DIY // How to Remove Stains from Marble Surfaces using a Homemade Poultice
THE FARMHOUSE
You guys know we love honed marble countertops (aka unpolished marble), but unfortunately they do get stains from time to time. I found a couple stains earlier this month and I thought it would be a great opportunity to share Garrett’s super simple, homemade poultice recipe with you guys. This DIY poultice is a hard-working stain remover that sits on the marble overnight. And better yet, it’s made with basic household ingredients that you probably already have at home. Let’s get into it…
Farmhouse pantry sources: vintage art, paneling, cabinet latch, drawer pulls, pendant, sconce, sink, brass faucet
What stains marble countertops?
Marble countertops are notoriously fussy and if they’re honed, even more so. Things that can stain or etch marble include acids like lemons and wine, cooking oil, coffee and tea, berries, hard water, rust, ink, and even some cleaning products. The best way to deal with stains is not to get them in the first place, but of course life always gets in the way of that.
After years of experience living with marble, Garrett (a Chemist by trade) developed a poultice that works wonders on even the toughest stains. But before we get to that, we start with something even easier...
Surface prep
When we find a stain we begin by doing a quick water rinsing. Then we move onto a light cleaning with dish soap and fresh water and apply with a damp sponge (a basic stone care cleaning solution works here too). Unfortunately the stains we found earlier in the month didn’t come up so we moved on to a poultice.
Here’s a close up of one of the dirt stains - this one was stubborn! Deep-set stains like this one can require the use of hydrogen peroxide (we’ll explain that in a second).
DIY // Homemade Marble Stain Remover (aka a poultice)
Ingredients
baking soda
fresh water
hydrogen peroxide (for stubborn stains)
steps
*If your stain is on a prominent spot on your countertop, try this method on an inconspicuous spot first to make sure you like the results (like the underside or a hidden corner).
Garrett put together a short video showing how to make and use the poultice. We’re also sharing the steps with photos below.
mixing the poultice
Mix 1 heaping tablespoon baking soda and about 1 teaspoon water (to start, you’ll probably add more) and stir. The poultice mixture should have a smooth consistency like a thick paste. If your’s isn’t there yet, add a small amount of water more and stir. Go slow with this step - remember you can always add more liquid but you can’t take it away. Keep stirring and adding water until you get the right consistency.
apply poultice
Spoon the mixture onto the stain. Let the poultice paste sit overnight.
Remove poultice the next day
In the morning the poultice will be dry and flakey making for easy removal. Scrape it off of the countertop (we used a pie scraper for this step) and then wash the area with soap and water.
If your stain is still there, you have two options. Mix up another batch and let the poultice paste sit for longer (maybe 2 or 3 nights) and then remove the smooth paste. OR add hydrogen peroxide into your poultice for extra bleaching power. Let’s walk through the hydrogen peroxide option…
for stubborn stains
Make a second poultice, this time swapping the water for hydrogen peroxide (which has bleaching properties). Place the poultice on the stain again and leave it overnight to cure. Scrape it off in the morning, wash your countertops, and hopefully you won’t see any signs of that old stain.
Remember that really persistent stain I mentioned above? Well this recipe completely removed it! Here’s what that process looked like…
Look at that clean marble!!!
A few things to note about this method:
This poultice can remove the sealer on your marble along with the stain, so you may need to reapply sealer to the area where your poultice sat
This method won't help with etching
We've only ever tried this for interior application so can't speak to outdoor stains
Your marble might also look wet for 24 hours or so
That’s it! We’d love to hear if this DIY stain remover works for you!
