His / her fabricator recommended mineral spirits. So I've written to a few different marble lovers about the stain I caused; the (over-the-counter) poultice I used removed not just the stain but the sealer. It's my understanding that a poultice, even regular old powdered Comet, will remove the sealer -- that's why you have to seal seal seal after using a poultice. But before going to all the work of removing the sealer your fabricator uses, I'd do a test spot first to see if your sealer has a bad reaction. You might get lucky (as evidently I was) and they'll work fine together. (I liberally used the Miracle 511 over my fabricator's sealer and had not a problem.)

No need to test the marble. I'll tell you right now-- unless it's a serpentine marble (usually dark green with lightning bolt type veining to it), it needs a sealer. As for recommendations, one of two-- Miracle's 511 Impregnator, or Stone Tech Impregnator Pro, and yes, it's very easy to seal. Take an old towel or cotton t-shirt and cut it in half. Use one side to wipe the sealer on. Let it set for about 5 minutes or so, and then take the other half and buff off the excess. Easy as pie, but time consuming, so you could really save yourself some money doing it yourself.

Hi lbrody.. I don't have a marble countertop, but I do have a marble backsplash..I sealed it with 511 sealer from Home Depot, as was suggested by my fabricator and my backksplash installer. Same product I used on my granite. Just wiped it on and then wiped off the excess. I was told once a year would be sufficient. KA:)

The "patina" is marketing speak for the scratches, etched areas, and stains that will occur on a marble top in a kitchen environment. Bottom line is marble (or limestone) is too soft and too easily stained and etched for a high use environment. I know some people accept the "patina" as part of the marble experience. some things about marble: you can scratch it with almost anything. (I once installed a marble island and it was scratched before I even left the job site.) it is readily stained as marble is VERY porous relative to most stone used in countertops. Even with a sealer made for porous stone it is still much more susceptible. it can be etched by common acids in a kitchen and even fruit juice. an etched area is where the stone is actually dissolved by the acid. on a polished top this leaves a dull area. even prolonged exposure to rainwater will damage a polished marble surface. we do not recommend marble or limestone for kitchens. when someone insists we do it and make them sign a disclaimer as the homeowner is often unhappy when the top is stained, etched, or scratched in short order and the interior designer never accepts any accountability for selecting an inappropriate material.