Oh, those nasty stains!  How do you go about removing that red stain from the fruit drink your son spilled on the floor?  What do you use to remove black marker ink from your white marble floor?  Does lipstick stain?  The list can go on and on.

Removing stains from marble, granite & ceramic tile can prove difficult.  There are, however, several precautionary measures you can take:

Any spill should be cleaned as soon as possible.  Blot spills with a paper towel or clean rag.  At this stage, it is important only to blot; wiping a spill may spread it over a larger area, making a larger mess.  Use only cold water and stone soap or a neutral cleaner.  Rinse the area several times.  If a stain is still present, a chemical poultice may have to be applied.

Avoid using chemicals of any kind until you know which chemical cleaner to use.  Certain chemicals will react with the spilled material, and could make the stain permanent.

Marble, granite and certain ceramic tile are porous materials.  If not thoroughly sealed, they will stain.  The only way a stain can be removed is to literally pull it out of the stone or ceramic with both a chemical and material that will absorb the stain.  This chemical absorbent-material combination is what we call a poultice.

Poultices are commonly powder or cloth materials that can be mixed with a chemical and placed on top of the stain.  Refer to the table below for some of the more common poultice materials.  Clays and diatomaceous earth are safe and readily available, but do not use whiting or clays containing iron with an acidic chemical; iron will react with the acid, and may cause rust staining.  It is best to purchase powders that are designed specifically for stone and tile.  Consult a stone restoration specialist or your stone supplier if in doubt.

Poultice Materials

Paper towels, cotton balls, gauze pads, clays such as attapulgite, kaolin, fuller's earth Talc Chalk (whiting) Sepiolite Diatomaceous earth Methyl cellulose Flour Saw dust.

How to apply a poultice
Before you attempt to remove a stain, it is extremely important to know what has caused it.  If you don't know, I would recommend that you consult a stone specialist, or refer to my book on stain removal for a detailed description of the procedure.

To apply a poultice, take the following steps:

· Clean the stained area with water and stone soap. Remember to blot rather than wipe;
· Pre-wet the stained area with a little water.  Distilled water is recommended;
· Refer to the chart and determine which chemical to use for the stain;
· Mix the poultice material with the selected chemical.  Mix until a thick peanut-butter paste consistency is obtained;
· Apply the paste to the stained area, overlapping the stain by at least ¼ .  Do not make the application too thick, or it will take a long time to dry;
· Cover the paste with a plastic sandwich bag or food wrap.  Tape the plastic using a low-contact tape;
· Allow the paste to sit for 12–24 hours;
·  Remove the plastic cover and check to see if the paste has dried.  If it has not, allow it to sit uncovered until thoroughly dry;
·  Once it is dry, remove the paste by scraping and rinse the area;
·  Examine the stain.  If it still remains, but is somewhat lighter, re-poultice until it is gone.  If the stain refuses to disappear completely, it is time to give up, replace the tile or call a stone specialist.
Stain removal can be very difficult, and care must be taken when using a poultice.  A complete guide can be found in my book on the subject.

Stain Removal

Mix the following chemicals for a given stain with one cup of poultice material. Add water until you get a thick, yogurt-like consistency.
Coffee, tea, etc...: mix 20% hydrogen peroxide with poultice powder. Do not add water.
Cooking Oil, vegetable oil, etc...: mix one tablespoon of liquid dish detergent.
Ketchup, mustard, etc...: mix three tablespoons of ammonia.
Rust: mix two or three tablespoons oxalic acid with one cup of flour or poultice material.

Walls, counter tops and table or furniture tops:

As above, keep it simple. Use warm water with a mild liquid detergent. Soap scum in bathroom showers can be removed using a soap scum remover. As done with shower glass doors, use a squeegee to remove excess water which would otherwise cause spotting on the stone surface. Do not use amonia and abrasive products such as bathroom cleaners, powders or products containing acids. Aside from causing scratches and making the stone look dull, they are also not recommended in food areas, so stay away from them. Counter tops are usually installed sealed to minimize absorption, but if you spill something, pick it up right away. And as floor entrances should be protected with rugs, so should your furniture or table tops: use coasters to prevent rings on your tables, and use mats to prevent scratches caused by decorative accessories.