If you like to clean with bleach, or other abrasive cleaners, then you do not want marble. Otherwise, we routinely use marble in bathrooms. During construction, make sure you protect the marble as much as possible, as it can scratch or chip under heavy tools.

We selected Crema Marfil marble tiles for our master bath knowing full well that the tile is easily etched, scratched and stained. We sealed the tile and grout many many times and so staining hasn't been a problem but the cleaning team that cleans our home every other week has etched the tile by dripping cleaners onto the floor. It's almost impossible not to when you clean the shower with any cleaners with bleach. There are dozens spots all over the floor that have lost their shine permanently through being etched. Honed marble tile would have the same issue.

We like natural things so we are OK with it but if you want pristeen and are picky get porcelain tile that looks like marble. Most non professionals won't appreciate the difference and porcelan tile cannot be etched stained or scratched.

Love marble in baths. Clean spa look. Everything has some maintenance! :) Best wishes

Marble has been used in bathrooms for centuries. It's timeless and elegant. It does require more maintenance. You don't allow acidic cleaning products anywhere near it. There are plenty of cleaning products made for marble and other natural stone. They even make non-acidic toilet bowl cleaners that are safe to use around marble. Selecting a quality marble is also important. If you love marble and can give up Scrubbing Bubbles (and are willing to pay for quality), go for it. Seal it annually.

Marble tile in the bathroom, and in the shower enclosure. The dog got skunked, and i used vinegar, among other things to wash him with and get the smell out, and wound up with spotty discolored marble tiles! (Some of it was my fault as I sloshed some vinegar around the area I was standing in, to try and mask the smell) but it made me wish the builder had used a less sensitive material.

Most cleaners will etch your marble floor and it CAN NOT be repaired so maintenance won't help you. Cleaning the shower, sink and toilet without bleaches, or anything acidic is tough. Some cleaners are even miss labeled. Reading every cleaner to determine the PH and maintaining drill sergeant supervision of all the products used in your bath is unrealistic for most people. Heck don't even drop a vitamin C on the floor it will etch the floor if it got wet or sat for a while unnoticed.

Still I like our floor. Being real often means aging naturally so the etching doesn't bother me.

I stayed in a 5-star recently-built resort in Mexico last week. The marble tile right behind the shower door handle was discolored and full of mold. I wish I'd gotten a picture.

With the natural stone looks of the latest Corian incantations, I can't imagine why anyone would want the mold, mildew, and maintenance of marble and grout.

I ended up not putting Carrera marble in my bath as I was afraid my cleaning woman would not follow my instructions and would use a product that would ruin it. Instead, I chose a porcelain tile that looks very much like honed marble - used it on walls and floors.

Boy am I glad I made that decision! This past week, I had a really virulent Norovirus, and that bathroom needed to be properly disinfected - the virus is highly contagious and can live on hard surfaces for a long time. My yard man (who works in Housekeeping at a local hospital), came and used lots and lots of Clorox and water to get that bathroom clean. I don't know what I would have done if it had been marble.

Remember, bathrooms and kitchens have lots of messy/nasty things happen in them, and the easier they are to disinfect, the better. Clorox is ones friend in such rooms.

I guess it's all a matter of tolerance. I leave only cleaners specified for natural stone out for my cleaning lady. In a former home my granite countertops were damaged by a cleaning service and I had a professional restoration company come in and restore them. Learned my lesson! Our last master bath had floor to ceiling marble that has been there since 1954 and is perfect to this day (see pic). We did replace the floor as the previous owners left heavy rugs on it forever and even the professional couldn't buff it down far enough to remove the stains. I do love natural stone so I'm willing to deal with the little bit of effort. To each their own.

I've got it in the shower, floors, and counters of my ensuite. Only the first few stains/etches hurt. After that, it's patina.

I think it is like the very first little scratch you get on your new car. After that you don't notice them as much.

We recently stayed in a $1 million+ VRBO home that had had a nice marble vanity top. I say had had because this is what it looked like when the pictures were posted on line

This is what it looks like now

I know you didn't say you wanted a marble vanity top but this could possibly happen on the shower wall or floor too.

that pic above looks like rust! either that, or a decapitation happened around the sink and wasn't properly cleaned.

marble is going to etch in a bathroom. there is no way for it not to. even water droplets if let set, will etch. You don't see it unless the sun comes in the window at the perfect angle. Get the marble honed and it won't seem noticeable at all.

It has to be sealed. sealing gives you the time to wipe up a spill. doesn't make it stain proof. You cannot use regular cleaners because it will etch. as for disinfectants, perhaps there is something else besides bleach that can be used if you need to. (I've never needed to, so it doesn't matter). Use a special stone cleaner when cleaning the marble and stay on top of things so you won't need to resort to super, heavy duty mold abatement!

lastly, marble can always be resurfaced and polished. Stains can often be pulled out w/a poultice. will you need to use more caution? yes. if you dye your hair crazy colors, you may want to wash it in the sink.

Etching is usually just as visible with a honed as a polished top. Resurfacing and polishing etched floors tile is not professionally done by anyone I ever heard of. Tops yes and it's expensive.

Main Line,,So because you've never heard of it, it's not possible??? I just had my marble shower floors done, so maybe you should find some marble refinishers in your area that can do more! Yes, there are marble and stone refinishers and yes, they do flooring. Can't believe you've never heard of it being done.

I have a marble hex shower floor. honed. made the mistake of using the wrong cleaner and etched a large spot. my guy came out and 'sanded' it new again, back to it's honed surface. (by sanding, I mean using graduating grit sanding pads that buff and polish) It cost me $150 for a 4'X9' shower. hardly expensive. And he put a killer coat of sealer on the stone that repels the water.

the difference between honing and polishing, are the polishing pads. normally for a honed surface he will do 400-600 grit pads. polishing them will use the higher grits (800-1600) . If you ever get slight scratches on your honed marble, you can take a fine grit sandpaper and 'sand' it out. If you have polished marble, it's going to take more steps to remove the scratch and polish it back to a shine.

BTW, honed does not show the etching like the polished does. etching will look dull and looks more apparent next polished because you have two different sheen levels. Since honed is already 'dull', etching is not as noticeable.

polished etch

and you can also try this

picture of floor refinisher. notice big buffing machine

We work often with a marble restoration company that does excellent work with all types of stone. Check out their procedures here: http://www.nsmarble.com/our-products-and-procedures/ 

They offer good advice on care and cleaning as well.

Live and learn. You are lucky to have this service where you are. Sounds like a good business for someone to go into around here. Although no one in our area would ever charge $150 for anything. $300 would be wonderful if we could get it.

I have tried to get my marble kitchen counters refinished in place in Connecticut and have not had any luck finding anyone willing to come out. My marble is 14 year old polished my neighbor has 2 year old honed, mine looks ten times better than hers. I think lighting has more to do with etch appearance than finish to be honest.

According to me, it's better to prefer marble for floors and tiles all around the bathroom because it is easy to clean them. Marble all around the bathroom would be difficult to clean because marble is so porous that standing water can seep deep into it and can cause stains which is completely difficult to clean. So, I recommend using titles instead of marble all around.

Marble is a poor choice for bathrooms.

Marble is a wonderful choice for bathrooms, as it has been for ages and for those who understand natural stone. Today we have man made alternatives that appeal to some for good reason including the ease of maintenance. But to suggest that marble should never be used in bathrooms is just ludicrous. If you have good ventilation, don't mind a quick squeegee and wipe down, (which should be done for all tiled shower surfaces regardless of material), and don't use harsh products, well, perfectly acceptable. We are still installing many marble baths. Admittedly, more in the high end market.