Marble End Tables ? They Have Timeless Beauty

When it comes to furniture, marble is a classy and alluring material. But even the best marble end tables can begin to look a little dingy and worn if they are not properly cared for.

Considering the price of a good piece of marble furniture, it''s a wonder why people would not take care of it. Possibly, they just don''t know how to properly maintain marble. This article is going to take that excuse out of the mix. Here''s what you need to know about taking care of your marble furniture.

We''re focusing on marble end tables because of all the marble pieces you are going to have in the house they are likely going to get the most use. Someone will be constantly picking things up, setting things down, and bumping up against them. That''s just the life of end tables.

When you first get your marble end tables, you will love that shiny look, and perfect finish. Keeping it that way will not be easy. While it looks ''hard as a rock'', marble is actually a very soft and porous stone. If you were to spill drinks or food on your marble end tables, you need to drop everything and clean it up. Leaving those liquid spills on the marble surface will cause stains as the liquid sinks in, just as it would in wood. It''s better to never let liquid touch the surface of marble, so offer coasters for guests to place drinks on, to avoid condensation from starting to sink into, and discolor, the marble surface.

The key to keeping your marble looking as new as possible is preventative maintenance. Make sure it''s on a regular cleaning schedule. While you don''t want to let water soak into a marble surface, it''s all right to wash your marble end tables. You should use room temperature water, and immediately wipe it dry. If it has a little dirt build up and you want to make sure to get it completely clean, you can use a mild detergent soap to rinse it to go over the surface, then rinse it and dry it immediately. You should only do this a few times each year, at most, so make sure it needs it.

Some people choose to wax their marble end tables. This is going to depend on what kind you have. If you have white marble end tables, you may not want to do this as some waxes can have a yellowing effect on the marble. Instead, you may want to use a sealer, made for marble that will give it a protective coat from the wear and tear of daily life.

Over time, your marble will get scratches and start to lose its luster. You can get it back. If you have big scratches, you may need a putty powder to ''resurface'' the marble. If you are not comfortable doing it yourself any company that works in marble, including tombstone companies, can likely do this for you. You also may want to look up a marble company and purchase a marble cleaner and polish.

Jesse Akre, author, offers online shoppers his thoughts on purchasing elegant end tables, warm oak end tables and darling antique wood end tables for any room.