What is Cultured Marble? Everything you Need to Know

No home interior décor is complete without some sort of finishing. Most used finishes include wood, plastic, metal, and stone. One of the most popular house finishing, of course, is a marble. This timeless feature adds tons of class and panache to your home. 

However, marble has some drawbacks. It’s not so durable and on a higher price range. Those who seek high durability and the same outer look will find great value in cultured marble. It is much cheaper, as well.

Cultured marble: What it is, and how do we make it?

We make Cultured marble by mixing crushed granite and resin. When you finish the mixture, you pour it into a mold to create a pre-designed fixture. It can be for bathroom or kitchen purposes.

High temperature is needed to bake the mixture in the mold while exerting some pressure on it.  After it is cold and dry, the resultant countertop, bathtub, or sink is ready for you to install it. You will often get top part coated with a gel that will provide high sheen or polish as well as protection. The matte look is possible, as well.

Although there are criticisms about the appearance of cultured marble, and especially about its less than perfect resemblance to real marble surfaces or fixtures, still it has many credible features in its favor :

• Not porous: Basins and sinks and other interior décor pieces made from this material are not porous. You can be sure you won’t be experiencing any leaks with this material.
• Durable: Cultured marble is made from granite, which is one of the most enduring and long-lasting stones. It means that when you order a bathroom or kitchen fixture in this material, you will have the assurance that it will last a very long time.
• Cheap: Anything to save a buck, right? When you go the way of this faux-marble material, you will be able to save money for other things. Marble, especially premium strains, can be quite pricey. 
• It can look like marble: It’s a fact that cultured marble does look different from real . However, you can lessen the difference by simulating the veins and subtle shades of real marble.
• It is customizable: This feature of cultured marble is cool. You can have it fitted exactly to whatever use you want.
• No mildew: You can say goodbye to algae or mold when you use this pseudo marble. You are then able to maintain a sanitary and spotless bathroom or kitchen.

Check my top 10 selection of marble cutting | pastry boards and find one that best suits your needs.

How do you Clean Cultured Marble? 

Cultured marble is an excellent addition to the home décor list of possibilities, but it does carry its fair share of challenges. For instance, in maintaining this home finish, you need to be careful as not every liquid cleaning agent or even temperature of cleaning solutions is welcome to this material.  

1. Maintenance and cleaning tips

Find below the safe and effective ways of cleaning your countertops, sinks, and bathtubs made with cultured marble.

• Never clean cultured marble pieces with hot or warm water.
• Abrasive cleaners such as bleach are not also a good idea.
• Don’t use brushes that are too stiff or scouring pads with overly hard surfaces as you may wear out the finish.
• White vinegar is also a no, no for cleaning cultured marble. The acid it contains makes your countertop lose its shine. However, certain types of vinegar may be used to clean particularly stubborn stains like deep water stains.
• Clean and dry your countertop and sink immediately after use.
• To clean your cultured marble countertop or tub, apply a mild cleanser. Wait the required time, usually not more than a few minutes, to let the stain be soaked in and soft. Then apply steady pressure with a non-abrasive scrub, brush, or towel. Dry off the solution at once. 
• Clean your pieces deeply about twice yearly. In between that time, you can get by with light cleaning.  
• Do not drop a heavy object on your surface.
• You may also need to wax the surface when it grows too dull but not too frequently.

2. Some cultured marble safe cleaning products

You can get quite a lot of great cleaning products in stores like Amazon for your cultured marble pieces.   Some of these include:

Granite Gold Daily Cleaner Spray is a deep cleaning solution, non-toxic, ammonia-free, and all in all safe for you and your family. Unlike your regular soap, which could prove damaging to your faux marble surfaces, Granite Gold Daily Cleaner will do the job without compromising the integrity of your pieces.

It is also pH balanced, making it safe for use on surfaces you prepare your food on, as well as your shine. It’s easy to use, spray, let it rest for a few seconds, and lightly scrub or wipe with a scrub, towel, or soft brush.

CLICK HERE and read other Amazon costumer reviews and find it’s pros and cons.

Simple Green Stone Cleaner is not called an All-in-One cleaner for nothing. It is no-toxic, safe to use with pets and kids, and has a simple spray and wipe methodology. Simple Green Stone Cleaner and Polish also does not require any waiting time, as you can go ahead to wipe off stains, while preserving the coating and shine of your culture marble pieces and fixtures.  Finally, it promises zero streaks and abrasion and is excellent for your daily marble cleaning needs. 

CLICK HERE and read all real reviews on Amazon and see pros and cons about this product.

