Even though these products just recently appeared in Martha Stewart Living, it’s actually been in the works for quite some time now.  How this all came about makes for a pretty interesting story, so here’s how our Grout Guard Restorer plus our Grease and Grime Buster got featured and promoted in the October 2008 issue:

Early in November of 2007 the Editorial Department of Martha Stewart Living magazine contacted us to let us know that they were going to be writing an article on cleaning tile and grout.  They told us that they were going to want to test our grout cleaner / restorer alongside five (5) other national brands that cleaned tile and grout.  A month later, they informed us that the tile and grout cleaning results were tabulated and that our Grout Guard Restorer plus our Grease and Grime Buster produced the best results!  We were thrilled to have knocked the socks off the competition.  In a competition like that you have to have an outstanding product that actually works in order to come out on top. Not only did Martha Stewart Living share with us the good news about the competition, they asked us for permission to feature and promote Grout Guard Restorer and Grease and Grime Buster in a future story; naturally our answer was YES!

About a year later, the story finally came to print in the October issue and just before Thanksgiving they published a modified version of that print story on their website.  You can read the online version for yourself here.
Click here to read the article

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Most people think granite does not stain, they are wrong. All granite species are porous and their porosity varies from granite species to granite species. Food and beverage spills, especially greasy foods and cooking oil will stain the granite’s surface. Hair dyes, colored toiletries, paint and stain pigments, the colorants contained in chemicals, when spilled on granite, will seep into the granite’s pores and discolor the granite’s surface.

Be aware, and this is normal and typical for all granite countertops and granite islands in the kitchen, over time (usually in excess of one year), due to improper cleaning, not completely removing food and beverage spills, especially from greasy foods and cooking oil, plus the residue contained in smoke from cooking, attacks the granite’s color and clarity (the granite’s surface becomes much darker in color than when it was new).

We have finally developed a Granite Poultice, which removes deep embedded stains and discoloration from kitchen granite countertops and islands. Our Granite Poultice is specifically formulated to work below the granite’s surface and pull out grease and oil, plus food and beverages that have penetrated into the granite pores. Watch those dark, dull, and discolored areas of your kitchen granite countertops and islands disappear and come back to life. Your granite will look as beautiful as it did, on the day your granite was installed.

Granite Poultice is quick and easy to use; restoring the original color and clarity to granite countertops and islands usually takes 24 hours to accomplish, depending upon the age, depth, and severity of the granite’s discoloration and staining.

DIRECTIONS: mix the granite poultice with lacquer thinner to the consistency of cookie dough (lacquer thinner can be purchased at hardware and paint stores). Next, use a rubber, wood, silicone, or plastic spatula, to spread the granite poultice over the discolored/stained granite surface to a thickness ranging between 1/8 to ¼  inch (similar to a pancakes thickness). Next, cover the granite poultice with a plastic wrap or plastic sheeting applied to the granite surface with duct tape; making the granite poultice (airtight) allows the granite poultice to maximize its penetration into the granite pores and pull out grease and oil, plus food and beverages that have stained and discolored the granite surface. Keep the granite poultice in place for a minimum of 24 hours, to do its work; for extremely discolored/stained granite areas it may be necessary to keep the granite poultice in place for 2 or 3 additional days; and sometimes, a 2nd granite poultice application is necessary. Next, after removing and discarding the granite poultice, it is quite common for the granite countertop and island to appear darker than normal, this is because moisture from the granite poultice has not fully evaporated out of the granite’s pores; it usually takes a few days for the evaporation process, and the granite’s normal color, clarity, and gloss will be fully restored. After removing and discarding the granite poultice, use our granite cleanser NeutraClean For Granite to clean the restored granite area, then seal this granite area with our granite sealer Granite Guard Protector SB, then polish this granite area, with our granite polish Granite Polish and Protector . Our granite cleanser, granite sealer, and granite polish, are all included in our Granite Maintenance Kits along with additional items to clean, seal and protect your granite.

Economical to use, 1 pound of Granite Poultice will restore 2 square feet of granite.

