Before you try anything: always speak to a professional before cleaning, treating or applying any product to your stone. Every slab is different, and the wrong product can cause permanent damage. Contact us or a qualified stone restorer first.
Quick answer
Fine scratches on honed limestone are softened by re-honing with fine diamond pads, best done by a restorer. There is no product that hides scratches in stone for long: waxes and "scratch fillers" fill them briefly and wear off.
First, check what you are dealing with
- Grey or dark line: may be a metal mark. Try a cream cleaner first.
- Fine white line, smooth to the touch: a light scratch.
- Line that catches a fingernail: a deep scratch needing honing.
What you need
- Non-scratch cream cleaner
- A stone restorer
Step by step
Rule out metal marks
Rub the line with a non-scratch cream cleaner and a damp cloth. Grey lines from pots and cutlery often disappear completely.
Assess depth
Look at the scratch at a low angle and run a fingernail across it.
Book a professional
A restorer can re-hone limestone and repair chipped edges with colour-matched filler.
Prevent new ones
Use boards and felt pads under decor, and lift rather than slide heavy items.
What not to use on limestone
- Sandpaper and hardware-store abrasives.
- Coloured waxes or "scratch cover" products, which build up and attract dirt.
- Polishing powder on honed limestone.
When to call a professional
Call a restorer for scratches you can feel, clusters of scratches on an island or table, and anything on onyx. A restorer can re-hone limestone and repair chipped edges with colour-matched filler.
Understanding scratches on limestone
Limestone is soft enough that edges wear and surfaces scuff over time, particularly on kitchen islands and tables.
Limestone is almost always honed, so marks show as darker patches, halos and uneven, slightly smoother areas.
A restorer can re-hone limestone and repair chipped edges with colour-matched filler.
Good to know
Limestone scuffs easily around the edges of islands where bags, keys and chairs rub against it.
Stop it happening again
Whether yours is French, Portuguese (Moleanos, Moca Creme) and Australian limestones, repairing it fixes today's mark; protecting it stops the next one. Our clear Stone Protection Film sits over the surface, so acids cannot etch it and liquids cannot soak in, and its self-healing top layer shrugs off fine everyday marks. Most limestone is honed, so the Matte/Satin film is the usual match: it keeps the natural, low-sheen look. It is installed across Sydney with a 10-year written warranty.
How we protect limestone · Honed vs polished stone · Scratches on every surface