Contrary to popular belief, maintaining the beauty of your natural stone once it is in your home is quite simple. We recommend that you seal your natural stone approximately once every one or two years....that's it! Sealing is simply putting a silicon impregnator on your stone, waiting 20 minutes until it is dry, and then wiping it up. This is a process not unlike waxing a car. The sealer you need can be purchased at Marble Essence or we can provide you with alternatives as well. The need for sealing is a preventative measure against any staining or spotting that may occur. Since all natural stones are inherently porous, this is a necessary precaution that needs no professional skill.

Quite often, consumers of our product are concered with the possibility of staining. This is highly unlikely, and nearly impossible if you keep up with your sealing maintenence. We will let you know how often your particular stone will need to be sealed. As for stones in showers and baths, we recommend that you seal it at least twice a year to ensure that water spots and hard water doesn't stain your stone.

Other maintenance questions that are often asked concern the need to "re-polish" your stone. The answer to this question varies based on the type
of stone you choose. For example, if you did not choose a polished finish on your stone in the first place, then there would be no need to redo the finish already in place as it will not wear. Similarly, polished granite maintains its shine because of the characteristics of granite. Other stones, however,
such as marble, may need to be repolished after
some time. Again, this would be specific to a
particular job, so we would inform you if this type of maintence was necessary for you.

Nevertheless, even with the occassional polish and sealing, maintaining your natural stone is really quite easy. On a regular daily schedule, you would use a mild dish detergent to clean the surfaces of your stone. A washcloth with soap and warm water is sufficient for any of your cleaning needs. We recommend that you DO NOT use harsh cleaning agents on the natural stone; they are not necessary, so you needn't have to use them anyway. In your bathrooms, using a squeegee after use will also aid in cleaning the stone and eliminating soap scum.

For more information about cleaning your stone, please visit the following links:

• Cleaning Procedures & Recommendations
• Spills & Stains
• Poultice