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Karen Mitchell has a situation which is quite rare; but, with elements that are uniquely common. What would be extremely rare is if her bathroom vanity top and sink were made out of one solid piece of natural marble. What is more likely, this one piece bathroom vanity top with sink, is not natural marble, it’s man-made of synthetic materials to look like natural marble; we in the industry call it cultured marble. What is common to these cultured marble bathroom vanity sink combos is this: over time, the vanity section gets a build-up of scratches, it still retains its gloss look (soap, perfumes, other toiletries) don’t harm the gloss, cleansers containing abrasives will remove the gloss; the sink bottom near the drain typically stains, dulls, and cracks. When you determine it’s time to replace the cultured marble bathroom vanity sink combo, we recommend replacing the vanity top with a piece of natural marble or granite and the sink basin can be replaced with porcelain, ceramic, mosaic, glass, or metal. If you choose to have a marble bathroom vanity top, we suggest installing an under mount sink basin instead of an over mount sink basin; because, it’s easier to refinish the marble vanity top if it gets damaged in the future.

If Karen Mitchell’s sink is natural marble, stains near the drain are caused by metal oxidation leeching deep into the marble. This staining is usually yellow, orange, brown, or a mixture of these colors and because they are so deep in the stone, the staining is considered permanent. Sometimes a poultice can be used to draw out the staining and the discoloration will be reduced to varying degrees based upon the initial depth of the staining.

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Our Marble Refinishing Kit contains everything you will need to restore your dull, etch stained and scratched marble to a brand new, highly polished surface. The first step prior to refinishing your marble, is to watch our Instructional How To Do It DVD. After watching the DVD, you want to analyze the condition of the marble surface, using a lamp or the overhead ceiling lights, focus your vision over the dull areas, and try to see the outline of the light bulb, to determine the depth of the etching. Mark a border with duct tape around areas that are completely dull and not scratched, this border should be one and a half inches away from the dull areas, to allow for overlapping of the machine with the finer sanding discs. Start your honing process (sanding) with the 220 grit disc, followed by 400 grit, then 600 grit, and finish with 800 grit. Remember to overlap your work area by a half inch, each time you change a sanding disc grit. Remember to stop the machine every twenty seconds and clean the sanding disc with a wet sponge, check the sanding discs’ surface with your fingertips, it works best when you feel the abrasiveness of the disc.

Please note: do not over use the sanding disc, when the face becomes smooth to the touch (it has lost its abrasiveness) it should be discarded and replaced with a new disc. For estimating purposes: one sanding disc should hone up to seven square feet of marble. Additional sanding discs can be purchased on our Website in the Supplies And Accessories category; we sell packages of (15) and (25) sanding discs; three (3) each of 150, 220, 400, 600, and 800 grit sizes and five (5) each of 150, 220, 400, 600, and 800 grit sizes, respectively.

For areas that are completely dull and scratched, start the honing process (sanding) with 150 grit, and continue as specified in the aforementioned text.

After the honing process is completed, you can begin the polishing process using our Marble Gloss Restorer with our Ultimate Polishing Pad, remember to polish the entire surface including areas that were not honed, it is necessary to polish two and sometimes three times to achieve a brand new, highly polished look. Additional Marble Gloss Restorer can be purchased on our Website in the Marble Gloss Restorer category.

Please note: While analyzing the depth of etch marks, if you determine the etch marks are slight and not deep, some light is still reflective; then, no honing is necessary, just polish with our Marble Gloss Restorer with Ultimate Polishing Pad two to three times. Our Marble Gloss Restorer contains a fine gritty component which will remove minor scratches and water spots. Please note: our Marble Gloss Restorer out performs any and all of our competitors polishing products; our Marble Gloss Restorer is safe and easy to use, when used with our Ultimate Polishing Pad it produces a deep, durable, high gloss finish.

When polishing the following marble species: pure white (Thassos), dark brown (Breccia Nouvella), dark green (Verde Antique), and absolute black (Belgium Black) please call our professional sales staff at (800)-617-1779, to special order Marble Gloss Restorer SF (special formula); the mineral makeup of these marbles require a different chemistry to produce a high gloss finish, which is found in our Marble Gloss Restorer SF.

