Many thanks to our sponsor Polycor in this kitchen renovation. All opinions are my own and always will be! Thanks for supporting the content that keeps Jojotastic going.
One of the top questions I’ve been asked since revealing our kitchen renovation is about our Polycor marble countertops! So many people have inquired about the care of the stone. I know that marble has a stigma about being porous and ‘soft,’ but I’m here to tell you that Georgia marble is different! You still get that beautiful, striking veining and dramatic tones, but with the quality and easy level of care that people expect from another stone, like granite. So let’s dig into what is so special about this stone, plus how to care for it!
All About Our Polycor Marble Countertops & How to Care for Them
But first, what exactly is Georgia Marble?
Being totally honest, I didn’t know about Georgia Marble until our designer, Sarah from Room for Tuesday, brought it to my attention! I was all set to go with granite countertops, but once I saw the beautiful veining I was totallllly in love. Putting on my geologist hat, marble is a metamorphic rock that is made mainly of calcium carbonate (commonly found in natural stone, shells, and pearls). It’s a natural stone that is incredibly durable. Plus, it’s stain and weather resistant! Countless architects have used Polycor’s Georgia Marble on building facades and exteriors, meaning that it really, truly gets put to the test with snow, rain, and weather. With that in mind, I knew it would definitely be a great choice for me (aka Chef Hurricane Joanna, spiller of all things and creator of messes).
How to Clean Georgia Marble
The calcium carbonate in the marble stone can be sensitive to acidic solutions, so the key to caring for it is to use mild, non-acidic cleaners. When shopping, look for a pH neutral clean, stone soap, or even mild liquid dishwashing detergent. If you go the latter route, use warm water.
To keep our countertops clean, I’ve been using Method dish soap on a soft cotton dishtowel. I add a small amount to the towel, dampen it with warm water, then squeeze it together until there’s a lather. Then, I give our counters and backsplash a good wipe down. Next, rinse the towel out with water until the soap is gone and go over the counters and backsplash one more time. Lastly, using a dry, clean towel to remove the moisture. Always leave the countertops dry!
Spills
The first time I spilled red wine on the counter, I freaked out. Not only had I spilled wine, but I was so scared it would stain. But it didn’t, not one bit! If you end up spilling on your Georgia Marble countertops, simply blot up the spill with a paper towel immediately. Avoid wiping, because that would just spread the spill further. Then, use the warm water + dish soap technique I mentioned above to clean the spot further. After that, dry the area thoroughly with a soft cloth.
How to Seal the Stone
You can also seal the stone as an extra precaution against staining. Polycor recommends selecting a product that is an “impregnator” (never thought I’d use that word on the blog…) instead of a “topical sealer.” The latter leaves a film on the surface which can wear down unevenly and even discolor or alter the stone’s appearance! Instead, select a high quality impregnating sealer. It will sink in below the surface of the stone and act as a repellant — all without changing the look, feel, and quality of the stone! Just keep in mind that it won’t make your counters 100% stain-proof, just more stain resistant.
For the best combination of cleaning, sealing, and protecting, Polycor recommended that I use StoneTeach Revitalizer, Cleaner, and Protector for Tile and Stone.
How to Treat Different Types of Stains
If you somehow end up with a stain after all of this, not all is lost! Polycor has tips on how to remove various types of stains:
- Oil-based: try a household detergent, mineral spirits. or acetone.
- Organic (i.e. coffee, tea, wine, or fruit): clean with 12% hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia.
- Metal (i.e. rust): these stains are incredibly hard to remove, and most need to be removed with a poultice.
- Biological (i.e. mildew): clean with a diluted cleaning solution, ideally 1/2 cup of ammonia, bleach, or hydrogen peroxide + 1 gallon of water. Do not mix the bleach and ammonia!
- Ink: use bleach or hydrogen peroxide.
- Water spots and rings: buff with a dry 0000 steel wool pad.
- Scratches and nicks: slight surface flaws can be buffed out with a dry 0000 steel wool pad.
Many thanks to Polycor for sharing so many helpful tips about how to care for marble countertops! If you have any additional questions about our stone counters and backsplashes, let me know in the comments.
