All scratches on marble can be removed, from lighter scratches that just require some polish. Deeper scratches will require the use of abrasives to remove them. Removing scratches with abrasives can be done wet or dry. They can be removed manually or with an electric sander.
When considering how to remove a scratch from a piece of marble you should first think about the finish. If the finish is matt removing the scratch and blending it in is quite easy. When removing a scratch from a polished piece of marble using abrasives. It can be harder to blend in the shine than it is to remove the scratch.
WASH AND BUFF DRY
Before attempting any work give the area a good clean with some warm soapy water. Do not use any abrasives and only the weakest of detergents. Give the area a final wash with just warm or hot water. Finally, buff the stone dry with a separate clean cloth.
LIGHT SCRATCHES ON POLISHED MARBLE
If you have light scratches on a highly polished piece of marble. It is best to try to hide the scratches with a good marble polish first. Especially, if the scratch is an area where the polish not going to be washed off regularly.
Wax based polishes are very good for hiding scratches and blemishes on marble. A good polish is Anitquax Marble Wax, it is a beige coloured wax. I have found it is very good on darker marble for hiding light scratches. You can build up thin layers of this product to hide the scratch.
LIGHTER COLOURED MARBLE
For lighter coloured marble I like to use Lithofin MN Polish, it is a white cream polish. Lithofin’s polish is very easy to apply and you can also build it up in thin layers.
READ MY REVIEW OF LITHOFIN MN POLISH HERE
Another polish I use for hiding scratches is HG Gloss polish, this is a white liquid polish. The benefit of using this polish is that you can apply it with a small brush directly onto the scratch. Apply it in thin coats, leave it to settle before buffing it. Re-apply and buff until the scratch is no longer visible.
READ MY REVIEW OF HG GLOS POLISH HERE
APPLYING MARBLE POLISHES
All marble polishes should be applied to the surface and left for a minute to settle before buffing. Do not try to work the product into the stone you will only smear it and it will take longer to polish.
REMOVING SCRATCHES WITH A MARBLE POLISHING POWDER
For slightly deeper scratches that cannot be hidden, a marble polishing powder can be used to remove them. Most marble polishing powders that are available are for professional use. However, you can buy them in small quantities online and they work the same as the products for professional use. They do not require any special skills or equipment, just a simple manual action and some patience.
USING MARBLE POLISHING POWDERS
YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS
Apply about 5 grams of marble polish onto the scratch and mist spray some water onto it. You need just enough water to activate the polish and make it into a paste. Do not add too much water at first you can always add a little later if needed. Using the soft pad work the powder into the marble in a circular motion. Adding a little light but even pressure for about 2 or 3 minutes.
You will see the polish building up in the scratch as you work it into the stone. After a few minutes, you will see the scratch slowly disappear. If the scratch is quite deep you will have to wipe off the polish and repeat the process. Once the scratch has been completely removed, wipe off the polish before it dries. Re-apply the polish again and work it into the marble covering a wider area to blend it in.
Once again remove the polish before it dries, wash off any excess with some clean water. Finally, with a clean cloth or paper towel buff the area dry to a shine. In most cases this is enough to restore the stone to its original condition. It is optional but I like to clean and polish the whole surface after removing a scratch. It helps to blend in the whole piece of stone together, typically I use one of the polishes mentioned above.
REMOVING A SCRATCH FROM MARBLE USING ABRASIVES
The two best types of abrasives to use on marble for removing a scratch are;
Diamond impregnated resin pads, these are available for wet or dry use or Silicon carbide sanding paper which can also be used wet or dry.
If the scratches are very bad and it is necessary to use an abrasive to remove them. It is better to engage the services of a professional to remove them.
However, there are scratch removal kits available online for people confident and competent enough to use them.
A popular kit available from BMC online comes complete with diamond resin pads and some marble polishing powder. This kit can be used for removing scratches and etch marks from marble.
HERE IS A VIDEO FROM BMC DEMONSTRATING THEIR PRODUCT
You can also buy an assortment of silicon carbide sanding paper ranging in grit sizes 60 through to 3000. They are very small but used together with a small sanding block it is enough to remove one or two scratches. You will also need to buy some marble polish separately.
THE PROCESS OF REMOVING SCRATCHES
It is not always necessary to start with the coarsest grade to remove a scratch. I always try to use a 320 or 400 grit first to remove the scratch. That way it will be easier to blend in the scratched area at the end of the process. If I find that the 320 is not coarse enough, I then go down to a 240 or 220 grit.
Starting with the coarsest grade first will mean more work to bring it back to the original condition. If you start with a medium grade first. It is easier and quicker to bring the stone back to its original finish.
BLENDING IN
Once you have removed the scratch, all the work is now geared towards blending in with the surrounding areas. Going through the grades one by one. If you started with a 240 grit the next size will be a 320 or 400 grit. Do not try to leap too far forward in terms of grit sizes. Generally doubling of the grit sizes is the maximum. Say 400 grit to 800 grit is good. But never go from 400 to 1000 or 1200 it will affect the quality of the finish.
When I am removing scratches and working towards a honed finish. I gradually expand the area that I am sanding back as I move through the different grit sizes. To do this I overlap one grit size with another (See the images below).
THE FINER THE BETTER
In my experience, it is better to go through as many grit sizes as possible. Also, the finer the grit size at the end the better the finish will be. Once you have removed the scratches and sanded the marble down to a honed finish. It is easy to polish it with a marble polishing powder as described above.
On most marble this enough to restore the colour and shine. However, if you wish you can apply a cream or wax polish on top for some extra sparkle.