Please Note: when polishing marble with our Marble Gloss Restorer SF, you first make a slurry by mixing Marble Gloss Restorer SF with water, distribute the slurry over the area of marble to be polished, during the polishing process, it is normal for the slurry to dry quickly and you will notice a grabbing sensation from the machine which is caused by the friction created from using the Marble Gloss Restorer SF; do not add more water, polish this area dry for another minute or two; then, repeat this identical polishing process by adding more Marble Gloss Restorer SF mixed with water and polish the same area of marble one or two more times, before you start polishing your next section of marble.

After refinishing your marble to a brand new highly polished surface, be sure to protect your marble by sealing it with our Marble Guard Protector SB (a clear, deep penetrating, impregnating) sealant, followed by an application of our Marble Polish and Protector. Our Instructional How To Do It DVD, shows you how to do these two preventative maintenance steps as follows: apply a generous amount of Marble Guard Protector SB, over the entire marble surface, let it penetrate for at least one hour; next, apply a light coating of Marble Polish and Protector to an area no larger than three square feet, immediately, remove all residue of Marble Polish and Protector from the marble surface with paper towels, use a circular buffing motion to accomplish this task; next, buff this area with our Micro Fiber Mesh Hand Polishing Bonnet which you can find on our website when you click on the Supplies And Accessories category link. Our Micro Fiber Mesh Hand Polishing Bonnet can be used manually or by machine, it has a built in pouch your hand fits into and it also attaches to machines that have a velcro pad holder such as the machines contained in our marble and granite refinishing kits. After you finish polishing this first section of marble with our Marble Polish and Protector, you’re ready to repeat this same process on the next section of marble, and continue, section by section until completely finished.

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Uric acid from pet urine is quite potent, the uric acid etches the marble to a dull appearance and many times the texture of the marble surface will change from smooth to rough, and sometimes the color of the marble surface appears to contain a yellow tinge. For those of you, whose pets have urinated on your marble floor and damaged the marble, please don’t worry; our Marble Refinishing Kit contains everything you will need to restore your dull, etch stained marble to a brand new, highly polished surface.

The first step prior to refinishing your damaged marble, is to protect the undamaged marble area with plastic sheeting applied with duct tape; please note: allow an additional 2 inches of work area so that the machine can overlap the damaged marble surface with the finer sanding discs (overlap ½ inch per grit size). Next, start your honing process (sanding) with the 220 grit disc, followed by 400 grit, then 600 grit, and finish with 800 grit. Remember to overlap your work area by a half inch, each time you change a sanding disc grit. Remember to stop the machine every twenty seconds and clean the sanding disc with a wet sponge, check the sanding discs’ surface with your fingertips, it works best when you feel the abrasiveness of the disc. Please note: do not over use the sanding disc, when the face becomes smooth to the touch (it has lost its abrasiveness) it should be discarded and replaced with a new disc. For estimating purposes: one sanding disc should hone up to seven square feet of marble. For damaged marble that is completely dull and its surface texture is rough when touching the marble with finger tips, start the honing process (sanding) with 150 grit, and continue as specified in the aforementioned text.

After the honing process is completed, you can begin the polishing process using our Marble Gloss Restorer with our Ultimate Polishing Pad, is necessary to polish two and sometimes three times to achieve a brand new, highly polished look. Please note:

When polishing the following marble species: pure white (Thassos), dark brown (Breccia Nouvella), dark green (Verde Antique), and absolute black (Belgium Black) please call our professional sales staff at (800)-617-1779, to special order Marble Gloss Restorer SF (special formula); the mineral makeup of these marbles require a different chemistry to produce a high gloss finish, which is found in our Marble Gloss Restorer SF. When polishing marble with our Marble Gloss Restorer SF, you first make a slurry by mixing Marble Gloss Restorer SF with water, distribute the slurry over the area of marble to be polished, during the polishing process, it is normal for the slurry to dry quickly and you will notice a grabbing sensation from the machine which is caused by the friction created from using the Marble Gloss Restorer SF; do not add more water, polish this area dry for another minute or two; then, repeat this identical polishing process by adding more Marble Gloss Restorer SF mixed with water and polish the same area of marble one or two more times to achieve a deep, durable, high gloss finish.