It can be cleaned with universal cleaner such as Pine-Sol. More about it in my extensive post.

DIY Cleaning solution

Here are some DIY cleaning tips you can make in our home.

1. When you need to remove especially stubborn watermarks and stains from your cultured marble, you can easily make one yourself that is effective and safe. Start by mixing 1/4 cup of vinegar, baking soda, and ammonia. You can then dilute these in water.  Eight cups will do for this quantity. Proceed to wipe off any stains with your mix and let it rest for about 10 minutes. You can then rinse off with cold water. Repeat if necessary. Be careful, as this solution is especially harsh and is preferred for tough stains.
2. If you don’t want to go with the above homemade remedy, hydrogen peroxide can also get the job done. Use a towel or rag soaked in hydrogen peroxide and wipe over the stain. You then need to allow this to remain all night. The next morning, you can proceed to clean the stain and wash it with cold water. Dry the area immediately. 
3. The use of paint thinner, turpentine, or denatured alcohol have also been used in maintaining cultured marble. Be careful when you use this because results can be uncertain. To mitigate damage, it would be smart to attempt use on a tiny test area of your surface. Always read any manufacturer’s recommendation before you apply any of these to your culture marble.

Main Differences and Similarities between Cultured and Real Marble

Let’s face it, as good as cultured marble is, there still exist key differences with a real marble. What could the major ones be, you think? Let’s have a peek.

Similarities

• Both cultured marble and real marble possess veiny, high polish luster.
• They are both ideal for bathroom and kitchen finishing in interior décor.
• They both can look similar

Differences

• Marble is natural, while cultured marble can be said to be synthetic.

• Marble is more easily to destroy or scratch, making it less durable. If maintained well, cultured marble is very durable.
• Marble rarely comes pre-formed into countertops, tubs, and sink basins. Cultured marble is customizable and comes pre-formed as bathroom or kitchen fixtures.
• Cultured Marble is easy to care. If it begins to leak, a new coat of gel can be easily applied to it, making it as good as new. Marble, on the other hand, is not so easily maintained.
• Cultured marble is non-porous and so requires no sealing.
• Marble is relatively expensive, while cultured marble is much cheaper. can cost something like $40 per foot as opposed to about $8 to $24 per foot of cultured marble.
• Marble has subtle variations from panel to panel or all round if it is in one piece. Much of cultured marble is uniform in its gloss and appearance.

Can you sand it?

If a scratch or mark on your cultured marble top or tub is not too deep, restore it through sanding. You can do Sanding with using automotive compounds (or sandpaper) directly on the surface of your cultured marble piece. 

Follow this easy steps sending your cultured marble:

1. The first thing you will need to do is get rid of grime, dust, or other dirt on the surface of your cultured marble sink or tub.
2. When you have done that, polishing is next. The mother’s mag aluminum polish and Maguiars ultra cut compound is used in the video below. A clean and soft rag is best for use with the automotive compound. 
3. You want the polish to haze over; then you may sand away marks or scratches
4. .Spray a fine mist of water on the surface, and then use one-thousand-grit sandpaper in sanding away blemishes.
5. Wash and wipe surface. At this point, a reapplication of polish is needed until it hazes, after which it is buffed off. Motorized automotive compounds are best for buffing something like this black +decker buffer found on Amazon.

How can you tell Real Marble from Cultured Marble?

Although real marble and cultured marble share certain similarities in appearance, simple tests can determine which is which:

• Coloration check

Marble comes in a range of hues from the whitest white of Carrara marble to a deep black.  The thing to look for, no matter the color, is the difference in tonality, shade, or tint. Many marble strains will display a subtle merging or changing of colors. This is in contrast to the stark monochromatic cast of cultured marble and other stones. 

• Veins check

Impurities mixing deep in the marble arise in or manifest in intricate and beautiful veins or swirls of color. Although cultured marble manufacturers attempt to mimic this same veiny appearance, the results are mostly one-dimensional and lacking in the soft, natural flow of real marble.  Marble from Carrara has a creamy vein, Sienna marble tends to be yellow, and can have red, blue, or violet, veining.

• Scratch check:

Use a durable, sharp knife or screwdriver on the surface of the marble. If it instantly scores a line, then it’s probably the real deal. Stones like quartz and synthetic material such as cultured marble will not so quickly accept a mark.

How long does Cultured Marble last?

We believe it could last 20 years easily. However, the Gel protective layer of the piece could breakdown somewhere along its lifetime. You would then need to reapply that layer to retain the sheen or polish. 

Now you know how to take care of your cultured marble fittings, you can look forward to a long and happy enjoyment of this beautiful home décor material.