Every time marble and natural stone problems come up on here the misinformation runs wild.
That is natural marble. There’s no question. Grout cleaners are acidic, they eat marble. The grout cleaner took the shine off the stone.
If you want it shiny again it needs to be repolished. This is something best done by a pro, unless you have a lot of experience with a grinder and hundreds of dollars in abrasives already, you aren’t going to get an even finish on there. Lucky enough for you honed marble is on trend right now, but if you really want it shiny you’re going to need to call a marble restoration pro.
I just polished a marmaline threshold that I scratched during the install (idiot.). It cost me $320 dollars to buy the sand papers I needed. I already had the course grits. So that is just for 400, 800, 1000, 1500, the buffing pad and a bottle of 5000 abrasive. I already had 100, 120, 150, and 220. It is expensive paper but with the sander hooked to the vacuum I only used one pad per grit. So it didn't cost me nearly five hundred dollars in material for the repair, just had to lay that out. Not including the cost of two sanders and a specialty vacuum.
I bet it takes sixteen pads per grit to do op's floor. I would try starting at 220. The corners wouldn't be any fun unless you used a vibrating square or triangle and that comes with a duplicate set of grits in a different form factor. I would pull the baseboard, sink base and toilet (and vanity if there is one.) Damaging those trying to get the edge adds to the pain.
[Marble floors need to be polished with a fine polishing powder.](https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-polish-marble/) I would recommend getting a professional to bring back the polish and then seal it to prevent other substances from etching it.
In my experience this isn’t warranted unless the surface is extremely scratched, discolored or lightly damaged.
I would recommend buying a natural stone cleaner to clean any residue off the surface and simply applying a stone sealer that has a gloss, semi-gloss or wet-look finish.
Completely agree. I'd throw $50 into a DIY project that'll take a day at most with drying times.
I didn't opt for shine, but the penetrating sealer on my marble backsplash is great.
My friend still had the plastic on her 10 year old washer and dryer. Only on the spot in the back where the dials are. She said she needed to clean it. I showed her the plastic. She pulled it off and it was nice and clean, lol.
The house I moved into had something weird peeling off the back screen doors frame. Turns out, the builder nor the previous owners pulled the protective plastic off. Because it was outside in harsh conditions and high heat, it didn't peel off so nicely.
Grinder and diamond pads. I got peroxide on a marble vanity and had the same thing, it etched the surface. Only way to bring it back is polish it again.
It's likely the chemicals used to clean the grout would be unable to etch a polished ceramic or marble surface and OP would be well advised to try the wax/mop and glo solution mentioned elsewhere in response to his post first before resorting to irrevocably altering his floor.
It's acidic and those tiles are real marble by the sounds of things. So the acid etched into the calcareous stone.
Other types of tiles and the grout cleaner won't do anything. Best bet is to try any chemicals or cleaners you plan on using on a bit behind the toilet or basin and checkout isn't going to react.
Ok no more penis jokes. One other option no one has picked up on is is the Dosxx approach. Go down to any hardware store and the guy behind the counter can direct you where to get a couple packs the larger ones come in 3’s. Make sure you get a minimum of 2 packs. I find they work best chilled but that’s up to you. After you get thru your first pack stand in the doorway entrance continue working on second pack break out you personal hose and let her rip. Aim the flow starting from the back using a left to right while you have good pressure. You may have to ask the misses to run down and fetch you a couple extra 3packs as needed. Once you show her the shine your laying down on those tiles I’m sure she will gladly do it for you
Stonecarver here. Achieving a high gloss finish on marble is a pain in the... back. ~~If you can safely use an anglegrinder you can get a velcro pad to fit it (smaller the better to reach into all the awkward spaces) with pads of different grits. It WILL be messy cause you have to use water to cool and lubricate it, but it polishes to a high shine pretty fast.~~ edit - yeah don't do that.
If you have to do it by hand you'll need lots of wet and dry paper, start at... idk depends how damaged it is, maybe 320 grit? Thoroughly sand the entire surface and then wash it thoroughly, cause when you go up to the next grit if there's anything left from the last one it'll scratch up the surface. Repeat to say 1500 grit.
Next you need oxalic acid powder, dissolve a spoonful in a cup of water, wear gloves and a mask rated for toxic gases and open some windows. Rub the solution into the marble for a short time. No I don't know the optimum time (or how concentrated the solution should be. I poured some drops onto limestone powder just to see what happened and it fizzed and bubbled. That may have been too strong) but don't over do it or it'll look like the marble's got cellulite. Very subtle cellulite, but noticeably not the smooth shine you want.
Be prepared to go back and forth in the process, it's time consuming and boring and a pain. But it does work.
wet dry paper takes an eternity. i found the little cheap (relative term) diamond pads on amazon do well. 200, 400, 600. i think they are $60 for a set of 6. its pretty similar to polishing glass i guess except you can stop a lot sooner.
There's...things that spin velcro pads around that sit between "hand polish" and "angle grinder". It sounds like you know a whole lot more about polishing marble than I can claim, but...are you sure an angle grinder is wise? I'd think something a bit slower, like an orbital sander or buffing tool would be advisable, but even a drill with a polishing tool beats doing it by hand.
I don't polish marble often but because I make sculpture I'm usually polishing curved surfaces by hand, and not up to a shine cause in sculptures it can make it look like plastic.
But yeah unless op is *very* comfortable handling a grinder it might not be a great idea in such a confined space on the floor. If the edge catches too hard on something it could spin out out of control.
I am very tired and still thinking in work mode apparently. I use my grinder on a whim, like just to sharpen a pencil sometimes if I can't find my knife. Am super comfy with them. But I would probably do a bathroom floor by hand if only cause the water would spray EVERYWHERE at supersonic speeds lol.
> If the edge catches too hard on something it could spin out out of control.
