A free 10-page guide covering everything you need to know about caring for marble, granite, limestone, travertine, terrazzo, and slate in your home — written by our restoration team with hands-on experience since 1978, not a marketing agency.
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The four parts of the guide most homeowners need first. The PDF has the rest, including sealing and the full maintenance schedule.
Every care rule depends on one question: is your stone calcite-based or silicate-based? Calcite stones (marble, limestone, travertine, onyx and most terrazzo) react with acid. Lemon juice, vinegar or wine doesn't stain them; it dissolves the polished surface and leaves a dull mark called an etch, and no sealer prevents that. Silicate stones (granite, quartzite, slate and sandstone) resist acid, but they can still absorb oil and pigment, and their sealers still wear out.
| Stone | Family | Acid-sensitive? | Main risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble | Calcite | Yes, highly | Etching, staining, dull traffic lanes |
| Limestone | Calcite | Yes | Etching, absorbing oils, wear |
| Travertine | Calcite | Yes | Etching, dirt in surface pits, fill loss |
| Terrazzo | Usually calcite chips | Yes | Etching, wear paths, cracked divots |
| Granite | Silicate | No | Oil stains, sealer wear, impact chips |
| Quartzite | Silicate | Mostly no | Staining if unsealed; some hybrids etch |
| Slate | Silicate | No | Efflorescence, flaking, coating buildup |
| Product | What it does to stone |
|---|---|
| Vinegar and citrus cleaners | Acid. Etches marble, limestone, travertine and terrazzo on contact. |
| Bleach | Degrades sealers, lightens some stones, and pits polished surfaces over time. |
| Ammonia and glass cleaners | Strip sealer and dull the polish with repeated use. |
| Lime and rust removers | Aggressive acids, and one of the fastest ways to ruin a marble surface. |
| Abrasive powders and scrub pads | Scratch the finish. The haze you see later is thousands of fine scratches. |
Many all-purpose cleaners that claim to be stone-safe are only safe for sealed granite. If the label doesn't say pH-neutral and marble-safe, keep it off calcite stone.
The most common mistake is treating an etch like a stain. They are opposites.
| Stain | Etch mark | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Something absorbed into the stone, such as oil, wine pigment or rust | Surface dissolved by acid, which is physical damage to the polish |
| Looks like | Darker than the stone around it | Lighter or duller than the stone, often cloudy or ring-shaped |
| From an angle | Visible from every angle | Most visible in low, angled light |
| Does sealing prevent it? | It slows it down significantly | No. Sealers do not stop etching. |
| The fix | A poultice that draws it back out of the stone | Professional honing and re-polishing |
A quick check: pour a little water on the mark. If it disappears while wet, it's an etch. If it stays dark wet or dry, it's a stain. A mark can be both: red wine left overnight on marble often leaves a stain and an etch in the same spot.
Not sure what you're looking at? Send us a photo and we'll tell you whether it's a care issue or a refinishing job.
Already looking at damage the guide can’t fix? Send us photos — we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s a care issue or a refinishing job, within one business day.
