My marble fabricator told me to use two drops of liquid dish detergent in a new spray bottle filled with distilled water. Cheap, easy, natural (depending on your detergent), and fast!

Same as breezy - I purchased a pretty little bottle and just fill it with a few drops of dish soap and filtered water. I take a super/boiling hot cloth once a day or after dealing with raw foods to really clean them.

Me too-re hot water. I've been wiping down my counters with a micro fiber cloth and very hot water. Then I wipe them dry. I am careful with chicken and any thing else that can have bacteria. I don't put those things directly on the counter and I put the cutting boards and silpats in the DW. I wipe up spills very quickly.

What Sixtyohno said. Or, if you want a specific cleaner, Method Pro Chef Granite Kitchen Cleaner. Good stuff. It's sold at Whole Foods, or of course, over the internet. (Note, Method also makes a "granite polish" which I've never used, and don't really see the need for. I am recommending their Granite Cleaner.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Method Pro Chef Granite Kitchen Cleaner

thanks for posting this! my marble is going in today and I was wondering the same thing.

I don't know if this is true for all locations, but our TJMaxx/Home Goods (in MA) carries the Method granite cleaner and it is only $3.99!

Alcohol and water in a spray bottle with some lavender essential oil (or other scents of your choosing--lavender has natural anti-bacterial/microbial properties). I use it on my SS as well instead of oil-based cleaners/polishes. Works great, disinfects, no residue, I can spot clean....

Cat_mom--you use alcohol on your marble? Not that I think alcohol is acidic, but it just strikes my brain as not safe somehow....

@ Breezy- I would think the same thing! But- I know a lot of people who use bleach.

Thanks for all these ideas! Will get my soapy water spray ready :).

Cat- really curious about the alcohol, as I'd love a more antimicrobial option once in a while.

Was it recommended by a fabricator, or did you discover on your own? You don't find that the integrity of the sealer is affected?

I know I've read in other threads, but can you remind me what type of marble you have?

Dish soap on a dish cloth, just like the other counters.

I use a mixture of 1/3 rubbing alcohol, 2/3 water,
and 3 or 4 drops Dawn dish soap
in a spray bottle on the honed marble counters
in our bathroom and the honed marble hex floor tiles in the bath.
No etching or other problems so far.

I would imagine one would want to avoid any dish soap with citrus in it.
As I understand it, the important thing when cleaning marble is to stay
ph neutral.
I love using Method cleaning products.
Does anyone know if they are OK on honed marble?

thanks all! clipping this post as my marble goes in at the end of the week! yippee :)

Any recommendations as to how to find out if your dish soap is pH neutral? Or is this a silly question... I know you are supposed to stay away from the citrus 'flavors', but other than that I'm clueless. Obviously I'll be asking my marble guy as well.

I found a ph neutral cleaner for marble at Whole Foods Market. I can't think of the name, but if you have a Whole Foods in your area I would definitely go there. They carry all organic/natural products.

People here on this forum always used to mention using alcohol-water spray on granite and on marble, too, I think. I didn't start using it until a year and a half ago or so. I "researched" online and made a bunch of phone calls when we completed our bathrooms--we have White Thassos (marble) and travertine. It's supposed to be safe for use on marble and travertine, in addition to granite according to the marble experts with whom I spoke, and kills germs, according to an EPA doctor with whom I also spoke . It is pretty close to neutral pH. I don't like cleaning with bleach, or bleach versions of cleaning products for everyday cleaning. I have gotten bleach spots on clothing, shower curtains, towels, in the past.

I mix roughly a 50-50 mix of water and alcohol, maybe a little bit more water than alcohol (I usually top off an existing bottle, so proportions are never exact), and then add enough lavender oil to make it smell "right". Same goes for the alcohol; I like the spray to have a discernible alcohol smell, without it being enough to make me choke! According to the EPA dr., you can use as little as 10% alcohol and it will still disinfect, but I like it be a little stronger than that (evaporates nicely, and cuts through grease better, too).

FYI, re: organic/natural products. 7th Generation Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner is stone (sealed stone) friendly, but not all of their products are. Mrs. Meyers (daily) Shower Cleaner is stone safe, but it's been discontinued (anyone else want to call to request its comeback?). Now, none of their products are. Don't assume that all "natural" or "organic" products are stone-safe.

We have alot of marble, granite, stainless and use a chemical free cleaning technology. It has been tested on Rachel Ray and their is a video with her show testing it on the site.It works on everything around the house, bathrooms, kitchen, windows, mirrors, we use it everywher. Has the fresh scent of rain water, kills germs and viruses, deodorizes and removes stains, even red wine came out of our white carpet. Good Luck

Here is a link that might be useful: Chemical Free Cleaning & Sanitizing

Anyone use Norwex? Those are the microfiber clothes with silver ingrained. They are said to be antibacterial from the sliver.

Define "chemical-free."

Everything is made of chemicals, even the water you drink.
No matter how pure it may be, it contains hydrogen and oxygen, two chemical elements.

Hi Brick,

Yes, as a science professional, I realize that everything is made of chemicals.

I think the connotation was understood by those who posted a response. I'm seeking a cleanser free of harsh/toxic chemicals.

Now that I have my marble, this was so helpful! Glad i saved it : )

A few mentioned using lavender oil-- I was wondering if other essential oils would be okay? Vanilla, etc? I think lemon might be an issue...

I use the lavender oil because I like the smell, and lavender has natural anti-bacterial/microbial properties. That EPA doctor I'd mentioned speaking with was a big fan of the lavender oil addition to the spray (more anti-bac than tea tree oil, and he likes the fragrance, too!), but you can look up and try out other essential oils to try.

I'm looking for an everyday spray cleaner for my new white honed marble countertops. Any recommendations?

I use cheap vodka to clean my marble. I use a ratio of 1 part alcohol to 4 parts water. It kills bacteria and no residue is left behind.

I've also used Method's Daily Granite on my quartzite. The smell is a little strong for my tastes, but it's pretty good to wipe up spills and smudges on the counters.

Four dice, not to be snarky, but did you read the above thread? There are several marble solutions which work very well.

Pretty much every stoop in the city of Baltimore is made of marble. The old timers have been scrubbing down these marble stoops for 100 years with a product called bon ami. It looks like Ajax and comes in a similar container, but it is not abrasive (contains no pumice), it is organic (limestone powder, feldspar, coconut, soda ash, and baking soda). Works incredibly well. I use it on my marble stoop, polished marble tile, and everything porcelain in my house. $1 per can.

Here is a link that might be useful: Product website and description

This post was edited by klavier on Sun, Jan 6, 13 at 22:23

I don't get why the need for all these Method brand cleaners and other stuff that's expensive (or even $3.99). My fabricator told me to use dish soap on my dish rag. When I wash the dishes, then I wipe down the counters (granite and honed marble) with the same dish rag. No extra cost. I like the alcohol idea too, but I've never tried it. Wiping down the counters with the dish rag is nothing new. I've been doing it for 30 years! BTW, I use Dawn dish soap.

The fabricator also advised me to use some dish soap on a wet cloth or blue windex on polished marble. I use the goldish color dawn soap- no citrus. So far these solutions have worked great. I found that the dawn and wet cloth works best to clean and shine the glass stove top surface. I wipe both the marble and the stove top dry with a towel for a smooth finish.

I was using a Yoga Mat cleaner as a Marble cleaner, cheap and effective! in my experience those organic ingredients helps with the marble, lol maybe it's just me! but like I said to Charlene all the time: it's always up to u!

Here is a link that might be useful: ebay