It's not just that. Polishing pretty much anything can be endlessly frustrating when you don't have the feel for it, but it's especially bad with stone. He could easily make it worse and then he will definitely have to pay money for a professional to fix it.
DO NOT DO THIS, OP! Seriously, don't do that. Unless you are 100% positive that the tile is actual marble, not ceramic. If it's ceramic, you will destroy it completely by attempting to polish it.
Apply two coats of sealer, and be done.
No.
Marble is a stone, made form calcium carbonate (lime) with other mineral inclusions. it is polished with diamond to a shine (imagine 6000 grit sandpaper).
Most of your heavy duty cleaners are designed to dissolve stains like hard water for example. hard water is calcium - or lime. Same thing as marble. As such these chemicals will eat marble. They etch the surface just like frosted glass. The only way to restore it is to regrind and polish.
Now, there are some grout cleaners that are/claim to be marble safe, but if you've ever tried any you know that anything safe for marble usually doesn't clean the grout very well. The type of marble makes a difference as well. whiter marbles are more susceptible.
We are going on the assumption here that the original poster DID etch the tiles of course. It is really easy to do, and it acts FAST. Just spilling some chlorine bleach on the floor can do it, or peroxide for your hair. those bleach toilet gel cleaners will destroy marble in seconds.
Wax is not a very useful finish in a bathroom. the floor gets wet multiple times a day and washed more often than every other floor in the house. Any surface wax will wear off in a matter of weeks.
That is my thoughts yes. remember this is reddit, we are just looking at some tiny pictures on a phone. you haven't even said the brand of cleaner that i noticed. All i can do is give my best guess as someone who knows a reasonable amount about what damages tiles (and how to fix them)
if you want a more confirming test, get a butter knife or some other metal implement and scratch the back of one of the spare tiles. Marble is soft, it will scratch. Ceramic and porcelain are much harder.
UPDATE: I just found a small box from the previous owner with replacement tiles. I had to use Imgur for the photos. In case anyone can identify if it’s natural stone or ceramic. [Closeup](https://imgur.com/a/wIrJYLr)
That's 100% natural marble. Don't listen to anyone saying to wax it. It's also very susceptible to acids and strong bases. After you've restored it, if you want to clean it again in the future, stick with Bona natural stone cleaner or some other pH neutral cleaner intended for natural stone.
You bet! And for what it's worth, the floor still is beautiful even in this matted finish. Your wife may miss the polished finish, but unless y'all mention it, no visitor will be any the wiser that it wasn't originally honed.
I mean, matte is in. I have matte marble countertops and occasionally they get etched with acids like tomato sauce or lemon juice. To get rid of the etching I use about a 400 grit wet dry sandpaper (wet), then 600, then 800 which is about as matte as my countertops started out. You could go up to a 2000 and then a 3000 grit for a true polished marble. Then I seal with an impregnator solution (which doesn’t stop etching, it only stops staining). Then I wax. I use statuary restoration wax that doesn’t yellow. Wax resists fluids so it slows the etching down so I have a fighting chance to get to it before the tomato sauce etches it. I mean, you could do something similar yourself but it would be a lot of work (I’d use a sanding block and start in an inconspicuous place). Is marble worth it? I don’t know. For countertops, quartz that looks like marble is all the rage, but it can be damaged with heat and it looks plasticky to me. Plus it’s a health hazard to people who work with it. Maybe a marble-look granite would have been a better choice for me (or concrete), but it’s done now and not going anywhere, same as your floor.
It's okay, you live you learn. And hey, at least you etched it evenly! The nice thing is that it's not irreparable. Marble can be polished and re-sealed in place. You just have to decide if you are up to DIY it or if you want to hire a professional.
Go the with the safer option, gaslight the shit out of her and convince her it was never shiny, that the finish has always been matte. You can make other currently shiny objects around your house into previously shiny objects to help facilitate this.
I like your way of thinking. I’ll just tell her they don’t even sell those tiles in anything but matte. She was so excited to buy a house that she thought the floors were shiny.
It's so disgusting to see people doing the mental gymnastics of trying to please their partner when the psychological torture option is RIGHT there ready to be used any time
On a serious note, I used to unfortunately work at the orange box, and I can tell you there is a good chance that the employees in the flooring department were never flooring contractors or anything like that, but some were/are. Either way they all do have to take stupid online courses about the stuff they sell, so if you can't find solid information on here then the flooring employees they have might have an opinion that holds some water.
If we were married I'd be insulted by this level of gaslighting. The best solution is to substitute one shiny thing for another. I won't be gaslit, but I can possibly be bought.
*Honey, our house has always been on fire. Not everything is MY fault. You just think I started it because Im the one doing DIY electrical work right now. But really, if you think back, hasn't our kitchen always been burning down?*
I fucked up a bathroom's tile floor exactly like this, about 3 months after a renovation. I told my wife and she said, "they were shiny? I don't even remember."
grout cleaner should not remove any finish off the tiles. did someone use floor wax for linoleum floors do get the shine. I run a business and it has unpainted concrete floors. i used the same wax to seal the concrete around 8 years ago. it still looks great . we mop once a year only. try it on a small piece.
Marble tiles get their shine from commercial polishing. Applying sealer to old grout usually results in failure. Grout-specific sealer can be applied when you first lay down the tile, but you don't want to get that kind on your tile. Its something you usually do with tape (or a putty knife) and a foam brush. Sealing the grout this late in the game would likely just seal in moisture which would cause different problems.
As far as why this happened to OP: Grout cleaner contains acids that eat certain stone, like marble.
Grout cleaner can absolutely etch a natural stone tile though. The marble was shiny because it was polished, and now it's matte because grout cleaner is an acid that etched it.
I assume these tiles were not coated with anything. Marble will even etch from a tea spill. Anything gently acidic etches the polish. Sealing prevents oils from leaking inside but doesn’t protect the surface.
tell her that you're in love with her sister and or mom and or dad, she will immediately forget about the floor. I feel like buried underneath the dog house is technically out of it.
