Cloudy water stains remove the shininess of your marble countertops, floors, bathrooms and showers. You can strip water stains off your marble surfaces using a baking soda poultice, alcohol, or your own marble cleaning solution. It’s also easy to offset light water stains using only cornstarch or powdered white chalk.
You can remove these dull water stains using accessible and convenient home products and by following the step by step processes below.
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Baking soda helps marble surfaces stay stain free
Baking soda is more than a baking ingredient. You can also use it to get rid of water stains on your marble. This method has two approaches – one uses a short acting baking soda paste and the other requires a longer duration, using a baking soda poultice to lift water stains.
Remove water stains on marble with baking soda paste
When dealing with light water stains, you can use the baking soda paste technique. This technique is a shorter approach to removing water stains. Only use this approach when removing water stains on polished marble.
- In a bowl, mix two tablespoons of baking soda with a tablespoon of cold water to form a paste. If it doesn’t have the desired consistency, gradually add small volumes of warm water until it is a paste-like consistency.
- Spray enough water to moisten the water spots, then pour the baking soda paste on the water-stained marble.
- Rub the baking soda paste against the water stains using a non-abrasive brush.
- Rinse the marble to remove the baking soda paste using a sponge dampened with distilled water.
- Dry the marble using a microfiber towel.
Longer-acting baking soda poultice
You can modify the baking soda paste technique when water stains on marble are stubborn or already set in. In this method, you must use baking soda poultice (a soft or moist mass of material used to treat stains). Though this approach may seem like that of the baking soda paste, the baking soda poultice acts as an improvised scotch tape that transfers water stains from the marble to the poultice. That is why water stains are removed along with the poultice.
- Create a poultice by mixing two or three tablespoons of baking soda with ample cold water to form a paste.
- Moisten the water stains by spraying water onto them.
- Cover the water stains with the poultice as thick as that of a coin.
- Wrap the poultice with plastic and seal the edges using scotch tape.
- Leave it be overnight.
- In the morning, remove the plastic wrap and scrape the poultice using a spatula.
- Pour mild dish soap on the marble and clean the area to remove excess poultice on the marble with a damp sponge.
- Dry using a microfiber towel.
Removing water stains with regular rubbing alcohol
In addition to sanitizing your hands or disinfecting surfaces, you can also use rubbing alcohol to remove water stains aside from marble surfaces. In this method, you need to dilute the rubbing alcohol in water to avoid damaging the porous marble.
- Fill a spray bottle with ¼ rubbing alcohol, ½ water, and five drops liquid dish soap. Shake the spray bottle until it’s mixed.
- Generously spray the solution on the water stains.
- Wipe off the water stains using a clean, soft cloth.
- Finally, rinse the marble and dry it with a microfiber towel.
Easy removal of stains with cornstarch
Cornstarch is commonly used in grease and oil removal techniques, but is also useful in effectively eliminating blemishes caused by water stains. In this method, you have to pre-treat water stains with cornstarch to loosen bonded minerals from accumulation and layering of old water stains.
- Moisten the marble water stains by spraying distilled water onto them.
- Dust the water stains with just enough cornstarch to thinly cover them.
- Leave it for 24 hours.
- Then, scrape the cornstarch with a spatula, and wipe off the excess using a dampened sponge.
- Clean the marble surface with distilled water and dry it with a microfiber towel.
Create a vinegar spray solution to remove stains
If water stains are making your marble less perfect, you might end up searching a local store for a marble cleaning solution. But you can actually make one right at home. This method will teach you how to make a marble spray solution of your own. You can store the spray solution just like the commercial ones and use them anytime they are needed.
- Open a spray bottle and fill it halfway with distilled white vinegar and half distilled water to make a solution.
- Add a few drops of mild dish soap in the spray solution.
- Recap the spray bottle and shake to mix the ingredients.
- Spray the solution on the water stains.
- Let it sit for a minute, then scrub the water-stained marble using a sponge moistened with distilled water.
- Rinse the marble with distilled water, and dry it using a microfiber towel.
Make sure you only use diluted vinegar on your countertops, as straight vinegar is too acidic and can damage them.
Remove light water stains on marble using chalk
The chalk method can only remove light water stains on polished marble. Although it is not effective in eliminating stubborn water stains, using chalk powder is beneficial because there is no chance that it can leave scratches behind.
- Crush three pieces of white chalk using a mortar and pestle and transfer the pulverized white chalk on a small dish plate.
- Sprinkle the chalk powder on the water stains.
- Dampen a cotton ball and use it to rub the chalk powder against the water-stained marble circularly.
- Clean the marble surface with distilled water, and dry with a microfiber cloth.
Common questions about water stains
Can you use lemon and vinegar to remove water stains on a marble countertop?
No, the use of acidic liquid like vinegar and lemon extract can form discoloration on marble countertops, especially when water stains are on unpolished marble. These substances also leave scratches on polished marble.
However, there are still some methods that require the use of vinegar, despite its negative side effects. It is worth noting that you must dilute the vinegar with water to neutralize its acidity because neutral pH substances are best for marble surfaces.
Is it safe to use baking soda in getting rid of water stains from marble?
Yes, but you need to mix it with water. Baking soda alone can bond to the surface of the marble, causing dull etching after drying. This is why you must use a baking soda paste and not plain baking soda, which is too harsh.
When the baking soda paste dries, etching won’t occur because you can easily remove the dried paste, just like you would remove a baked cookie. Also, the baking soda paste method is accompanied by a final rinse using mild dish soap, which assures thorough removal of the remaining baking soda.
Does fine steel wool work in removing water stains on marble?
You can use fine steel wool when removing water stains on marble, but is not a recommended method. Even if your marble has stubborn water stains, some procedures are much safer for your marble. But in desperate times, fine steel wool can remove stubborn water stains on honed marble or the marbles that are not polished. Don’t use it on polished marble, or you will scratch it.
Follow these steps on unpolished marble:
- Pour small amounts of water on the surface surrounding the stubborn water stain, but not on the stain itself.
- Rub the periphery of the water stain in a circular motion and then inwards, allowing the water to move to the center.
- Continue rubbing until the stain is no longer visible, and the water has evaporated after constant agitation.
Final Thoughts
Perfection, purity, and elegance is a lifetime asset of marble that extends to any surface made from this stone. Water stains devalue your marble, and it can jeopardize all those features if you let these stains set in. But you won’t, because the methods that remove water stains are easy to follow and you can find the ingredients at home. After successfully getting rid of water stains, you must maintain the marble so its beauty will never fade. Wipe away any wetness immediately so stains aren’t left behind.
