Why pH Decides Everything on Natural Stone

Marble, limestone and travertine are calcium carbonate. Anything acidic dissolves the surface on contact.

What matters, and why.

What etching is

Not a stain. The stone has physically been eaten away, so there is less material there. Cleaning harder makes no difference; only abrasion restores it.

The everyday culprits

Vinegar, lemon, descalers, bathroom cleaners and most supermarket floor products. Check the label for neutral pH and assume the worst if it does not say.

Sealer does not prevent it

An impregnating sealer slows staining by keeping liquid out of the pores. It does not stop acid reacting with the surface.

What to use

A pH-neutral stone cleaner, a flat microfibre mop and clean water changed often. Blot spills within minutes rather than hours.

If this is something you would rather hand over, our marble and hard surface care is scoped at an inspection and confirmed in writing before any work begins. We will also tell you when a job does not need us.

Questions

Answered plainly.

A drop of vinegar in a hidden corner fizzes faintly on calcium-based stone. It also etches, so test somewhere invisible.

Yes, by diamond honing. It removes a fraction of a millimetre and the floor can take it many times over its life.

No. Granite and quartzite are far more acid-resistant. A dull granite floor is usually residue build-up rather than damage.