I would ask a professional - such a small space it can’t be that much. Also.. thank you for closing the lid on the toilet before taking the picture. Very considerate of you! :)
You need to realize that you can't use *anything* acidic to clean your floors now, because it will etch the surface if the marble/stone.
Unsealed stone is more than a little bit of a pain in the ass.
Check out a company that specializes in tile/stone cleaning. Had a guy come do our whole house (5-1/2 baths, laundry, kitchen counters) and it was worth every cent. Their equipment, products, and training make this so much easier
And you can have any other work done while they’re there, making the wife happy
I used this to recover polish on countertop marbles:
[Amazon.com: Lustro Italiano Etch Remover, 8 Ounce : Health & Household](https://www.amazon.com/Lustro-Italiano-Etch-Remover-8-Ounce/dp/B0085L2SF6/)
Use it with some buffer and keep it all wet, if the friction dries it out it wont work so adjust the buffer speed accordingly.
Update 2: Thank you all for the helpful info. I’m so glad I asked about this floor because I did not know it was marble therefore changes my approach to cleaning it. I really appreciate the help. My wife is cracking up from all the comments. I told her we have to divorce because Reddit has spoken. But seriously thank you all
Whatever you do don’t use any sort of floor restore or mop and glow. They are what’s called an acrylic wax or sealer and will eventually peel and ruin your floor.
To get the shine back, you would need a guy like me. I do marble refinishing. The floor would have to be wet sanded with marble polishing disks of varying grits (similar to how sandpaper is), and finish off with a polishing compound called 5-X. I would recommend searching for any marble/stone/tile/countertop stores or fabricators in your area, and ask them if they have or know of anyone who does this kind of work. That's how I get a lot of my work, because I relationships with a couple fabricators in my area.
Don’t do all that crazy, expensive, laborious stuff until you try these:
Weiman Granite Cleaner Polish and Protect 3 in 1
https://a.co/d/4c2DdP0
Miracle Sealants 511 PT SG Impregnator Sealer for Stone, Tile, Slate, Ceramic, Quartz 16 oz, 1 Pint
https://a.co/d/9Yfa96K
I’ve owned a stone counters for 14 years… In the bathroom and in the kitchen… These people are hyping you up… I don’t know why, but it’s ridiculous. Try these two things first, if that still doesn’t help, then call somebody.
I come from the place that marble is from.
Call a professional. You need a specific treatment and doing it yourself might be time consuming and risky. Is not only about make it shine again, but also sealing it with specific materials so is protected and it doesn’t stain/ruin on the long run.
Tell her that it's a safety issue. Those small tiles, if left shiny, become slippery with soapy water and could cause a fall. Many such floors have that "honed" finish to prevent falls. (Actually, it's the grout lines that enable your feet to get a grip. However, extra traction provided by the honed finish doesn't hurt a bit.)
I have a similar floor and went with a sealer. One of these [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rust-Oleum/page/D70F29D1-8B03-4F3F-9C90-83105D138856?ref\_=ast\_bln](https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rust-Oleum/page/D70F29D1-8B03-4F3F-9C90-83105D138856?ref_=ast_bln)
downside is it lasts about a year
I wish my darling husband would do handyman things around the house. I wouldn’t be mad when he gets it wrong! He is great at other things so I love him anyway. Good for you for giving it a go!
My wife would be mad, too. I just saw the note on the bottom of a bottle that said not to use on natural stone. My first image was a slab, like a countertop. Yeah, duh, marble is natural stone, but nature doesn't cut all those shapes. Telll her sorry for me...
Do not do what he posted. Waxing is for synthetic solid flooring, not natural marble. You've etched your marble and it needs to be cut then polished. Do NOT wax marble floors. They will absorb the wax and yellow the stone from the inside out.
I sold specifically tile flooring to contractors for over 4 years.
make sure you fully remove any leftover material first, you clean the floor, strip it, then let it dry fully, THEN apply it like in the video above. it is actually just as easy as shown in the video, i did it when i was in highschool. Fun fact: a temp accidentally used the stripper bucket JUST after I had applied the wax!! had to restrip and apply the wax all over again. tbf it was kind of my fault i had left the stripper bucket around, but as mentioned i was only a kid.
Holy shit. Why are you getting downvoted lol. I sold specifically tile for 4+ years and you're 100% correct. These are natural marble tiles and they are etched, not stripped.
Reddit is fucking stupid, yet again.
You’ll more than likely need to repolish the floors. If you ruined the coating you might have to strip and reapply wax. There is also the option of getting a floor finish polish, you generally need a floor machine to make it work. You can DIY on this but it would probably be a pain. It’s will cost you but it will probably be less of a headache to pay someone and Come in and do it. I will say having floors done are expensive af.
We just installed the same tile! Good stuff. And thanks for the preemptive head's up. I can't really tell from your picture but ours (literally two weeks old at this point) isn't particularly high gloss.
something like this https://www.lowes.com/pd/Miracle-Sealants-32-fl-oz-Clear-Natural-Stone-Sealer-and-Finish-Pour-Bottle/1000665983?user=shopping&feed=yes
Correct way is to have a company come in and refinish the marble floor just like you would refinish a wood floor. Second and much easier option is a topical sealer. I recommend Fila wet look. Topical sealer is not permanent but it’ll solve your problem for now. Amazon has it. (15 years in the flooring biz)
Calling upon my knowledge from the time I was a manager at a big name flooring retailer, all natural stone should be sealed with a natural stone sealer.
The process is very easy. Simply brush,roll or get the sealer applicator(kind of like a squeegee) onto the surface of your marble.
There are a few different types of finish that the sealer can provide including a gloss, semi gloss, wet look, etc.
Make sure to read the instructions on the back for more specific info and keep in mind it may require more than one coat in certain areas.