When finished, rinse the new marble surface several times with clean water; then, remove the plastic sheeting and duct tape. If the duct tape leaves an adhesive residue on the marble surface, this residue is easily removed. Use a paper towel and a small amount of lacquer thinner, or acetone (also contained in nail polish remover). Do not use lacquer thinner, or acetone on painted areas or on polyurethane which is typically on hardwood floors; use instead, a small amount of our Marble Polish and Protector or our Granite Polish and Protector, applied with a paper towel; both of these products will remove adhesive residue from duct tape without damaging paint or polyurethane.

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This next section is dedicated to the discussion of granite. When it comes to selecting the appropriate material for kitchen countertops, island tops, table tops, and bar tops; bathroom vanity tops and shower walls; granite is an excellent choice. There are hundreds of granite species to choose from, all are quite hard (Mohs hardness scale) because of there mineral makeup of quartz and silicon dioxide, and are much more resistant to alkaline and acidic encounters than marble.

Some of the more popular misconceptions about granite are: to purchase granite instead of marble, because granite is indestructible; beware: both granite and marble will crack if not installed properly, the underside of the granite section located in front of the kitchen sink should always be reinforced with steel (rods/bars) to prevent breakage, it’s always best, to fabricate the granites’ outside edges to be rounded, next best, would be to bevel the granite outside edges, the least desirable granite edge would be square outside edges, because they will chip over time (especially the inner granite edges above the under mount sink, due to pots and pans, dinnerware and silverware). Most people think granite can not be scratched because it is so hard, they are 100% wrong, granite does scratch and the scratches can be eliminated by a resurfacing process (honing/sanding); but, the re-polishing process in the field has not been perfected yet. To re-polish the granite to its original factory finish (color, clarity, and gloss) in the field is extremely difficult and most of the time impossible because of physics and chemistry. Current technology for polishing granite in the field yields approximately 60% to 90% of the factory finish, depending upon the granite’s species, and the personnel’s equipment and experience. Concerning floors: we do not recommend using granite because of the aforementioned refinishing issues and exorbitant expense. Marble flooring is a good choice, the refinishing (resurfacing) process for removing scratches, stains, etchings and dull spots; then, restoring the factory finish (color, clarity, and gloss) to the marble’s surface in the field, is a proven technology. We sell marble refinishing kits which are all inclusive, easy to use, and economical.

Many people think granite does not stain, they are wrong. All granite species are porous and their porosity varies from granite species to granite species. Using harsh cleaners, abrasive pads and powders over time will dull the granite’s finish. Food and beverage spills, especially greasy foods and cooking oil will stain the granite’s surface. Many times, consumers are told by their sales person or installer that their granite was sealed at the factory or fabrication shop prior to installation. Beware: most granite factories and granite fabricators do not use a premium grade, deep penetrating (impregnating) granite sealer. We have tested over the past five years, granite sealers that supposedly come with a lifetime warranty. The test results are not favorable for two primary reasons: their chemistry does not allow the granite surface to breath, which will have a detrimental effect over time with the granites’ color, clarity, and gloss; secondly, these granite sealers change the granite’s appearance (giving the granite an artificial look).

