How to Remove Rust Stains from Marble

Chris said, “We have white on white cultured marble sinks. We started with my husband’s sink and were replacing all of the fixtures. His sink has had a mineral build up for awhile, but I didn’t want to use anything really strong until the fixtures were out. Well, we have widespread faucets. All three holes in the sink have circle rust stains. The bad part is, the new faucets that I purchased a few months ago are smaller in diameter than the ones that were in the sink. I called the place where we purchased the sinks, (they make them there). She gave me this website. So, before I called her, I tried the works, The Works toilet bowl cleaner, Mr Clean Eraser, and after I came to this site, I have tried vinegar, and Bar Keepers Friend. Everything that I tried I let set overnight. Nothing is touching it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am hoping his is the only sink with the rust issue. We have a long double sink in our bathroom then 2 other bathrooms. I am just ready to get all of the faucets changed. HELP!!!”

Table of Contents:

Removing the Stains
Additional Tips and Advice
Sources

Rust stains are common around faucets due to particles of iron in tap water. The chlorine in tap water can cause these stains to become even darker. Marble is a porous stone, which allows stains to soak into it more easily and requires a poultice to remove the stains. Follow the steps below to remove the rust stains from your marble counter.¹

Removing the Stains

You Will Need:

Rubber gloves
Iron Out (powdered version)
Distilled water
Plastic wrap
Tape
A plastic scraper
A cloth

Steps to Remove the Stains:

Put on heavy-duty rubber cleaning gloves to protect your hands.¹
Combine some powdered Iron Out with distilled water to make a paste. If you don’t have Iron Out, another acid-free multi-purpose rust stain remover that comes in a powder form can work.
Spread a ¼-inch thick layer of the paste over the stain. Only apply the paste on the stain, not on the surrounding areas.
Cover the paste with plastic wrap. Tape the edges of the plastic wrap down to help hold the moisture in.
Leave the poultice on the stain for 24 hours.
Remove only the tape and plastic wrap.
Allow the paste to dry completely.
Scrape the paste off the counter with a plastic scraper.
Wipe the area with a damp cloth to remove any residue from the paste.
Clean the area as you normally would.
Repeat the process as many times as needed. This may take several applications for the stain to be fully removed.

Additional Tips and Advice

Lemon Kool-Aid, Tang,² or Bar Keepers Friend can be used in place of Iron Out, however, they all contain acid, which can etch the stone. If your marble becomes etched, Marble Restorer might help to fix the damage.³
There are also commercial rust removers made for marble that can be used in place of Iron Out. If you decide to use one of these, follow the instructions on the label of your selected cleaner.