Natural Stone

Q. A water stain was caused by a plant pot overflowing, and the overflow stood for 24 hours, leaving an outline. I tried to clean the outline with steel wool and made a worse mark. What can I do? I am not sure if the table is stone or slate. A. Just... Read More

Q. There are black mildew stains around the drain of my travertine sink. I was away when they appeared and had a house guest during that time using the bathroom. I don't know nor does she know how the stains got there. The sink was new. I did... Read More

Q. I very recently purchased a bluestone dining room table. There is now a white circle. I'm thinking that it came from a beer bottle that was placed on the table without a coaster. I tried a poultice of baking soda and water paste, but it did... Read More

Q. I hired a cleaner and she used a limescale remover with mold control. It appears to have left white stains on my bathroom stone tiles. These don’t wash away with water. What should I do? A. What you’re seeing is likely etching, not... Read More

Q. We had a beige sandstone countertop installed for an outdoor kitchen. It is sanded smooth and was sealed with three coats of sealer. I don’t know what kind—just said “sealer” on the can. Some was spilled on our manufactured patio... Read More

Q. 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... Read More

Q. I have an outdoor fireplace that has leuders stone for the bench in front of the fireplace. The stone is a light gray / off white color, and I recently spilled citronella oil on it. We had a mosquito candle on top of the fireplace, and it... Read More

Q. How do I get a motor oil stain out of my blue stone deck? A. Motor oil is resistant to water-based cleaning. It also has certain properties that make it highly adhesive to surfaces, and its amber/black color can easily transfer into porous... Read More

Q. My puppy pooped on our limestone hearth, and it left a stain. What should I use to remove the stain? A vinegar and peroxide solution? A. Vinegar might seem like a natural cleaner, but it’s actually one of the worst things to use on... Read More

Q. I had a delivery guy accidentally drop two bottles of olive oil on the stone in the hallway of my apartment building. I'm not sure what kind of stone it is, but it's matte looking and apparently very porous. Now, my landlord is saying I... Read More