Natural stone cares for itself, if you do four things.

The 60-second routine.

Natural stone cares for itself if you do four things: wipe spills quickly, use pH-neutral cleaner, seal once a year, and avoid abrasives. That's it. Everything below is detail.

Daily care — every stone.

• Wipe spills immediately. Wine, coffee, citrus, vinegar, tomato sauce, and toothpaste are the usual offenders. Acid etches marble in seconds; pigment stains travertine and limestone within minutes. Quick wipe with a damp microfiber cloth is enough.
• Daily cleaning: warm water + a few drops of pH-neutral dish soap (Dawn original works) on a soft cloth. Wipe, rinse, dry.
• Don't use: bleach, ammonia, vinegar, lemon juice, glass cleaner (Windex), or anything labeled “descaler” or “limescale remover.” These all damage stone surfaces.
• Dry after use. Especially on basins and counters — standing water leaves mineral spots on polished surfaces.

Sealing schedule.

Sealer fills the microscopic pores and gives you time to wipe spills before they soak in. It doesn't change the look of the stone (when applied correctly).

• Marble (Carrara, Calacatta, Statuario): every 12 months
• Travertine: every 12 months (more porous — some installs need every 9 months in heavy-use kitchens)
• Limestone: every 12 months
• Onyx: every 12–18 months
• Granite: every 18–24 months
• Basalt: every 18–24 months

Sealer test: sprinkle a few drops of water on the stone. If it beads up, the seal is intact. If it absorbs and darkens within 5–10 minutes, time to reseal.

How to apply: clean the stone, let it dry fully (24 hours), apply impregnating sealer with a clean cloth (we recommend Miracle 511 Impregnator or Stone Tech BulletProof), let it sit 10–15 minutes, wipe off the excess. Done. Takes 20 minutes for a vessel sink.

Marble — specific notes.

Marble is calcium carbonate — the same mineral as Tums. Acid dissolves it. That's why a drop of lemon juice leaves a dull “etch” mark on polished marble. This isn't damage that ruins the stone, but it's visible.

• If you etch: for polished marble, a light buffing with marble polishing powder (3M makes a kit) restores the shine. For honed marble, etches are usually invisible because the surface is already matte.
• For stains: apply a poultice (baking soda + water, mixed to peanut-butter consistency) over the stain. Cover with plastic wrap, leave overnight, scrape off the next morning. Repeat if needed.
• Polished vs. honed for kitchens: honed hides etches better than polished. Most chefs we know prefer honed marble counters for this reason.

Travertine — specific notes.

Travertine has natural voids — the small holes you see on the surface. These get filled at the factory (resin or grout) but some always remain. They're part of the character.

• Voids opening up: normal over years of use, especially in showers. Re-fill with travertine filler (Akemi makes a good one) when voids get noticeable. Color-match by buying the filler that matches your stone variety.
• Stains: travertine is more porous than marble. Stain prevention is sealing on schedule + immediate wipe-up. For active stains, poultice works the same as on marble.
• Showers: seal more frequently (every 9–10 months instead of 12) because of constant water exposure. Squeegee after each use prevents soap scum and water spots.

Limestone — specific notes.

Limestone behaves like a softer travertine. Same acid sensitivity as marble, slightly more porous than marble, less porous than travertine. Same sealing schedule.

• Honed limestone: the most popular finish. Hides etches, looks like raw stone, easy to maintain.
• Outdoor limestone: fine for patios and outdoor showers in most climates. In freeze–thaw climates (anywhere with hard winters), seal twice a year and avoid de-icing salts.

Onyx — specific notes.

Onyx is translucent (light passes through). That's the entire point of using it. Treat it like a glass cathedral window that also happens to be stone.

• Back-lighting: use LED only (no incandescent or halogen — heat damages the resin backing on translucent onyx panels).
• Sealing: onyx is brittle. Don't apply pressure when cleaning or sealing. Soft cloth, gentle wipe, no scrubbing.
• Avoid in heavy-use kitchens. Onyx is for statement walls, vanity tops, lit panels, vessel sinks in powder rooms. Not for kitchen counters or shower floors.

Granite & basalt — specific notes.

The most durable stones we carry. Granite and basalt are igneous (formed under heat and pressure). They're acid-resistant, heat-resistant, and very dense.

• Sealing less often: every 18–24 months is fine. Test with the water-bead method.
• Heat: granite countertops can take a hot pan straight from the stove. Still, a trivet protects the seal.
• Cleaning: the only stones in our catalog that handle mildly acidic cleaners (still better with pH-neutral). Never use bleach or ammonia.

What absolutely not to do.

• Don't: use bleach, ammonia, vinegar, lemon juice, descalers, or limescale removers
• Don't: scrub with steel wool, scouring pads, or abrasive sponges
• Don't: use generic “granite cleaner” on marble or limestone (they're often acidic)
• Don't: leave wet sponges or coffee cups directly on the surface for hours
• Don't: drag cast-iron pans across counters (scratches, chips edges)
• Don't: use “entist” methods like setting an iron on the stone to lift wax (the heat shocks the surface)

Stain quick-reference.

• Coffee, tea, wine: hydrogen peroxide + baking soda poultice, 12 hours
• Oil, grease: flour + dish soap + water poultice, 24 hours; repeat 2–3 times for old stains
• Rust: commercial rust remover for stone (Akemi or Tenax). Avoid acid-based rust removers.
• Ink, marker: hydrogen peroxide poultice; older stains may need professional stone restoration
• Mildew (shower): 1:1 hydrogen peroxide + water, spray, sit 10 minutes, rinse
• Etching (acid spill mark on marble): marble polishing powder + soft cloth + light pressure
• Hard-water spots: the gentle approach is non-acidic mineral deposit remover for stone (Stone Tech makes one). Avoid CLR and Lime-Away.

Tools we recommend.

• Soft microfiber cloths (white preferred — dye-free)
• pH-neutral stone cleaner (we like Method Daily Granite, Mr. Clean original, or just dish soap + water)
• Impregnating stone sealer (Miracle 511, Stone Tech BulletProof, or Akemi Color Enhancer for travertine)
• Marble polishing powder (3M kit) — only if you have polished marble
• Squeegee for showers
• Baking soda for poultices

If something goes wrong.

Email help@basincraft.com with a photo of the issue. A real person on our Connecticut support team responds within 4 business hours with stone-specific guidance. We've seen most stain situations before — we can usually save the piece without professional restoration.

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