I got the same advice about marble (and since I'm not the most tidy...) we are going with quartzite. Looks similar to marble but should be easier to maintain. should be installed next week - can't wait!

What damage do you expect wiping it down will prevent? If it's not sealed well, a stain will happen immediately. An etch is a bigger worry, and there's no preventing etches. Marble dissolves instantly upon contact with acid. I would read up on etching and which substances will etch.

I have honed cararra in my guest bath. It's beautiful and feels luscious. I have a few mystery etches that are barely noticeable and have faded over time. I tell you what marble doesn't like: toilet bowl cleaner. Like an idiot I set the bottle down on the counter after I dosed the toilet. Later I found a strange mark, the size of a dime, that looks sorta like a smallpox vaccination scar. After much puzzlement I figured that's what caused it, just a drop. I experimented with a marble sample and it positively fizzes when the stuff hits the marble.

Bottom line, you have to be careful, but the etches aren't bad. No stains. If I were going to give the counter a severe beating, I think I'd choose a soft quiet quartz. But I still love my marble.

I researched extensively before deciding on countertops for the kitchen and bathroom. I decided on quartz because it is a harder surface, it is resistant to chemicals and solvents and does not stain. I wanted low or no maintenance. Also, bought mine when granite was more expensive than quartz.

We are putting marble in our kitchen, but engineered quartz in our hall bathroom. I decided I'm willing to embrace the patina in the kitchen, but the hall bathroom will eventually be used by a teenage girl and I don't want to see what a teenage girl can do to marble. Fwiw, our GC said a lot of bathroom products cause etching and suggested that he thinks marble is a better fit for a kitchen. That's the opposite of what I usually hear so I thought it was interesting. Maybe he was just supporting my decisions. We are currently mid-remodel so no experience with either surface.

Careful even with quartz - our installer told me that you should not use vinegar to clean or anything abrasive. So it is not as bullet-proof as some say.

For hair-care and other products you may want to switch over to the more environmentally friendly products. They are also better for your skin and overall health.

I clean my quartz countertops in the kitchen every day with Windex All-Purpose with Vinegar. Not a problem after 1-1/2 years.

We have quartz in our bathroom and I'm so happy with it. It's totally bulletproof and easy to clean.

Our contractor talked us into doing a marble top on the shower bench instead of quartz. He wanted to finish the job and didn't want to take the longer time it would have taken to get the quartz. So I said fine. Compared with the rest of the bathroom materials, it has not held up well at all. I don't mind the etches, really, but I wish I had insisted on the quartz just because I think it's a better material for a bathroom. I don't like to have to even think about what I set down on the counters.

Thank you everyone for your input. I think I am going to do quartz countertops. I have already ordered marble basketweave for the master bathroom floor, and I hope I don't have any problems with it.

We clean our quartz countertops with 409 which is what the installer recommended.

We went with quartz in our kitchen (3 years ago now) as I know I am hard on kitchen surfaces - lots of acids between citrus and vinegar, bright fruits like berries, & not too good or quick about cleaning up spills as they occur, etc. Best decision I ever made. Just installed marble in all 3 bathroom remodels as I know I am easier on bathroom counters than kitchens and was willing to take precautions. A moment of regret when water stained it before it was sealed, but it dried out and the (professional) sealing is great. We did plan ahead - using counter "coasters" for soaps and things, installed a master sink with wide ledges to put things on, etc. Very happy with the soft, cool, translucent look and feel.

I had no idea what I was purchasing when I bought polished marble basketweave for our bathroom floor. I think I sealed it once 7 years ago and have barely done anything besides a damp mopping to clean it. The only issue I had was overspray from using Scrubbing Bubbles to clean the shower door. It caused etching, but it only shows up in the right light. Otherwise, it has worn really well, we are probably pretty careless around it (shoes, kids, other cleaning products) and it has held up nicely.

I have never used marble so can somebody tell me what etching means regarding the issue you have with marble.

You can find lots more examples by googling "marble etches" and looking at the images. Or the topic has been discussed often in the kitchen forum. Acid (lemon, vinegar, etc) will cause marble to etch. Many cleaners are not good for marble. And according to my GC a lot of bathroom products like shaving cream, some soaps and toothpaste, etc can all damage marble. Many people accept/love this as patina. Others hate it. Ymmv.

Thank you

I think if you get polished marble, you'll have problems with etching. At least the polished marble surfaces that I've seen in kitchens and baths have had dull spots, and not just from harsh chemicals. Even hard water, if left to stand on polished marble, will cause etching. I don't think etching shows up on honed marble. We have a honed calacatta marble countertop in our powder room, and have had no problems with etching after 5 years. I don't use harsh chemicals though, just mild soap and water to clean. We just finished our master bath, and we put honed calacatta on the floor and on the countertops. I don't anticipate problems because it's honed.