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Craig Hogarth
07-18-2007, 3:51 PM
I have a really nice demo engraving that my kids touched with their usual greasy fingers. Anyone know how to clean it? I've tried pretty much everything except running it through the dishwasher. I thought for sure an electric toothbrush and citrus cleaner would work, but there is no noticable difference.

Belinda Barfield
07-18-2007, 3:55 PM
Try DNA, or regular dish detergent. Windex might work but I wouldn't use it repeatedly. Anything containing citric acid will etch the finish of marble, so use care.

James Stokes
07-18-2007, 5:50 PM
Use hot water and dishwashing soap. After you get it clean rub some white shoe polish on it.

Frank Corker
07-18-2007, 7:18 PM
Use micro fibre cloths, they don't need detergents only water! Use a wet one to wipe over it and the dry one will bring it off like it was never there. I swear by them for granite stuff that I do and for use on mirrors.

Garry McKinney
07-19-2007, 12:45 PM
Craig ,
I have a question, is it real marble or laser grade black. Much of the laser grade marble is made up of crushed and reconstructed material, that will soak oil in and leave it stained as it mixes with the dye that was used in the processing of making it. Natural marble cleans easily the laser grade can differ from piece to piece.
There is granite marlbe cleaners which will clean natural marble, but will make the laser marble dull.

Craig Hogarth
07-19-2007, 1:15 PM
Garry, it's the laser grade from laser sketch. I've tried all the suggestions except for DNA (mainly cuz I have no idea what that is) and I've decided to just sorta go with James suggestion and just paint it white.

Mike Null
07-19-2007, 1:40 PM
DNA is denatured alcohol. The kind you get at paint stores or the borg.

Craig Hogarth
07-19-2007, 2:05 PM
Thanks. I do have some too!! I'll give it a shot.

Bill Cunningham
07-19-2007, 10:14 PM
Your first idea is not bad!! Put it in the dish washer.. It have cleaned many things in the dishwasher (as my wife looked on horrified :eek: ).. For a example on removing grease! A dishwasher does a GREAT job of removing the preservative cosmoline(sp?) from old wooden gun stocks.. They come out clean as a whistle.. The hot water will even lift the dents from the wood .. No reason it won't remove 'greasy kid stuff' from marble!

Anthony Welch
07-21-2007, 10:01 AM
I don't mean to steal this thread, but it is along the same line.

Say someone wants to grout these tiles, marble, granite to a wall or floor. How do you protect the engraving and what with.

Garry McKinney
07-21-2007, 11:17 AM
Anthony,

I would seal the engraving with a heavy mil plastic and duct tape the edges so the engraving was protected from the work and the grout. Then remove it after the grout work is done. Just leave enough on the tile to give a sealing edge between the grout and the engraving, another way would be to glue the tile and then use chaulk , less abrassive and more control.

Mark Koenig
07-21-2007, 11:18 AM
I don't mean to steal this thread, but it is along the same line.

Say someone wants to grout these tiles, marble, granite to a wall or floor. How do you protect the engraving and what with.

I would like to know myself...:confused:

Craig Hogarth
07-26-2007, 11:08 PM
I ended up painting it with an oil based exterior house paint. I put a small dab on a t-shirt, smeared it on and spread it around with a t-shirt dipped in mineral spirits. Took about 5 minutes on a 12x24 piece. I wish I had a picture of it after my kids got to it. It was virtually destroyed, and now I can put wet soda can on it and the water just wipes off. :)

Mark Koenig
07-27-2007, 6:41 AM
I ended up painting it with an oil based exterior house paint. I put a small dab on a t-shirt, smeared it on and spread it around with a t-shirt dipped in mineral spirits. Took about 5 minutes on a 12x24 piece. I wish I had a picture of it after my kids got to it. It was virtually destroyed, and now I can put wet soda can on it and the water just wipes off. :)


That piece looks beautiful!!!

I have the same problem with my demo pieces... Smudges everywhere... Everything I have tried has made it look dark and dull... :mad:

House paint??? What color or was it a clear sealer?

Thanks Mark...

Jim Watkins
07-27-2007, 10:11 AM
Great job Craig,
I hope to be able to hold a torch to that some day...:D

Craig Hogarth
07-27-2007, 11:14 AM
House paint??? What color or was it a clear sealer?

Thanks Mark...

It was just plain old white paint I had left over from a previous project.

It did make it whiter (in a good way) and you can't tell it's painted since the pores are still visible.

Dan Starr
07-28-2007, 8:57 PM
As to the question on grouting............. just grout it. Grout will not hurt the etching. Just use unsanded grout for the marble, unless it's installed on a floor, and use either sanded or unsanded for the granite.

Bob Cole
07-28-2007, 9:21 PM
That is a great piece of work.

What should you do to prep the laser grade marble to limit/avoid the issues with cleaning?