How To Clean Honed Marble Countertops
So, you have chosen honed (aka. unpolished) marble countertops for your new home, or perhaps you were lucky enough to find a house that already has them. It may be daunting at first to have such beautiful pieces of stone in areas that get so much use, such as bathrooms and the kitchen. You might be wondering if you can even spill juice or wine or oil on them without damaging the surface. And then, you start researching how do I clean unpolished marble countertops without ruining them, and realize there are only one or two special approved honed marble cleaners that you have to order online. All the regular cleaners specifically say DO NOT USE ON UNPOLISHED MARBLE. So, what do you do?
Why Can’t I Just Use A Regular Cleaner On Unpolished Marble?
Unpolished aka “honed” marble is just that: unpolished. The surface of unpolished marble has a soft, matte, buttery texture, and is much more absorbent than polished marble. There is no hard shiny surface to protect the stone. Therefore, they cannot be cleaned using the same products. It is sort of like the difference between a polished leather and a suede. They are both leather, but the way you care for them is very different.
Though I wouldn’t advise it, you could get away with using all-purpose cleaner on polished marble. But honed marble will actually absorb the acids and chemical cleaners and would be damaged by it. The acids have nothing blocking them from seeping into the stone and breaking it down. Likewise, many DIY cleaners like vinegar and lemon juice are also damaging to unpolished marble.
The Simple Solution: Barkeeper’s Friend
Bear in mind, I am in no way sponsored by Barkeeper’s Friend (though that would be awesome!). This has been my favorite kitchen and bathroom cleaner for years now, as it has very little odor, works wonders on everything from porcelain sinks and toilets to copper and stainless steel pots. It even gets out “stains” on my regular quartz countertops.
When we first moved into this house, I was pretty terrified of cleaning our beautiful honed marble countertops in both our bathrooms. I didn’t want to have to order a special cleaner, especially if it was full of chemicals. I researched how to clean honed marble countertops and found almost not information. At first, I just used water and a little bit of dish soap, as I read that these were safe for the delicate surface. But then one day I noticed a puddle of something brown on the marble. I don’t know if it was coffee or dirt or something else, but when I wiped it off, I noticed the marble felt a bit rough in that spot. I realized I needed to almost polish away that spot to get the buttery soft feeling back…and I immediately thought of my trusted cleaner. And guess what? It worked. No special chemical cleaners. Just my favorite Barkeeper’s Friend.
How To Clean Honed Marble Countertops With Barkeeper’s Friend
The process it very easy. Simply shake some Barkeeper’s Friend onto the marble, and use a wet non scratch sponge to gently scrub it allover. Be generous with it, especially if there is a lot of build-up and dirt. You might want to let it sit for a few minutes. Then you take a clean towel and start rinsing it off. I use a lot of water in this step It will take a few passes to wipe away all the gritty cleaner. You can then use a clean dry towel to wipe off the last of the cleaner, and start to polish the surface back to that baby-soft luxuriousness.
Tips for caring for honed marble countertops:
- Don’t let water sit on the surface, especially around the faucet and edges of the sink. Marble is natural stone, and will corrode and discolor over time. Leaving puddles of water on the surface will actually start to break down the stone, and natural and unnatural minerals in our tap water can even start to discolor the stone. creating yellow spots and veining. This usually happens around the faucet and the edges of the sink (which are more sensitive to damage). Regular cleaning will help, but if you are dealing with old stone, you may not be able to completely reverse the damage already done. Just enjoy the stone and the history!
- Don’t leave coffee mugs on your countertops. At least in my house, we have coffee mugs all over the place. If you want to avoid coffee rings and damage to the surface due to the acids in coffee and black tea, make it a habit to use coasters, and place your used mugs in the sink or dishwasher.
- Use wooden cutting boards to prepare and store certain foods. Not only will it add a nice farmhouse or European cottage touch, a big wooden cutting board sitting on your countertop is a great place to put those everyday items like oil and vinegar. You won’t have to worry about them dripping onto your marble countertops, and you can also use the cutting board to prepare acidic and oily foods.
