How to Care for Marble Countertops

Wondering how to care for marble counters? Don’t miss these 5 tips on caring for marble countertops, including details on sealing marble counters, removing stains from marble, cleaning marble countertops, and avoiding scratches.

Wondering how to care for marble counters?  Don't miss these 5 tips on caring for marble countertops, including details on sealing marble counters, removing stains from marble, cleaning marble countertops, and avoiding scratches. #marble #marblecounters #marblecountertops #marblekitchen #marblecare #kitchencounters #kitchencountertops #carraramarble #cleaningmarble #marblesealerI shared our experience with marble countertops a couple of weeks ago, and your response just blew me away! But so many of you want to know how to care for marble countertops… And the questions keep rolling in: how do you seal marble? What the best sealer for marble? Do marble counters scratch? How do you clean marble counters? What do you do about stains and etching on your marble counters?

Rather than write a thesis-length answer these questions ;), I thought I’d share my top 5 tips for caring for marble countertops in the kitchen. As you will see from the video, our house is kid friendly and our kitchen is much used… and we LOVE our marble kitchen counters. I hope this helps you in making the decision on whether or not to buy marble and/or caring for your own marble counters.

How to care for marble in the kitchen:

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Sources mentioned/shown in the video (music: bensound.com):
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sealer  |  my favorite dish soap  |  heavy duty sponges  |  drying mat (gray)  |  drying mat (red)
gold flatware  |  cabinet hardware  |  wooden bowl  |  copper canisters  |  copper pitcher
cabinet colors: Kraftmaid Dove White (top) and Greyloft (bottom)  |  backsplash

5 tips for caring for marble in the kitchen:

The video has all the details, but for a quick review, here are my 5 tips:

  1. Seal your marble (here is the sealer we used!)
  2. Use cornstarch to remove grease stains.
  3. Clean with a heavy duty sponge (like these), mild dish soap (my favorite dish soap), and water.
  4. Try baking soda or comet to reduce scratches.
  5. Protect from etching with an absorbent drying mat (like this gray one or this red one).

By following these practices, we have used (and I mean really used) our marble countertops in a house with four kiddos for about a year and a half… and we love them!

Two-toned gray and white cabinets, marble subway tile, Carrara countertops, a big farmhouse sink, and brass hardware... Find out how to care for marble kitchen countertops with these five tips! #marble #marblekitchen #marblecounters #marblebacksplash #marblecountertops

Find out how to care for marble kitchen countertops with these five tips! #marble #marblekitchen #marblecounters #marblebacksplash #marblecountertops

Best products for sealing and cleaning marble counters:

Again, here are the things (or similar) that we use to care for our counters:

  • Stone sealer
    Note: I realize that this product says “polished granite” on the front of the can, but the description is actually for natural stones, and our fabricator assured us that it was his absolute favorite for sealing all natural stones, including marble. And after coffee, wine, vibrant baby food, and more has been spilled (and left overnight at times – oops!) on this counter, we have not had a single instance of colored staining. 🙂
  • Cornstarch
  • Heavy duty sponges (like these) and mild dish soap (my favorite dish soap)
  • Cutting boards
  • Baking soda or Comet and heavy duty sponges
  • Drying mats (gray, red)

Tell me, do you have other tips and tricks for caring for or cleaning marble countertops? Those of you who have had them for longer (I, obviously, can only speak to the time we’ve had them), what wisdom do you have to share? Remember, you can find more about our experience with marble here.

And if you found that helpful, please be sure to pin it!

5 tips for caring for marble counters: Wondering how to care for marble counters?  Don't miss these 5 tips on caring for marble countertops, including details on sealing marble counters, removing stains from marble, cleaning marble countertops, and avoiding scratches. #marble #marblecounters #marblecountertops #marblekitchen #marblecare #kitchencounters #kitchencountertops #carraramarble #cleaningmarble #marblesealer

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37 Comments

  1. I chose marble for our kitchen because of your posts about it! I was so scared to choose marble because of what everyone tells me… but you just can’t beat the classic look. I’m defiantly going to buy this sealer! My three kids can make some messes… 🙃

  2. Hi im looking for the page on your blog where it had a link to the Amazon italia subway tiles you used for your kitchen. I can’t find it anymore:( please help.

    1. The backsplash tile was actually purchased at Floor and Decor locally. It is simply a honed carrara marble tile (which is a natural stone), so I linked a similar one available via Amazon (which you can find here). With all natural stone, though, it’s important to realize that there can be lots of variations. Even with the ones we found at Floor and Decor, I picked the boxes that had cooler colors (gray and white) rather than warm creams. I hope this helps!

  3. This post is so helpful and your countertops are so beautiful and your photos are amazing. I’ve loved your photography class

    I would love any tips you might have for getting rings off the counters. Does baking soda work for that? I’ve put down coasters, but before I did a few rings made their way to the table.

    1. Thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear it. 🙂 I would definitely try baking soda or comet, since it’s likely due to etching. Sometimes, though not always, just a little abrasive material can lessen the effects of that. I hope it helps!