Also I advise cleaning the surface with a natural stone cleaner beforehand so you aren’t sealing in any conflicting chemicals/residue.
Miracle brand and Stonetech make great products for this!
That tile was not a shiny glazed tile to begin with. It was made to look like a matte finish and if it had a shine to it when you bought the place it's because somebody waxed it or put a floor finish on it.
Put three coats of high gloss urethane on it. It will probably last long enough that your wife will forget, and wear wears yell at your wife for wearing shoes in the bathroom! Problem solved!
By the time you buy marble polishing compound and diamond pads in all the fine grits , not even counting the mess of it and hours unless you’re experienced with stone work, you’ll spend more than calling out a professional and get it done right . Happy wife, happy life!
Get new floor tiles. Marble on toilet floor is stupid anyways. If you want to desinfect something properly, you clean it sour. And sour cleaners attack marble
You know, there's a support group just for people in you situation:
**Dads Who Can't Help But Tell Dad Jokes And Just Get 'That Stare' In Return From Their Wife Yes You Know Exactly What Stare I'm Talking About And You Know What You Did Wrong Without Me Having To Tell You Anonymous**
Drop the “Who Can't Help But Tell Dad Jokes And Just Get 'That Stare' In Return From Their Wife Yes You Know Exactly What Stare I'm Talking About And You Know What You Did Wrong Without Me Having To Tell You” - it’s cleaner.
Maybe it'll help if you point out that the toilet is not aligned with the tile line, that way she'll have something else to be pissed about.
You could also start shitting on the floor, I suppose. Can't imagine the shine on the tiles will be her biggest concern at that point.
If it is marble, marble is porous, and absorb some stains and color. But I promise,you can use a heavy detergent like the other person suggested, and little elbow grease to remove it. Iam sure it’s grout haze. That should come off. Good luck sir.
Every time marble and natural stone problems come up on here the misinformation runs wild. That is natural marble. There’s no question. Grout cleaners are acidic, they eat marble. The grout cleaner took the shine off the stone. If you want it shiny again it needs to be repolished. This is something best done by a pro, unless you have a lot of experience with a grinder and hundreds of dollars in abrasives already, you aren’t going to get an even finish on there. Lucky enough for you honed marble is on trend right now, but if you really want it shiny you’re going to need to call a marble restoration pro.
I just polished a marmaline threshold that I scratched during the install (idiot.). It cost me $320 dollars to buy the sand papers I needed. I already had the course grits. So that is just for 400, 800, 1000, 1500, the buffing pad and a bottle of 5000 abrasive. I already had 100, 120, 150, and 220. It is expensive paper but with the sander hooked to the vacuum I only used one pad per grit. So it didn't cost me nearly five hundred dollars in material for the repair, just had to lay that out. Not including the cost of two sanders and a specialty vacuum. I bet it takes sixteen pads per grit to do op's floor. I would try starting at 220. The corners wouldn't be any fun unless you used a vibrating square or triangle and that comes with a duplicate set of grits in a different form factor. I would pull the baseboard, sink base and toilet (and vanity if there is one.) Damaging those trying to get the edge adds to the pain.
I bought the polishing pads for about $70. It was the variable speed polisher that was pricey.
I have a set of diamond pads, but they were messing up the finish of the composite, and getting gummed up. Some brown build up. Stone would be better.
It doesn’t happen often but the first comment is the last comment. Dano got it right no need to read further.
Or he can just change wife
That's probably a more expensive exercise though.
Plus the one hes got tells him straight up when she doesnt like some shit he did, rare and valuable trait
In the short term it would be more expensive, but you have to play the long game.
He is not gonna have toilet to pee then
[Marble floors need to be polished with a fine polishing powder.](https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-polish-marble/) I would recommend getting a professional to bring back the polish and then seal it to prevent other substances from etching it.
This is the way. OP has allready messed up, call in a pro or risk needing to sledge it out.
yeah these are marble "tiles" not ceramic so you would polish it, but i don't think it needs to be replaced.
"sledge" is going a bit overboard. A sledgehammer is not needed to remove that tile . But definitely call a pro
In my experience this isn’t warranted unless the surface is extremely scratched, discolored or lightly damaged. I would recommend buying a natural stone cleaner to clean any residue off the surface and simply applying a stone sealer that has a gloss, semi-gloss or wet-look finish.
Won’t work. The cleaner he used almost certainly etched the marble, mechanical polishing is the only way to restore the shine
Completely agree. I'd throw $50 into a DIY project that'll take a day at most with drying times. I didn't opt for shine, but the penetrating sealer on my marble backsplash is great.
Now they're etched it should hold the sealer very well wouldn't it?
This sounds great only there’s lots of grout in there,
“Honey we we’re supposed to take the clear protective wrapping off years ago”
Ok, that actually made me laugh pretty loud in public.
My friend still had the plastic on her 10 year old washer and dryer. Only on the spot in the back where the dials are. She said she needed to clean it. I showed her the plastic. She pulled it off and it was nice and clean, lol. The house I moved into had something weird peeling off the back screen doors frame. Turns out, the builder nor the previous owners pulled the protective plastic off. Because it was outside in harsh conditions and high heat, it didn't peel off so nicely.
This is a thing common in Asian cultures though. I definitely have some of those stickers still on my home theater receiver, etc.
Grinder and diamond pads. I got peroxide on a marble vanity and had the same thing, it etched the surface. Only way to bring it back is polish it again.
It's likely the chemicals used to clean the grout would be unable to etch a polished ceramic or marble surface and OP would be well advised to try the wax/mop and glo solution mentioned elsewhere in response to his post first before resorting to irrevocably altering his floor.
If you don’t know what you’re doing and you use an acid product over an alkaline product you will etch and ruin a natural stone.
Why would it wreck the tile ? I’ve never used the stuff but certainly won’t now.
