A client has a very aggresive cleaning lady. In cleaning the grout on the marble floor she has taken off the glossy finish. The client wants me to fix it. Been to HD and saw too many product on the shelf to make a decision. Please advise.
Peace,
Martin
Replies
Taken the shine off the marble? Hmmmm...marble becomes glossy from the fine sanding/buffing process at the factory I thought and never saw marble go dull. Did you try cleaning it with just water or water and amonia? I'd get some marble cleaner and try that first then use a good marble sealer on it. I'm guess the cleaning lady used Ajax or something abrasive like that and maybe didnt rinse it off real well?
Let us know what happens. Good luck
Namaste'
Andy
It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
The marble gets ground fine and buffed. Some gets waxed too, to have that shiny look.
I vote for rubbing compound - this is after you get away from HD to a real tile store where they can advise you - and then a good buffing, maybe wax over.
Or
Buy a bottle of HD stuff, hand it to the cleaning lady and say, "You did it. Now, you do it.".
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are." --Marcus Aurelius
I never tried it but I heard car wax / compound works.
Be well
NAmaste'
AndyIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
That's kinda whut I sayed!.
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are." --Marcus Aurelius
And a buffer....
Sounds like I could use that lady to remove some rust off the truck...........
BTW, you did give the Owner a free "Care & cleaning your Marble" booklet?
TM
I figured the cleaning lady was cleaning the grout lines tween the marble which usually is a pencil thin line. I figured she went half a foot over on to the marble with er cleaning cloth. Got over zelous and spred the half a foot to the whole marble tile. MAybe I'm wrong. Its been known to happen ) :
Be well
Namaste
Andy
It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I deleted the message you just read from me because I got to thinking it was me . Sorry .
Tim Mooney
wahhhhhhh?????? Huh???
aIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I reread it my self and "got " where you got it . Ive never seen the finish rubbed off either, so I was just thinking surely not. Must be the grout. I dunno! What about Hog Fest ?
Tim Mooney
All it takes to remove the shine from marble is a mild acid like vinegar or lemon juice. Many cleaners are acidic enough to take polished marble down to a honed finish. I don't work in tile but on the few occasions a client has convinced me they want a marble or limestone slab in their bathroom I give them the most strenous warning I can conjure up about the effects of acids and inappropriate cleaners. I also give them several offcuts from the slab to experiment with.
If the surface hasn't been scratched or pitted you can get an experienced pro with a floor buffer and an appropriate polishing powder to attempt restoring the shine. Be careful who you hire, inappropriate or excessive use of a polishing powder will give you an "orange peel" finish on the marble.
Personally I would never choose a relatively soft and delicate stone like polished marble for a floor. It will look great until someone walks on it and it is all downhill from there. My recommendation is to forget repolishing it and learn to like the honed/dull finish. Wax might work to some degree but the factory shine is developed with progressively finer abrasives and a final polishing compound NO WAX is used so you will be disappointed if you think you will restore your floor with wax alone.
Karl
Martin, the only damage done is that she's removed the grout sealer. Call any reputable tile company and ask their advice for resealing the grout. Actually, just have them come out and do it. At the same time have them give the houskeeper a few lessons in how to clean grout. Quick, simple, customer's happy, and ...YOUR OUTTA THERE....
"no one" says the only damage done is that she's removed the grout sealer.
I don't see what leads you to this conclusion. Are you under the impression that applying sealer to marble is what gives it a "shine"?
There are wet "look" sealers that you can use to bring out the colors in a slate floor for example but these are not intended to replace the mechanical polishing process.
If someone has dulled the shine on a polished stone and is hoping to restore it to its original condition, they are in for a big disappointment if they think there is a solution in applying the contents of the right bottle of sealer, wax, whatever. You may get some gloss out of topical liquids but it won't be the same as the factory polish. As long as everyone is aware of this and has seen a test application of the topical liquid go for it. I would be very wary of telling the client that I will fix their problem using a sealer alone as I will end up being the one to blame (instead of the cleaning lady) when the finish doesn't live up to clients expectations.
Karl
Karl, as I read the post, it said she was cleaning the grout not the stone. I assumed that the shine was gone from the grout. This would cause it to soil rapidly and make it very difficult to clean in the future. Hence, my conclusion that the grout sealer needed to be reapplied. Perhaps this is an incorrect assumption.