march2014 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 My maid used toilet cleaner to clean marble flooring and it has left a bad patch in many places. Tried using baking soda paste but no change - has anyone else had the same problem and did you find a solution? Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telldem Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 My maid used toilet cleaner to clean marble flooring and it has left a bad patch in many places. Tried using baking soda paste but no change - has anyone else had the same problem and did you find a solution? Cheers! Yes....I got rid of the maid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h90 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I think the acid burned into it. (I don't know what marble is, but I guess it eats it or parts of it). So it can't be cleaned away. I don't know if the marble can be ground the upper surface away? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seajae Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 if acid has eaten into it then you are stuck, you dont mention the colour of the marble or the colour of the stain, if the stain is a brownish one you may be able to use a weak bleach solution to lift the stain out but without knowing more it is hard to say. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim armstrong Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 If its real marble you may have a problem, because its actually quite soft. If its fake marble you may have a better chance. If the area is not too large a mild abrasive polish like jewellers rouge may do it, but I would consult someone like a stonemason via a building company. Try your nearest temple that is being worked on - they might have the craftsmen you are looking for. I wouldn't use liquid polishes or solutions as the marble may absorb them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 first world problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
march2014 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Thanks everyone. The marble is light brown in color (something like this http://depositphotos.com/5469728/stock-photo-Brown-marble-texture-background-High-resolution-scan.html). She probably squeezed the acid onto the floor - now you can see the trajectory like a pale white shade. The area near the acide stain is quite smooth while on the acid stain it is not as smooth. I think will have to ask a professional to take a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seajae Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 dont like your chances by the sound of it, lighter colourds marble with darker stain marks would have been easier to do but it sounds like the acid has bleached/eaten the colour out but you may be able to re colour it, a pro is definitely the go now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnjc Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 (edited) Best not to put any more water on the area until you have decided how to fix the problem as water will reactivate any remaining acid in the marble. Marble is very similar to chalk and limestone in make up. The affected area would need to be neutralised. Baking powder mixed with water into a thick paste or weak ammonia can help. Best to research what products are available in your area. Edited March 10, 2014 by Johnjc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impulse Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 (edited) Pictures of the actual stains may be helpful. There's a chance the acid only ate into the sealer that's used to protect the marble from absorbing other stains like wine or mustard. Hard to tell without hi-res pictures. Your only solution may be to wipe the whole floor down with the acid so it's uniformly discolored. But I'd try it in a less conspicuous area first, and only after exhausting other possibilities. Maybe you'll be lucky and just need to reseal. Edited March 10, 2014 by impulse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdanielmcev Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 First, is it marble? If it is, it can be ground down to a new finish, but needs to be done carefully. An angle grinder probably works best. If it is cultured marble, it is the same process. If it is fake marble or tile, garbage time. Show me a pic, or where it is. i.e., floor, countertops. If it's real stone, it is not a stain. You've just lost the top sheen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhythmworx Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 (edited) The only possible way is using an abrasive paste with a polishing wheel like what they use on cars. You may need to use an orbital sander on it with rougher grade abrasive papers and gradually work down to less abrasive and then polish it. Other than that it's pretty much fuc_ked. P.S If anyone turns up with an angle grinder send them back home. Edited March 10, 2014 by rhythmworx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdanielmcev Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 The only possible way is using an abrasive paste with a polishing wheel like what they use on cars. You may need to use an orbital sander on it with rougher grade abrasive papers and gradually work down to less abrasive and then polish it. Other than that it's pretty much fuc_ked. P.S If anyone turns up with an angle grinder send them back home. That polishing wheel they use on cars? That IS an angle grinder. Just a different head attachment. And, yeah, the grinding attachment is used first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatboy Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 we had a similar problem 2 different shades of tiles were laid,luckily there was only 2 so the wife bought 2 nice pots and stands and some plants and covered them problem solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
attrayant Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Marble is most likely calcium carbonate, which is easily dissolved by even weak acids such as lemon juice. From what I've seen here, most "soft" tile (i.e., not ceramic or glazed) is travertine. But that's also primarily a carbonate of calcium or dolomite. If the acid was promptly removed, you might be lucky enough to have only suffered a very superficial etching. Grinding this down as per earlier suggestions is probably your best bet. It will leave you with a slight concave depression in the tile, but that's probable better than what you have now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thongkorn Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Marbel is porous so the stains are there to stay i think, unless you try polishing them out which is very difficult to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
march2014 Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Thanks for all your suggestions. I've attached a photo of the acid stain. http://s30.postimg.org/h1gsxettd/Acid_Stain.jpg From your comments/suggestions it doesn't seem to be an easy job to get rid of it Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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