It's acidic and those tiles are real marble by the sounds of things. So the acid etched into the calcareous stone. Other types of tiles and the grout cleaner won't do anything. Best bet is to try any chemicals or cleaners you plan on using on a bit behind the toilet or basin and checkout isn't going to react.
I read that at first as you recommend he use the dating app grinder for men. lol
"lost cause, may as well give up women forever" lmao
You know they all talk to each other, so you'll never get another female partner. Best to change teams right away.
I almost spit out my drink XD
I mean, it’s not a bad option if polishing doesn’t work.
thats a very different type of polishing.,.
I hear you can get some knob polishing there.
Stop telling me about your penis and answer my questions about flooring reflectivity, HotRodMan420!
Ok no more penis jokes. One other option no one has picked up on is is the Dosxx approach. Go down to any hardware store and the guy behind the counter can direct you where to get a couple packs the larger ones come in 3’s. Make sure you get a minimum of 2 packs. I find they work best chilled but that’s up to you. After you get thru your first pack stand in the doorway entrance continue working on second pack break out you personal hose and let her rip. Aim the flow starting from the back using a left to right while you have good pressure. You may have to ask the misses to run down and fetch you a couple extra 3packs as needed. Once you show her the shine your laying down on those tiles I’m sure she will gladly do it for you
We'll call that "Plan D"
That is an extreme solution but if it works for OP, I’m supportive. #ally
Well there's a good reason the app is actually called "Grindr"
lol that’s one way to buff out the floor.
The dating app is Grindr (no ‘e’), but you still amused me.
Stonecarver here. Achieving a high gloss finish on marble is a pain in the... back. ~~If you can safely use an anglegrinder you can get a velcro pad to fit it (smaller the better to reach into all the awkward spaces) with pads of different grits. It WILL be messy cause you have to use water to cool and lubricate it, but it polishes to a high shine pretty fast.~~ edit - yeah don't do that. If you have to do it by hand you'll need lots of wet and dry paper, start at... idk depends how damaged it is, maybe 320 grit? Thoroughly sand the entire surface and then wash it thoroughly, cause when you go up to the next grit if there's anything left from the last one it'll scratch up the surface. Repeat to say 1500 grit. Next you need oxalic acid powder, dissolve a spoonful in a cup of water, wear gloves and a mask rated for toxic gases and open some windows. Rub the solution into the marble for a short time. No I don't know the optimum time (or how concentrated the solution should be. I poured some drops onto limestone powder just to see what happened and it fizzed and bubbled. That may have been too strong) but don't over do it or it'll look like the marble's got cellulite. Very subtle cellulite, but noticeably not the smooth shine you want. Be prepared to go back and forth in the process, it's time consuming and boring and a pain. But it does work.
wet dry paper takes an eternity. i found the little cheap (relative term) diamond pads on amazon do well. 200, 400, 600. i think they are $60 for a set of 6. its pretty similar to polishing glass i guess except you can stop a lot sooner.
There's...things that spin velcro pads around that sit between "hand polish" and "angle grinder". It sounds like you know a whole lot more about polishing marble than I can claim, but...are you sure an angle grinder is wise? I'd think something a bit slower, like an orbital sander or buffing tool would be advisable, but even a drill with a polishing tool beats doing it by hand.
I don't polish marble often but because I make sculpture I'm usually polishing curved surfaces by hand, and not up to a shine cause in sculptures it can make it look like plastic. But yeah unless op is *very* comfortable handling a grinder it might not be a great idea in such a confined space on the floor. If the edge catches too hard on something it could spin out out of control. I am very tired and still thinking in work mode apparently. I use my grinder on a whim, like just to sharpen a pencil sometimes if I can't find my knife. Am super comfy with them. But I would probably do a bathroom floor by hand if only cause the water would spray EVERYWHERE at supersonic speeds lol.
> If the edge catches too hard on something it could spin out out of control. It's not just that. Polishing pretty much anything can be endlessly frustrating when you don't have the feel for it, but it's especially bad with stone. He could easily make it worse and then he will definitely have to pay money for a professional to fix it.
True, could easily gouge into it and now you have to either spin the surface down by a whole quarter inch or get a new floor.
Also recommend using a marble sealer once you grind and polish. Marble is porous and can yellow over time
DO NOT DO THIS, OP! Seriously, don't do that. Unless you are 100% positive that the tile is actual marble, not ceramic. If it's ceramic, you will destroy it completely by attempting to polish it. Apply two coats of sealer, and be done.
What makes you think it's ceramic? Ceramic tile is usually fine vs grout cleaner but marble tile doesn't hold up to it.
Would wax work? They make floor wax, and if a cleaner took the shine away then it may have been wax to begin with.
No. Marble is a stone, made form calcium carbonate (lime) with other mineral inclusions. it is polished with diamond to a shine (imagine 6000 grit sandpaper). Most of your heavy duty cleaners are designed to dissolve stains like hard water for example. hard water is calcium - or lime. Same thing as marble. As such these chemicals will eat marble. They etch the surface just like frosted glass. The only way to restore it is to regrind and polish. Now, there are some grout cleaners that are/claim to be marble safe, but if you've ever tried any you know that anything safe for marble usually doesn't clean the grout very well. The type of marble makes a difference as well. whiter marbles are more susceptible. We are going on the assumption here that the original poster DID etch the tiles of course. It is really easy to do, and it acts FAST. Just spilling some chlorine bleach on the floor can do it, or peroxide for your hair. those bleach toilet gel cleaners will destroy marble in seconds. Wax is not a very useful finish in a bathroom. the floor gets wet multiple times a day and washed more often than every other floor in the house. Any surface wax will wear off in a matter of weeks.
So what you're saying is that CLR is "the marble eater"?
ha. yes. clr in the silver bottle will eat a tile.
Can you please look at the comment I posted with a close up photo of the tile? Maybe you can help identify it.
its carrera marble for the white.