  4. Thanks for pointing out that you can use baking soda to reduce scratches. My husband and I want to have marble countertops installed. Your tips will be really helpful as we take care of them in the future.

  5. Hi Rachel, Your kitchen is so beautiful, and your information here is so insightful. Thank you. What color paint did you use in your kitchen on the walls?

  6. This has been so helpful! We are moving and our new kitchen has beautiful black marble countertops and I’m worried about maintaining them. I’m a big baker. Can I roll out cookie dough, bread dough, etc on the countertop or do I need something underneath?

    1. Great question, Ali! I’m afraid I don’t have any experience with black marble, which may behave differently than my white marble does… But I can certainly share my experience! Marble is a wonderful surface to use for cookie dough and bread dough (they seem to love the cool, smooth surface!), but doughs can sometimes leave grease stains on the marble if left for too long. The beauty of natural stone is that those stains actually dissipate over time. I had that experience with some croissant dough when I left it long enough to photograph for the blog. If I use a little flour, though, and work quickly, it doesn’t leave any stains. Like I said, though, your black marble may handle it all differently! And I would definitely consider sealing it before you try. I hope this helps!

  7. Your video is so helpful and beautifully done. I am interested in using Tenax Proseal on my kitchen counter and backsplash and wonder if you can tell me whether I should expect it to deepen the color. BTW – My marble looks very much like yours.

    1. I noticed a VERY slight darkening when I first applied the sealer, but it seemed to fade as it dried. I would definitely suggest trying it in an inconspicuous place first if you can, though, since natural stone can have so many variations. Always a good precaution. 🙂 Hope this helps!

  8. Your post on choosing marble for your kitchen countertops and tips for caring for marble was very helpful!! I have been going back and forth on my countertop selection for our new kitchen. Everyone seems to be so fearful of marble – I am just not a fan of quartz and natural stone is a must. Thanks for sharing your experience!

    1. I’m so glad it was helpful, Julie! I do love my marble and I believe it can be a great choice for your kitchen.

  9. Thanks Rachel, this is all very helpful and your kitchen is beautiful. I am considering a similar marble backsplash to go with my new quartz countertop and was just wondering if you have noticed any etching, staining, or other issues specifically with the backsplash? Any info you can share would be great. Thanks again!

    1. Hi Lisa!

      It will be much less of an issue with a vertical surface, but around stove and sinks, you should wipe stains and clean. I’d see if your contractor still recommends sealing the marble.

  10. Hi,
    Thank you for your tips your kitchen is beautiful, we are also thinking of going with marble countertop but a bit afraid about durability. How often do you seal your countertop?
    Thanks again.
    Sophie

    1. Great question! We have sealed it approximately once a year (maybe closer to 1.5). You can see more about how we seal our countertops on Instagram. I hope this helps!

  11. I’ve spent days and days looking for what I want to redo my countertops with and marble is the only stone I really like for the look I love. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I feel more comfortable with my decision now. I’m wondering if you’ve ever chipped your marble? I do cook a lot and I also do a lot of crafting at my counter. Do you think it would hold up okay? Thanks again.

    1. I totally understand, Kathy! I have chipped my marble in a couple of places – one tiny one by my sink and another by my dishwasher (which I would like to blame on my kids, but was in reality me trying to load the dishwasher too quickly). In four years, though, those are the only chips. The rest of the wear has been all etching or scratches. It’s hard to say how it would hold up to other people, but we’ve been happy with it. I hope that helps!

    1. Usually you can, but it has the potential to discolor your marble (and could potentially crack it if there are extreme temperature differences). I’d use a hot pad!

  12. We just installed a kitchen island with marble and I’m so excited about it. I’ve tried to be a wee lax on the imperfections that will come, gives it more character – right? I did have a question and was curious what type of dinnerware you use on marble? I currently have stone but realize that may be too harsh and scratch easily on the marble, any suggestions? Thank you for your beautiful blog and insight!

    1. Thank you so much for your sweet comment! We just use normal white porcelain dinnerware (our exact ones are discontinued or I would share a link!), but we don’t actually eat on our marble. I would if we could! It’s just that our island is really just large enough for prep. 🙂 I hope this helps!

  13. What would be your thoughts on a Marble floor, probably honed vs polished. With kids dogs, spills etc?

    1. We have marble floors in our bathrooms (you can read a bit more about those here), and I love them. As long as they’re sealed, I wouldn’t worry too much about stains and spills. If you are talking about using it in the kitchen, though, my concern would be comfort. Since marble is very hard, I find my lower back gets sore if I stand on it all day… So an entryway, laundry room, or bathroom I think would be great, but I personally would hesitate in a kitchen or other space where I stand for long periods of time. You also might want to consider how your dogs’ nails could scratch floors (depends entirely on the size and rambunctiousness of the dog!). I hope this helps!

  14. Hi Rachel, your blog is so helpful! This post could not have come at a better time!
    I have been searching quartz and can’t get past having marble! Is yours Carrara white? I can only locate Carrara Venatino which appears more gray. Yours a beautiful.
    I plan to save all your cleaning and care tips!
    Thank you, Keela

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