Were they sealed? Does water bead on the tiles or does it soak in quickly?

Hi, Tiles weren't sealed - water doesn't soak in quickly though they don't get very wet as we use a bathmat. So far, we just use a damp mop and dry afterwards. Just wondering if I should be using any cleaning/soap product. Thanks for responding!

Marble is a very soft stone. It etches and stains easily and can be eroded but chemicals. Basically it is calcium. Calcium dissolves on contact with acids.

Go ahead and reach out to a stone/tile shop and see what they have for marble. Right now your cleaning methods are doing the job so I wouldn't change that too much.

Stay away from anything that says 'universal' cleaner or 'cleans everything' type of stuff. These things are far too aggressive for marble.

Some people use a very small amount of dawn dish soap in a large bucket of warm water. They clean the marble with a soft sponge, then a quick water rinse and then dry with a clean cloth/towel.

I use the SB stone cleaner which I got on the recommendation of a pro on this forum. It is safe for all surfaces.

I also got a toilet bowl cleaner that is safe for marble. It is also good for my Toto toilet which has a special finish which is not supposed to be cleaned with abrasive substances.

My best advice is to not keep any cleaning supplies which are not safe for marble. There are plenty of cleaning substances which clean well and are safe for marble and this avoids anyone accidentally using a produce that is harmful.

I have honed Calacutta marble tiles on my master bath and shower. I deliberated opted for honed marble because although I am fine with etching as the marble develops a patina, the etching is less obvious on honed marble. I have polished marble floors in my guest bath.

It is unclear whether you installed the floors or bought a home with the marble already installed. I was told that I should periodically reseal the marble and so I plan to have it done periodically on a schedule.

@Dragonfly. Yes it was a typo as I got the MB cleaners on your recommendation. Mine is the Stone and More which works on all surfaces including mirrors so I don’t have to worry about a Windex type of cleaner being misused.

What are your specific recommendations for a cleaning regimen? I thought I had gotten the ones you suggested.

Helen, You are using a safe product. Weekly for average use if you do what it appears you do for regular maintenance. Any cleaning product will build up over time if used too frequently. Send me a message and I will share the instructions we provide to our clients (and their cleaning staff as we train them at completion of projects). The schedule depends on use and the particular stone used for their project.

Would you recommend this for a bathroom floor - honed 1" carrara marble tiles,,,

jocsue, Honed Carrara is fine for a bath floor IF you recognize that marble is a porous stone that is subject to etching if it comes in contact with certain harsh materials (like regular toilet bowl cleaners, nail polish remover, etc). Wiping up spills immediately is necessary. We have many clients who have chosen marble for their bath floor (and other areas), but as others stated above, they understand the care requirements. It is a beautiful stone and it has been used for centuries around the world for baths. The quality of the stone is important. Avoid big box stores and discount tile stores. Purchase from a reputable tile specialty store and ask to see multiple samples of the product so you can determine what the variances in shade will be. This is a carrara marble mosaic on the attached bath and shower floor. (Helen, I will respond to your private message later today).

@Dragonfly - Thanks.

My counters are only cleaned with product once a week but if I actually spill something on the counter, I wipe off with a damp washcloth. I do clean up any drips around the sink which occur when I wash my face but actually I do that more for the faucets than the sink as I have hard water and didn't want residue accumulating on the faucets over time.

I do use a steam cleaner on the bathroom floor periodically. I have read mixed advice about this but so far it seems to be fine. I don't do anything with the shower floor in terms of cleaning but I hose it down for any suds before exiting. On the advice of people on this forum, I do use liquid shower gel which is what I would be using anyway as I used it when I had the hideous fiberglass shower/tub insert :-).

Marble and natural stone can be restored by a professional. I live in a condo with marble floors in the common area. Periodically, my HOA hires a professional stone restoration company which cleans and polishes the floors and also cleans the grout. The floors then look as good as when they were installed twenty years ago.

@Helen, what is the name of the toilet bowl cleaner that you use that is safe for marble?

@Carolae - You can see a picture of it in Dragonfly's post. It's Majestic Non Acidic Toilet Bowl Cleaner. I got it on amazon along with the MB products recommended by Dragonfly.

Majestic Non-Acidic Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Thanks Dragonfly - beautiful floor! So which product do you recommend as a floor cleaner?