Organic Stains

Organic stains include coffee, tea, fruit, tobacco, paper, food, urine, leaves, bark, and bird droppings. If your stone is outside, the sun and rain action will generally bleach out the stains. Indoors, you can use a powder poultice, 12% acetone, 12% hydrogen peroxide, and a few drops of ammonia. This is about the strength needed to bleach hair. In particular, we recommend using HG Absorber or Mangia Macchia Poultice for these stains, which are available for purchase at our Cherry Hill, NJ showroom.

Metal Stains

These stains can be caused by iron, rust, copper, and bronze, and they may have an orange or brown color. Copper and bronze stains tend to be a greener color. These stains may be removed with a poultice. A poultice is a liquid cleaner mixed with a white absorbent material that forms a paste. This is spread over the stain with a spatula about ¼-inch to ½-inch thick and left covered over 24 to 48 hours. This procedure may have to be repeated a few times if the stain is deeply set.

Remember that metal stains can be very difficult to remove, and the stone may be permanently damaged. We recommend Stoneway TeRust Poultice powder, which is available at our Cherry Hill, NJ showroom.

Oil-Based Stains

Oil-based stained can be tricky to remove. For oil-based stains, we recommend a poultice with baking soda and water. You can also use one of the powdered poultice materials and mineral spirits.

Biological Stains

Biological stains may be caused by algae, mildew, lichens, moss, or fungi. To clean, dilute ammonia with ½ cup to a gallon of water. You can also dilute bleach or hydrogen peroxide. Do not mix bleach and ammonia.

Ink Stains

These stains are quite common and could be caused by magic markers, pens, or other types of ink. If you have a light-colored stone, clean the surface with bleach or hydrogen peroxide. For dark stones, use a lacquer thinner or acetone. Always do a test in a small inconspicuous area before attempting to apply. Call our team to verify that there will be no damage. We'll talk to you about your stone and the stain in question.

Paint Stains

Small amounts can be scraped off carefully with a razor blade or removed with lacquer thinner. Large paint stains can be removed with commercial heavy liquid paint stripper found at any local hardware store. Paint strippers can easily etch the surface, so you may have to re-polish. Usually, latex or acrylic paints won’t cause staining; however, oil-based paints may cause an oil-based stain. Do not use acids or flame tools to strip paint.

Scratches and Nicks

If you have scratches or nicks, buff with a dry 0000 steel wool. You can also do this with water spots and rings.

Etch Marks

These are caused by acids left on your stone. Some materials will etch the polish but leave no stain; others may both etch and leave a stain. Once the stain is cleaned, you will want to re-polish the surface to remove the etch. You can do this by sprinkling a small amount of etch remover after wetting the surface with water. Use a clean, dry towel to rub the powder into the stone, or you can use a buffing pad on a low-speed power drill.