experts in Watchung, NJ.

The owner read the most recent testimonials from other satisfied customers, and a few minutes later, she was ready to schedule a free in-home consultation. The evaluation took place that same week, when our experts visited her home to assess the marble floor.

We inspected the surface, testing our products on some of the marks after assessing the stone. The stains were most likely a byproduct of chemical damage, caused by a mixture of chemical cleaners and other bathroom liquids. The only way to keep the marble surface protected is to hone the stone and apply sealant at least once a year. Since the bathroom floor wasn't sealed, the pores on the stone had been gathering dirt. Meanwhile, the acids of several cleaning products had corroded parts of the marble until the scratches became much deeper.

This is why the marks were so difficult to remove. We explained that despite looking like stains, etch marks are much more problematic because they're the result of the acids eating away at the stone. Regular cleaners don't work against them, often adding to the damage that already exists.

To restore the floors, our techs suggested the following procedure. First, we would thoroughly clean the stone before honing the surfaces to get rid of the scratches and the etch marks. Then, we needed to seal the bathroom floor with our proprietary sealant. The customer reviewed our no-obligation quote, agreed to the service, and scheduled another appointment to get the job done.

Two days later, our crew went back to the client's home to perform the service. We started by soaking the marble floor with a pH-neutral cleaner to loosen the dirt that had accumulated on the stone. As the product detached the embedded dirt on the porous surface, we removed all traces of grime and moisture with the help of a high-speed scrubber.

Next, our techs honed the surface with low and mid-grit diamond pads to eliminate all the etches and scratches. The marble took a nice matte finish, and this was our cue to use special polishing pads on the surface, restoring its natural vibrance.

For the final step, we completely dried the surface to apply our premium sealant. Not only will this sealant keep the marble protected against external agents, but it will also simplify things for homeowners. Its protection keeps many external elements at bay, so you won't have to deal with dirt and soap constantly getting embedded in the stone.

When we finished, our experts let the client see the results, and she couldn't be happier. Thanks to our cleaning and honing job, all the marks had disappeared, giving the marble a brand-new appearance. The homeowner was thrilled and thanked our specialists for a job well done. She also promised to call back for maintenance and to share her experience with more people in Watchung, NJ.

Before leaving the house, our experts gave the homeowner some care tips to keep natural stone surfaces in good condition. First, we recommended cleaning once a week with a pH-neutral, soap-less product like Sir Grout's Natural Hard Surface Cleaner. This formula doesn't leave any residue behind and brings all the cleaning power you need when working on the maintenance of bathroom spaces. It's also stone-safe, which means it will not etch or scratch marble and other types of natural stone.

We also suggested wiping away any spills as soon as they happened, ideally with a clean towel or a terry cloth. For our final tip, our team reminded the client of the importance of scheduling regular maintenance and sealing sessions to keep the floors looking great through months of household activities.

Are your marble surfaces losing their shine? Here at Sir Grout Western New Jersey, we have everything you need to preserve the beauty and elegance of natural stone in all parts of the house. Call us at (732) 392-7323 if you want more details about our hard surface restoration process, or fill out the "Request a Quote" form on this website to schedule a free, in-home evaluation. Also, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with our latest news and promotions.