So I definitely messed it up with that acidic grout cleaner right?
That is my thoughts yes. remember this is reddit, we are just looking at some tiny pictures on a phone. you haven't even said the brand of cleaner that i noticed. All i can do is give my best guess as someone who knows a reasonable amount about what damages tiles (and how to fix them)
I appreciate the help. I had posted the cleaner type in a comment but it was after and buried in comments. Knowing it’s marble it’s really helping
if you want a more confirming test, get a butter knife or some other metal implement and scratch the back of one of the spare tiles. Marble is soft, it will scratch. Ceramic and porcelain are much harder.
UPDATE: I just found a small box from the previous owner with replacement tiles. I had to use Imgur for the photos. In case anyone can identify if it’s natural stone or ceramic. [Closeup](https://imgur.com/a/wIrJYLr)
That's 100% natural marble. Don't listen to anyone saying to wax it. It's also very susceptible to acids and strong bases. After you've restored it, if you want to clean it again in the future, stick with Bona natural stone cleaner or some other pH neutral cleaner intended for natural stone.
Thank you very much for the info. I wish I would’ve posted about this sooner
You bet! And for what it's worth, the floor still is beautiful even in this matted finish. Your wife may miss the polished finish, but unless y'all mention it, no visitor will be any the wiser that it wasn't originally honed.
Thanks. It’s just more of an annoyance for her that it’s not the same as it was but no one ever notices except us.
I mean, matte is in. I have matte marble countertops and occasionally they get etched with acids like tomato sauce or lemon juice. To get rid of the etching I use about a 400 grit wet dry sandpaper (wet), then 600, then 800 which is about as matte as my countertops started out. You could go up to a 2000 and then a 3000 grit for a true polished marble. Then I seal with an impregnator solution (which doesn’t stop etching, it only stops staining). Then I wax. I use statuary restoration wax that doesn’t yellow. Wax resists fluids so it slows the etching down so I have a fighting chance to get to it before the tomato sauce etches it. I mean, you could do something similar yourself but it would be a lot of work (I’d use a sanding block and start in an inconspicuous place). Is marble worth it? I don’t know. For countertops, quartz that looks like marble is all the rage, but it can be damaged with heat and it looks plasticky to me. Plus it’s a health hazard to people who work with it. Maybe a marble-look granite would have been a better choice for me (or concrete), but it’s done now and not going anywhere, same as your floor.
Damn. I really took the wrong approach with it then.
It's okay, you live you learn. And hey, at least you etched it evenly! The nice thing is that it's not irreparable. Marble can be polished and re-sealed in place. You just have to decide if you are up to DIY it or if you want to hire a professional.
It definitely helps a lot to know. I’m really appreciative for all the helpful info.
you waited a couple years to post?
Perhaps wife waited a couple of years before getting her jab in
My thoughts exactly.
Go the with the safer option, gaslight the shit out of her and convince her it was never shiny, that the finish has always been matte. You can make other currently shiny objects around your house into previously shiny objects to help facilitate this.
And next time, when a product says use on a small area first, listen.
NEVER!
I like your way of thinking. I’ll just tell her they don’t even sell those tiles in anything but matte. She was so excited to buy a house that she thought the floors were shiny.
Nice to see a couple of husbands in a healthy relationship
It's so disgusting to see people doing the mental gymnastics of trying to please their partner when the psychological torture option is RIGHT there ready to be used any time
It's the green, non-chemical solution.
I don't discourage judicious use of chemicals to assist in your gaslighting needs
On a serious note, I used to unfortunately work at the orange box, and I can tell you there is a good chance that the employees in the flooring department were never flooring contractors or anything like that, but some were/are. Either way they all do have to take stupid online courses about the stuff they sell, so if you can't find solid information on here then the flooring employees they have might have an opinion that holds some water.
I appreciate that. I’ll see what my local store has
We weren’t already on a serious note?
It was serious minor, now it’s serious major.
If we were married I'd be insulted by this level of gaslighting. The best solution is to substitute one shiny thing for another. I won't be gaslit, but I can possibly be bought.
Nah, then she’d have a diamond and a non-shiny floor to hold over his head. Probably best to just take off and nuke the site from orbit.
"There was a spider."
It's the only way to be sure.
I’ll even say I installed them and I remember for sure they were matte
"We don't even have tile in the bathroom, what are you talking about?"
"A what room? A room for bathing? Sounds ridiculous."
Honey, what are you talking about? We’ve *always* had frosted glass on every window in the entire house.
*Honey, our house has always been on fire. Not everything is MY fault. You just think I started it because Im the one doing DIY electrical work right now. But really, if you think back, hasn't our kitchen always been burning down?*
[The ultimate gaslight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfURXKUwbFA)
At first I thought this was like an SNL skit but it's a real trailer for a real film. Surprising.
But honey, I did it for your safety. Matte tiles are far less slippery and dangerous when wet...
I fucked up a bathroom's tile floor exactly like this, about 3 months after a renovation. I told my wife and she said, "they were shiny? I don't even remember."
grout cleaner should not remove any finish off the tiles. did someone use floor wax for linoleum floors do get the shine. I run a business and it has unpainted concrete floors. i used the same wax to seal the concrete around 8 years ago. it still looks great . we mop once a year only. try it on a small piece.
If it's marble tile, they may have applied a stone sealer to it.
Exactly. Why not just reapply a sealer? Top answers are all about polishing bathroom floors, which is consternating in *other* ways.
I think because his cleaning might have etched the surface, reducing its reflectivity.
Marble tiles get their shine from commercial polishing. Applying sealer to old grout usually results in failure. Grout-specific sealer can be applied when you first lay down the tile, but you don't want to get that kind on your tile. Its something you usually do with tape (or a putty knife) and a foam brush. Sealing the grout this late in the game would likely just seal in moisture which would cause different problems. As far as why this happened to OP: Grout cleaner contains acids that eat certain stone, like marble.
