Bill, I ordered and just got that product. But the directions seem to imply it's more for spot cleaning soiled areas. Are you suggesting I use it as a regular cleaner, or is there something better for, say, a weekly basis? Also, is it okay to dust the floors with a swifter dry cloth? They have no cleaner on them, but they do have a scent.

this is the not the inside of my fireplace, its the viewable part of my firepalce is where the smoke marks are. Thanks

I can sympathize. I also want the look of light, uniform (but natural) honed limestone or marble... but for various reasons (mainly the need to sell the house in ~3 years and want the kitchen to still look "new") I am not getting either. I had originally thought I would use a light honed granite. I had honed Kashmir White on a small peninsula in my last kitchen and liked it. Colors I have considered are: Kashmir White Imperial White Bethel White Arctic White Solar White I may still do one of these, but am now also considering a darker honed granite to look soapstone-ish (cherry shaker cabinets) like honed Jet Mist or honed Virginia Mist. I think I am going to have to wait until the cabinets are installed to make this decision!! It's too important and I just can't find the "right" stone yet. Please keep us updated on your decision-making!! What color are your cabs? Stacey

Limestone and travertine essentially have the same chemical composition, but the way they were formed is totally different. Travertine is formed by the percolating action of water - water moves through rock or soil and then deposits minerals that got dissolved in the water during its' journey. Travertine will have striations (layers) and voids (holes) and could have a billowy, cloud-like pattern. It is overall, typically harder than limestone. It can have areas of fill and is a very dense stone good for use in a wet environment. Ivory Travertine: > Limestone is a sedimentary rock formed of the exoskeletons of crustaceans, corals, plants and shells. Limestones could have fossils in it and has a more even coloring that travertine. Layers are not always as evident. You do get some really nice compact limestones (a lot of them come from France) that are very hard and could be suitable for heavy traffic areas (like Beauharnais) > Jerusalem Limestone (note the fossils) > When you mention "staining", are these ares lighter or darker? Lighter areas are etches (most personal hygiene products contain some acid and are able to etch calciferous stones) As far as the coffee and hair dye stains: You could try to poultice them out with a peroxide poultice (use beauty shop strength peroxide - not the stuff you buy in Walgreens as a disinfectant.) The best advice I could give you, though , is to get a stone restoration professional in there to have a look at it. They are specialized in cleaning and restoring stone surfaces and they will be able to deep clean and also grind out the etches to give you a brand new looking bathroom top. The resto guy will also be able to seal with a high quality sealer. Miracle's 511 Porous Plus would be a good sealer, but If it were me, I really would get a pro in there - if not for a restoration, at least just for a look-see and some first-hand advice.