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
Very fine scratches on polished marble can be reduced with a marble polishing powder; anything you can feel with a fingernail needs a stone restorer to hone it out with progressively finer diamond pads and re-polish. 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
- Marble polishing powder
- Soft cloth or felt pad
- Water
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.
Polish light scratches
Make a slurry of polishing powder and water and buff it over the scratch with a soft cloth for a minute or two. Rinse and check.
Leave deep scratches to a pro
A restorer hones deeper scratches out with diamond pads and re-polishes to match. A stone restorer can hone and re-polish marble back to an even finish, and on bookmatched or heavily veined slabs that is the safest route.
Prevent new ones
Use boards and felt pads under decor, and lift rather than slide heavy items.
What not to use on marble
- Sandpaper and hardware-store abrasives.
- Coloured waxes or "scratch cover" products, which build up and attract dirt.
- Polishing powder on honed marble.
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 stone restorer can hone and re-polish marble back to an even finish, and on bookmatched or heavily veined slabs that is the safest route.
Understanding scratches on marble
At around 3 on the Mohs scale, marble is softer than a steel knife, a ceramic plate base and the grit tracked in on shoes.
On polished marble damage shows as dull, cloudy patches in reflected light; on honed marble it tends to look darker or smoother than the surrounding stone.
A stone restorer can hone and re-polish marble back to an even finish, and on bookmatched or heavily veined slabs that is the safest route.
Good to know
On polished marble, most scratches come from dragging ceramic plates, appliances and grit. On honed marble the same scratches are far less visible.
Stop it happening again
Whether yours is Calacatta, Carrara, Statuario, Nero Marquina, Emperador and Crema Marfil, 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. Choose Gloss for polished marble or Matte/Satin for honed and matte finishes. The protection is identical. It is installed across Sydney with a 10-year written warranty.
How we protect marble · Honed vs polished stone · Scratches on every surface