Material
Limestone
Porous calcium carbonate that absorbs stains into the stone and is etched by any acid, so the method is a poultice and the forbidden list is short and absolute.
- SurfacePorous
- WashingSpot only
- Colour run riskLow
- Reviewed7 September 2026
What limestone can and cannot take
- Heat Use with care
- Water and soaking Use with care
- Acids, including vinegar Avoid
- Strong alkalis Use with care
- Solvents Use with care
- Chlorine bleach Use with care
- Abrasives Avoid
Always test on a hidden area first and let it dry before you treat the visible mark.
General rules for limestone
Limestone is porous and calcareous, which means it absorbs stains and is etched by acid.
Work out which problem you have before you start. A stain is a dark mark that has soaked in and comes out with a poultice over a day or two. Etching is a dull patch where acid has eaten the polished surface and no cleaner reverses it.
Routine cleaning is a neutral cleaner or a little mild washing up liquid in warm water, and nothing with grit in it.
Check the label
Limestone is calcium carbonate, so acid dissolves the surface rather than marking it. Vinegar, lemon juice, limescale remover and acidic bathroom sprays are excluded absolutely, not as a matter of dilution or contact time.
Stains on limestone
- Baby sick Blot it up with kitchen roll rather than wiping, then wash with a little washing up liquid in warm water, whi...
- Blood Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Body oil Lift free oil from limestone, then clean a small area with a maker-approved mild detergent solution and a sof...
- Breast milk Blot the spill, identify the finish and use a controlled cold clean only where permitted. Where the maker per...
- Bronzer Lift loose bronzer from limestone before it is rubbed in. Blot cream bronzer, follow the material or care lab...
- Coffee Wipe coffee off limestone promptly with a soft cloth. Identify stone, sealer and adjacent grout before choosi...
- Concealer Lift the concealer from Limestone, clean with neutral stone cleaner or very dilute washing-up liquid, rinse a...
- Cooking grease Blot cooking grease from Limestone, absorb surface oil, wash gently with mild detergent and judge when dry. A...
- Deodorant Lift loose deodorant from limestone with a dry white cloth, then wipe the remaining film with cool water and...
- Hair dye Blot Limestone, clean with a tested non-acidic stone product, rinse and dry. Refer absorbed colour rather tha...
- Lipstick Lift lipstick from Limestone, clean with neutral stone cleaner or very dilute washing-up liquid, rinse and dr...
- Motor oil Blot motor oil from Limestone, absorb surface oil, wash gently with mild detergent and judge when dry. A rema...
- Nail polish Lift free polish gently if the face permits contact. A maker-approved mild damp wipe can clear loose residue,...
- Period blood Lift any tissue with a spoon edge, then blot. Use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent for th...
- Pet urine Blot until nearly dry, then use only the cool-water quantity limestone can tolerate. Use a labelled pet urine...
- Tomato sauce Lift tomato sauce from Limestone, then wipe or blot inwards with a tested cool detergent solution. Remove res...
Limestone is a sedimentary calcium carbonate, softer and usually more porous than marble.
It absorbs
A spill goes into the stone rather than sitting on it, which is why a mark that looked dealt with reappears as a shadow the next day. A poultice reverses that by drawing the liquid back up into an absorbent paste.
Acid is absolute
Calcium carbonate reacts with acid, dissolving a microscopic layer and leaving a dull etch. That is damage rather than dirt.
A sealer buys time only
An impregnating sealer slows absorption so a spill can be wiped before it soaks in. It does nothing about etching, which happens at the surface.
It is softer than marble
So abrasives do more damage more quickly, and honed limestone shows scratching readily.
Sources
What we checked and when. Where a manufacturer instruction disagrees with anything here, follow the manufacturer.
-
Care and cleaning of natural stone, Natural Stone Institute
trade body
Stone trade body guidance that calcareous stone such as limestone and travertine is sensitive to acid so only mild non acidic cleaners are used, that acidic cleaners are still not advised on granite, slate or sandstone because they can hold acid sensitive minerals, that scouring powders scratch stone, that the routine clean is a neutral cleaner or mild washing up liquid in warm water, that organic stains are treated with hydrogen peroxide, and that ammonia and bleach are never mixed.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
Guide to cleaning marble stains with poultices, Olson Marble and Stone Care
specialist
Stone restoration specialist describing a poultice as an absorbent powder mixed with a cleaning agent, bicarbonate of soda with hydrogen peroxide for an organic stain, spread about a quarter of an inch thick, covered with plastic wrap taped down and left for 24 to 48 hours, that stubborn stains need more than one application, and that a stone that is deeply etched or discoloured beyond surface penetration needs professional restoration rather than a poultice.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
Cleaning grout, Tile Council of North America
trade body
Tile trade body guidance that grout manufacturers do not advocate the use of acids because acids attack the cement in the grout, that grout is alkaline based and is dissolved by acids, that mildly alkaline cleaners are preferred over acidic ones, that oil and wax based cleaners leave a film that attracts dirt, that alkaline cleaner not properly rinsed leaves a sticky residue, and that cementitious grout should be sealed to prevent staining.
Checked 7 September 2026