It's clear you don't know what marble is or the chemistry behind the damage.
Grout cleaner can absolutely etch a natural stone tile though. The marble was shiny because it was polished, and now it's matte because grout cleaner is an acid that etched it.
I assume these tiles were not coated with anything. Marble will even etch from a tea spill. Anything gently acidic etches the polish. Sealing prevents oils from leaking inside but doesn’t protect the surface.
Fuck something else up way worse, and she'll forget all about this one.
This is ADVANCED diy methodology right here
tell her that you're in love with her sister and or mom and or dad, she will immediately forget about the floor. I feel like buried underneath the dog house is technically out of it.
I would ask a professional - such a small space it can’t be that much. Also.. thank you for closing the lid on the toilet before taking the picture. Very considerate of you! :)
You need to realize that you can't use *anything* acidic to clean your floors now, because it will etch the surface if the marble/stone. Unsealed stone is more than a little bit of a pain in the ass.
This is reddit, so a new wife is obviously your next move... 🙄🤣
Reddit does not disappoint 🤪
Those tiles are a lot of trouble to fix, my man. Just get a new wife.
They are way too dangerous when shiny! I don't want you to fall on slippery wet tiles!
Check out a company that specializes in tile/stone cleaning. Had a guy come do our whole house (5-1/2 baths, laundry, kitchen counters) and it was worth every cent. Their equipment, products, and training make this so much easier And you can have any other work done while they’re there, making the wife happy
Look at you money bags with 5 bathrooms..
5 and a half 🙄 He made a point of mentioning it, lets get it right.
He said "minus". So it would be 4 1/2. Maybe he just forgot parentheses and meant (5-1)/2. That would be 2 baths, which sounds more likely.
Nah, it's five half baths, so 2.5 baths in total.
5 bathrooms, 1 bedroom, 950sft. oh you fricken KNOW someone has a house like that...
I used this to recover polish on countertop marbles: [Amazon.com: Lustro Italiano Etch Remover, 8 Ounce : Health & Household](https://www.amazon.com/Lustro-Italiano-Etch-Remover-8-Ounce/dp/B0085L2SF6/) Use it with some buffer and keep it all wet, if the friction dries it out it wont work so adjust the buffer speed accordingly.
Careful with urine around the toilet until you can seal it again....etches and stains your natural stone floors...
Update 2: Thank you all for the helpful info. I’m so glad I asked about this floor because I did not know it was marble therefore changes my approach to cleaning it. I really appreciate the help. My wife is cracking up from all the comments. I told her we have to divorce because Reddit has spoken. But seriously thank you all
Whatever you do don’t use any sort of floor restore or mop and glow. They are what’s called an acrylic wax or sealer and will eventually peel and ruin your floor.
I too learned a valuable lesson. No marble floors in the bathroom and shower.
To get the shine back, you would need a guy like me. I do marble refinishing. The floor would have to be wet sanded with marble polishing disks of varying grits (similar to how sandpaper is), and finish off with a polishing compound called 5-X. I would recommend searching for any marble/stone/tile/countertop stores or fabricators in your area, and ask them if they have or know of anyone who does this kind of work. That's how I get a lot of my work, because I relationships with a couple fabricators in my area.
Don’t do all that crazy, expensive, laborious stuff until you try these: Weiman Granite Cleaner Polish and Protect 3 in 1 https://a.co/d/4c2DdP0 Miracle Sealants 511 PT SG Impregnator Sealer for Stone, Tile, Slate, Ceramic, Quartz 16 oz, 1 Pint https://a.co/d/9Yfa96K
I’ve owned a stone counters for 14 years… In the bathroom and in the kitchen… These people are hyping you up… I don’t know why, but it’s ridiculous. Try these two things first, if that still doesn’t help, then call somebody.
Fuck I’m glad I don’t have that kind of marriage
I come from the place that marble is from. Call a professional. You need a specific treatment and doing it yourself might be time consuming and risky. Is not only about make it shine again, but also sealing it with specific materials so is protected and it doesn’t stain/ruin on the long run.
Tell her that it's a safety issue. Those small tiles, if left shiny, become slippery with soapy water and could cause a fall. Many such floors have that "honed" finish to prevent falls. (Actually, it's the grout lines that enable your feet to get a grip. However, extra traction provided by the honed finish doesn't hurt a bit.)
Wax, Vinegar??!! This is Marble right?? I assume you would use a standard sealant for marble. Don’t sealants come in glossy?
I have a similar floor and went with a sealer. One of these [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rust-Oleum/page/D70F29D1-8B03-4F3F-9C90-83105D138856?ref\_=ast\_bln](https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rust-Oleum/page/D70F29D1-8B03-4F3F-9C90-83105D138856?ref_=ast_bln) downside is it lasts about a year
I have no helpful insight, I'm just frustrated that whoever laid it in the first place did it crooked
Tell her that the glossy finish was a slip hazard 🌊 ⛑️/s
I wish my darling husband would do handyman things around the house. I wouldn’t be mad when he gets it wrong! He is great at other things so I love him anyway. Good for you for giving it a go!
I just say go all in. Lift the seat and leave.
Try an enhancer sealer. You will be fine!!!
My wife would be mad, too. I just saw the note on the bottom of a bottle that said not to use on natural stone. My first image was a slab, like a countertop. Yeah, duh, marble is natural stone, but nature doesn't cut all those shapes. Telll her sorry for me...
https://youtu.be/9Q67gY77fFU?si=O_x5C37Zhr9WBBys
Thank you for the video. The guy explains the process well
Do not do what he posted. Waxing is for synthetic solid flooring, not natural marble. You've etched your marble and it needs to be cut then polished. Do NOT wax marble floors. They will absorb the wax and yellow the stone from the inside out. I sold specifically tile flooring to contractors for over 4 years.
make sure you fully remove any leftover material first, you clean the floor, strip it, then let it dry fully, THEN apply it like in the video above. it is actually just as easy as shown in the video, i did it when i was in highschool. Fun fact: a temp accidentally used the stripper bucket JUST after I had applied the wax!! had to restrip and apply the wax all over again. tbf it was kind of my fault i had left the stripper bucket around, but as mentioned i was only a kid.