Here’s some good news about granite: granite is so easy and economical to maintain. Using a granite cleanser routinely is a must, a credible granite cleaner should be formulated as follows: be neutral on the PH scale, so it won’t have a negative effect on the granite’s color, clarity, or gloss; be able to break through surface deposits and disinfect, have a pleasant smell. We recommend twice a year for kitchen granite countertops, island tops, table tops, and bar tops; bathroom granite vanity tops and shower walls, applying a premium granite sealer followed by the application of a premium granite paste polish. This process is so simple and fast to do, just like washing and waxing your car. For those of you, whose granite kitchen countertops are dull and dingy, maybe showing their age, don’t worry. Granite does not show its age, it took over a billion years for granite to be formed, and 99% of the time what is making your granite look dull and dingy is a surface film that has built up over time from not using a proper cleaning and spreading food and beverage spills over the granite’s surface because these spills were not removed completely from the granite’s surface initially. Another contributing factor might be the application of an inferior granite sealer. Many of our competitors sealers don’t have the ability to penetrate deeply into the granite’s subsurface and these inferior granite sealers contain a high concentration of polymer solids that stay on the granite’s surface. These polymer solids attach themselves to the granite surface and are extremely difficult to remove, plus they create a cloudy film which distorts the granites’ color, clarity, and gloss. We sell a granite maintenance kit which is all inclusive, really quick and super easy to perform; a typical kitchen with granite countertops takes about 1 hour of actual work time to clean, seal, and polish (you need to allow a minimum of 30 minutes for the granite sealer to penetrate) prior to polishing the granite; also, allow another 15 minutes of work time if you have a granite island in addition to your granite countertops.

In conclusion, remember to use common sense around your granite: don’t cut anything on your granite; don’t use harsh cleaners or abrasive powders on your granite; dedicate a section of a kitchen granite counter top as a food preparation area and have this food prep area covered with “butcher block” or plexiglass for example; be sure to pickup food and beverage spills as soon as they happen. Purchasing your granite was expensive, be sure to protect your investment and keep your granite looking brand new and beautiful (year round) by using proper granite maintenance products which clean, seal, and polish your granite. We welcome responses to our articles and will try to answer comments and questions in a timely fashion.

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This next section is dedicated to the discussion of marble. People complain to us about their marble only being a week, a month, or a year old; how is it that it got stained, scratched, lost its shine, water spots, glass rings, and dull spots. It took a billion years for the earth to form mountains of marble and in the blink of an eye, marble can lose its gloss, scratch, or get stained. Marble is calcium carbonate and for the most part is a very soft and porous stone as compared to granite whose mineral makeup is mostly quartz and silicon dioxide. Granite is a much harder and less porous stone as compared to marble; granite does not require as much (tlc) maintenance as marble, because granite is so much more resistant to alkaline and acidic encounters than marble. We’ll have a much more involved discussion about granite in the near future.

There are many myths and old wives’ tales about cleaning and maintaining marble. Some of the more popular; but, erroneous and truly damaging, marble cleaning myths are as follows: use vinegar, ammonia, bleach, fine steel wool, furniture polish (some contain lemon and other harmful materials), all purpose spray cleaners (some contain harmful petroleum based products or harsh alkaline chemicals). Some people use waxes, acrylics, urethanes, sealers containing polymers, all these products mask (hide) the marble blemishes and dullness; but, they all give marble an artificial look; these coatings are soft, they scratch and scuff, they crack, flake, and peel off over time; they really become a maintenance nightmare.

A very common problem, which is extremely damaging when used on marble, is the use of tile and grout cleaners. Tile and grout cleaners are formulated to clean ceramic and porcelain tiles and the grout between them. Tile and grout cleaners can be alkaline but the majority of tile and grout cleaners are acidic and are more corrosive in attacking the marble surface. There are so many over the counter kitchen and bathroom cleaners, glass and solid surface cleaners; and many of these cleaners list marble as one of the surfaces they can be used on. In order for these cleaners to be effective, they are formulated with chemicals that are extremely high in alkalinity and because of their chemistry, can be quite damaging when used on marble.

Be aware; especially, in bathrooms and kitchens, that marble will be damaged by soaps and shampoos, perfumes and other toiletries, by food and beverage spills, most foods and beverages contain citric acid as a preservative. Be aware of grit, tracking in sand and dirt from outside and walking on it, acts as an abrasive and wears off the marbles’ high gloss finish over time. Be aware of house pets tracking in grit and urinating on marble. Be aware of trades people working near and around areas containing marble, many times these trades people are not cognizant of the damage their tools and materials can do to marble if they don’t spend time prepping and protecting their work area.

