How to remove furniture polish on a limestone hearth?
Estimated Reading Time: 2 MinutesQ. How do I get a stain from furniture polish to come up? We used furniture polish and accidentally ended up with a ring on our limestone hearth.
A. These type of stains can be difficult to remove. You will need to use a poultice with a strong solvent such as methylene chloride, which you can purchase at your local hardware or home improvement store. It is sold as varnish stripper. A poultice draws the stain out of the stone over time. For detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to mix and apply a poultice correctly, check out our free Stain Management App. Be sure to follow all safety cautions with this chemical.
If the stain lifts at all, that means the poultice is working. You may need to reapply the poultice multiple times to completely lift the stain.
If your stone is etched or otherwise damaged, then a poultice will have no effect.
Etching, unlike staining, is chemical damage of the stone's surface. Many furniture polishes contain chemicals that can react with the minerals in stone, especially calcite-based stones such as limestone. Acids, even mild ones like those in furniture polish, can etch the surface, leaving a dull, whitish mark or a slight roughness.
Silicones and waxes in furniture polish can leave behind residue or buildup that may darken or streak stone, making it hard to clean and potentially interfering with sealers.
If surface damage has already occurred, mild cases can sometimes be buffed out with a high quality stone polishing compound; deeper damage may require the services of a professional stone restoration contractor.
To find a vetted PRO in your area, visit www.surfacecarepros.com and click on Find a PRO.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Fred Hueston is the Chief Technical Director at SurfaceCarePROS.com and Director at StoneForensics.com. He is also the author of Stone and Tile Restoration: The Manual, a comprehensive online manual for stone and tile restoration contractors. [Learn more about Fred.]