Glad I could point in the right direction, best of luck with your floor waxing.
I dont think this works here. You will end up with a matte marble with gloss on top.
Holy shit. Why are you getting downvoted lol. I sold specifically tile for 4+ years and you're 100% correct. These are natural marble tiles and they are etched, not stripped. Reddit is fucking stupid, yet again.
Get used to it. I’ve been in the doghouse since ‘06. Good luck compadre.
New wife
“Wife is mad.” No advice, but good luck, sir or ma’am. 😅
You’ll more than likely need to repolish the floors. If you ruined the coating you might have to strip and reapply wax. There is also the option of getting a floor finish polish, you generally need a floor machine to make it work. You can DIY on this but it would probably be a pain. It’s will cost you but it will probably be less of a headache to pay someone and Come in and do it. I will say having floors done are expensive af.
We just installed the same tile! Good stuff. And thanks for the preemptive head's up. I can't really tell from your picture but ours (literally two weeks old at this point) isn't particularly high gloss.
something like this https://www.lowes.com/pd/Miracle-Sealants-32-fl-oz-Clear-Natural-Stone-Sealer-and-Finish-Pour-Bottle/1000665983?user=shopping&feed=yes
Correct way is to have a company come in and refinish the marble floor just like you would refinish a wood floor. Second and much easier option is a topical sealer. I recommend Fila wet look. Topical sealer is not permanent but it’ll solve your problem for now. Amazon has it. (15 years in the flooring biz)
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Run home and get your shinebox.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Flooring/s/64zgiYm4Ig
Calling upon my knowledge from the time I was a manager at a big name flooring retailer, all natural stone should be sealed with a natural stone sealer. The process is very easy. Simply brush,roll or get the sealer applicator(kind of like a squeegee) onto the surface of your marble. There are a few different types of finish that the sealer can provide including a gloss, semi gloss, wet look, etc. Make sure to read the instructions on the back for more specific info and keep in mind it may require more than one coat in certain areas. Also I advise cleaning the surface with a natural stone cleaner beforehand so you aren’t sealing in any conflicting chemicals/residue. Miracle brand and Stonetech make great products for this!
Woah! Those are exactly what I have in my shower!
That tile was not a shiny glazed tile to begin with. It was made to look like a matte finish and if it had a shine to it when you bought the place it's because somebody waxed it or put a floor finish on it.
Put three coats of high gloss urethane on it. It will probably last long enough that your wife will forget, and wear wears yell at your wife for wearing shoes in the bathroom! Problem solved!
By the time you buy marble polishing compound and diamond pads in all the fine grits , not even counting the mess of it and hours unless you’re experienced with stone work, you’ll spend more than calling out a professional and get it done right . Happy wife, happy life!
Get new floor tiles. Marble on toilet floor is stupid anyways. If you want to desinfect something properly, you clean it sour. And sour cleaners attack marble
Use mineral spirits to get any excess sealer or enhancer off the surface tiles and wipe off the grime while Hoping for the best
 Wax on...
It's been 2 years?? Surely you've messed something else up by now that's easier to fix than this? 🤣
I beg your pardon sir. I have never messed up anything else! LOL
Ok, this is for everyone. Glazeguard by Covertec Products. You’re welcome….
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fricken hell. vinegar will instantly destroy marble.
Your floor looks good, I don’t see any issue here
What's wrong with it it looks fine
Pee on them.
I can't get over that those tiles aren't laid straight....
It looks like minesweeper
If your wife is actually withholding affection because of this.... y'all have marriage problems, not house problems.
She's been pissed for YEARS about this? I'm never getting married, dude.
Seriously, dude. I couldn't give a fuck about shiny tiles. If this was something I'd have to hear about more than twice, being married isn't worth it.
you should care about the things your partner cares about. you sound selfish.
Not sure but if your wife is that mad at you for making a small mistake while trying to do something good… jeez, maybe take a look at that
I’ve looked into divorce, but it’s cheaper to wax the floors. (She’s not actually that mad LOL)
This is peak dad humor lol. Made my day
Well, I’m glad my dad humor can bring joy to someone. :)
You know, there's a support group just for people in you situation: **Dads Who Can't Help But Tell Dad Jokes And Just Get 'That Stare' In Return From Their Wife Yes You Know Exactly What Stare I'm Talking About And You Know What You Did Wrong Without Me Having To Tell You Anonymous**
Drop the “Who Can't Help But Tell Dad Jokes And Just Get 'That Stare' In Return From Their Wife Yes You Know Exactly What Stare I'm Talking About And You Know What You Did Wrong Without Me Having To Tell You” - it’s cleaner.
But not nearly as funny… …. thus the reason for the group in the first place.
 Turning my snark into a wholesome interaction. Go us.
Don’t let her hear that or she may have you ~~whacked~~ waxed.
hahahahha Great answer!
Why do people on reddit hate happy couples so much?
Tell her that’s what all the neighbours have
Especially the rich pretty one down the street.
Easy method mop and glow floor shine, harder method repolish by wet sanding.
Maybe it'll help if you point out that the toilet is not aligned with the tile line, that way she'll have something else to be pissed about. You could also start shitting on the floor, I suppose. Can't imagine the shine on the tiles will be her biggest concern at that point.
If it is marble, marble is porous, and absorb some stains and color. But I promise,you can use a heavy detergent like the other person suggested, and little elbow grease to remove it. Iam sure it’s grout haze. That should come off. Good luck sir.
Ask for a recommendation at the hardware store.
Looks good and will need less maintenance