Some popular marble cleaning misconceptions we hear all the time are: what marble cleaner can be used to make the marble look new again or what marble cleaner will bring back that high gloss look the marble had on day one; what marble cleaner will remove the dull spots, the glass rings, the water spots; what marble cleaner will restore the original color the marble had on day one? Please note: there is no “marble cleaner” produced anywhere in the world that will repair or restore the aforementioned problems. A credible marble cleaner should be formulated as follows: be neutral on the PH scale, so it won’t have a negative effect on the marble’s gloss, color, or clarity; be able to break through surface deposits and disinfect, have a pleasant smell.

Understanding the cause and effect nuances of damaged marble facilitates the formulation of corrective measures (using what products and techniques) to restore, protect, and maintain marble to its day one appearance and condition. Typically, when marble is damaged (lost its shine and some color) we usually say the marble surface is etched. Degrees of marble etching can vary greatly. The surface of marble when etched, develops microscopic to tiny craters (holes) and to a lesser extent, the marble surface can develop slight fractures; also, etched marble yields color loss in varying degrees (due to the depth of damage). New marble, having a high gloss (factory finish) inherently has the ability to reflect light and clear images (mirror finish). When analyzing etched marble, pay attention to loss of light reflectivity, loss of image clarity (distortion) loss of color, check surface texture (is the marble still smooth or has it become rough when you touch the marble surface with your finger tips). Be aware, that not all marble species display a 100% high gloss, mirror finish; the mineral makeup of the stone is the determining factor. Evaluating to what extent the marble surface is damaged helps in determining what corrective course of action to implement when restoring marble.

Since we understand that scratched or etched marble have surface openings which don’t reflect light or images, it is necessary to close these openings in the marble surface, and once closed, the marble surface can be polished to a high gloss finish. The simplest and quickest way to restore scratched and etched marble is to first hone or sand the marbles’ surface, starting with a more aggressive abrasive (approximately 150 grit) and progressively using finer and finer abrasives (220, 400, 600, and 800 grit sizes respectively). Please note: only deep scratches and deep etchings require a 150 grit abrasive as a starting point, start with a 220 grit abrasive for medium scratches and etchings to be followed with 400, 600, and 800 grit abrasives respectively. Once the honing or sanding process is completed, the openings are eliminated and the marble has a new surface; the next step, is a polishing process. Polishing marble will restore its gloss and color and using the correct marble polishing compound and polishing pad is critical because not all marble polishing compounds and pads are manufactured the same way. It usually takes two and sometimes three polishing attempts to restore the marble surface to its original gloss and color. Please note: fine marble scratches (they can not be felt by your finger nail) and medium to light marble etchings (partially dull, reflects some light and partial images, slight color loss) can be corrected most of the time, just by polishing two or sometimes three times with our Marble Gloss Restorer and Ultimate Polishing Pad, without having to hone or sand first.

In conclusion, for those of you who have damaged marble, not to worry. Your damaged marble can easily be restored (resurfaced and refinished) to a brand new condition (factory finish). For those of you who have marble that is newly installed, marble in excellent condition, or contemplating purchasing marble, proper maintenance is crucial: using a bona fide neutral cleaner and sealer is most important. We’ll have an article on marble, granite, and grout sealers in the very near future. Remember to use common sense around your marble: use glass coasters when putting drinks on a marble surface, be sure to pick up (remove) quickly and clean with a neutral marble cleaner , food and beverage spills, dedicate a section of a kitchen marble counter top as a food preparation area and have this food prep area covered with “butcher block” or plexiglass for example, don’t cut anything on marble, don’t apply any type of cleaning abrasive on marble, don’t drag chairs, tables, other types of furniture on a marble floor, don’t drag or push cleaning buckets or dirty vacuum wheels across a marble floor, be careful that children’s toys don’t scratch or damage a marble surface. Have area rugs near entrance doors, near bathroom sinks, shower/tub and toilets, near kitchen sinks and the food prep area.

We will be writing articles a few times per month to help educate and inform relative to why granite, grout, and marble inherently are beautiful, problematic, and needy of proper maintenance. We welcome responses to our articles and will try to answer comments and questions in a timely fashion.

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