How to Polish Marble Flooring and Make it Shine

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how to polish marble flooring

Marble flooring can make any space look high-end. It’s a very durable, classic, and long-lasting floor option. 

There’s just one downside, though – marble floors can be hard to clean.

Marble is porous, which means you can’t use harsh cleaners on it. And if you do end up using the wrong cleaners or fail to clean your marble regularly, it will start to dull.

Polishing Marble Floors: What You Need to Know

The easiest way to restore the shine to your marble is to buff it with a chamois cloth after mopping. If that doesn’t work, you can polish it with a baking soda paste, marble buffing pads, or hire out the job to professionals. Since marble is delicate, you need to be gentle, no matter which method you choose.

Best Way to Polish Marble Floors

Polishing Marble Floors by Hand

If you want to polish marble floors by hand, you should never use store-bought polish. Since marble floors are so smooth, putting a polish on top can make your floors incredibly slippery. (And dangerous!)

Instead, the best way to polish your marble floors is to restore them to their natural shine by removing any dirt, cleaner, or hard water build-up.

Here’s what to do:

Start by sweeping your floors and then mopping or steam mopping. Next, take a chamois cloth and dry your floors in a circular motion, working in small sections. This will help remove any remaining water or cleaner build-up and give your floors their shine back.

If you’re not satisfied with your floor’s shine after wiping them down with your chamois cloth, you can polish them with a baking soda paste. To do this, mix a little baking soda with water until a thin paste forms. 

Apply the paste to your floors with a microfiber rag and allow it to dry fully. This should take around 4 hours. Afterward, rinse the paste off with water and wipe it up with a clean microfiber towel.

Polishing Marble Floors with Equipment

If you don’t like the idea of getting on your hands and knees to polish your marble floors, you have two other options.

First, you can hire the job out to professionals. This is a good idea if you have a large surface to cover and you want to make sure the job is done right. According to HomeAdvisor, you can expect to pay around $3 per square foot to have your marble floors professionally buffed or polished.

Alternatively, you can rent the equipment needed to polish your floors or purchase a drill attachment kit. These kits include a buffing attachment and polishing pads. The kits are a relatively inexpensive option for polishing your marble floors.

Frequently Asked Questions

faq how to polish marble floor

Why is my marble floor dull?

If your marble flooring is looking dull, it’s likely caused by using cleaners that are too harsh. This results in “etching” of the floor, making it look dull. Other causes are dirt build-up that grinds away the floor and drink spills.

Can I clean marble floors with vinegar?

No, you should never use vinegar on your marble flooring. Vinegar is acidic and too harsh for the delicateness of marble. The acid from the vinegar will eat away at the marble and cause it to look dull.

How do I make marble shine at home?

One of the best ways to make marble shine is also one of the most straightforward and inexpensive. All you’ll need is your regular mopping solution and a chamois cloth. After mopping, wipe your floor in small circular motions using your chamois cloth. This will gently buff the marble back to a shine.

If your floors have lost their shine, you have a few options. The first thing you should try is to buff your floor with a cloth after mopping. If that doesn’t help, try one of the other options.

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AUTHOR

Katie Barton lives with her husband and three daughters in an 1800’s style log cabin in southern Ohio. She thinks cleaning is relaxing and is considered the organizing go-to person by her family and friends. She runs the blog Cabin Lane where she shares about cleaning, decluttering, and minimalism. See full biography here.

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