How Can I Get Burn Marks Off Marble Countertops?

Depending on who you ask, having a marble countertop can either be the best or worst kitchen fixture to have in your home. On the plus side, marble is gorgeous to look at, generally heat resistant and, if you opt for an inexpensive type of marble like carrara, can be a cost-effective way to add style to your home.

Alternatively, marble is known to stain and bear scratches easily, and it does take more maintenance than the occasional spray and wipe down that comes with surfaces like vinyl. Despite being able to handle hot pots, pans and plates, marble can retain burn marks, but getting rid of them can be easily done.

Burn marks can usually be lifted from marble, but the ease of such an operation will depend on the severity of the burn. For small burn marks or light burns, a mix of equal parts ammonia and water has been known to remove stains. To use this method, simply cover the affected area with a bit of the solution and allow it to sit untouched for about five minutes. Then, use a scrub brush with soft bristles to buff the burn mark out, but take extra care to use a gentle hand when scrubbing as scratch marks can remain on marble surfaces too.

If you want to remove a curling iron burn on a countertop or a flat iron burn on cultured marble, your best bet will be to hire a professional to amend the stain, which will assure no further damage to the surface. However, if you want to take matters into your own hands, you can gently buff the burn mark off of your marble surface by trying a couple of different things. First, if the stain is light and not deep, you may be able to lift the stain off of the countertop by using a solution of bleach that is heavily diluted in water. To remove the stain, use a soft-bristled brush to gently scrub the burn with the bleach solution, then rinse clean if the stain has lifted.

If you have a larger stain to work with or if the bleach solution didn't do the trick, you can sand the burn out instead. To do this, you'll need to rub the area using circular motions with 400-grit wet-dry sandpaper on a block, taking care not to sand too deep past the glossy, cultured coat finish. After you've sanded the burn out, recoat the affected area with buffing compound using a damp rag and circular motions.

When looking to remove burn marks from kitchen sinks or your countertops, it's important to know what type of material you're working with: cultured marble or marble. They may sound and even look essentially the same, but cultured marble is actually a man-made product, while marble is naturally occuring. Cultured marble is known for its glossy finish and is made from resin and marble dust, which is then sealed with gel coat. Standard marble is limestone that's been heat and pressure treated and is very porous.

Burn marks on cultured marble countertops can sometimes be sanded out with sandpaper. Burn marks on marble can sometimes be scrubbed away with bathroom cleaner and a brush or a solution of bleach and water. If you use sandpaper to remove the burn stain, you can restore the shine on marble using etch remover, which is applied as a polish.