<p>Marble is calcium carbonate and it is consequently reactive to all acids, such as vinegar or acid-based cleaners. Tea, coffee, and sodas are also acidic. Bases, like bleach and detergents, are not a problem. Expensive marble cleaners are just expensive.</p>
<p>pH-neutral hand soap is soap (which is basic) which has had acid added to bring the pH (acidity level) closer to neutral.</p>
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<p>I’m positive you’re right but after what I just spend on the marble…not willing to take a chance. :)</p>
<p>MomLive: do you have a piece of the marble left over? You can experiment.</p>
<p>^ Actually I do. Good idea.</p>
<p>Experimenting on a test piece is a good idea. Let us know what you find. </p>
<p>I’m still a little nervous on this whole bathroom renovation idea. The old badly seamed linoleum is not quite so annoying now that I’m comparing that to the expense and stress of renovation. We’ll see…</p>
<p>Our house we bought a few months ago has marble tile in the bathroom and I don’t really like it very much. What I love for a bathroom floor is travertine tile. A friend put this in and did her shower in it and I think it’s gorgeous.</p>
<p>Hmm… .have not looked at travertine. </p>
<p>Would I be sorry going with just plain ceramic tiles? (I’d have to get the a little textured - hate the super slippery shiny tiles).</p>
<p>emeraldkitty- Have you dropped out of this thread? If not, I was wondering what the style & age of your house is. Maybe you said, but as I skimmed the thread, I couldn’t find it. It may be obvious to say, but how you rehab the house (bath, kitchen) should have some consistency with the style of the house, and the rest of the rooms.</p>
<p>Our house is s 30 year old cape that we have been gradually updating…getting rid of the composite siding, putting in new, larger windows. It has been slow but so rewarding. We have tried to keep what we do consistent with the nature of a cape and the fact that it is a modest family home in a modest family neighborhood. We opted for terracotta tile in the kitchen with cherry cabinets and granite countertops (or will be granite as soon as we get our act in gear to arrange for it). For the cabinets, we just went to Lowes and bought “high-end” (for Lowe’s) cabinets that they then build to fit your house. The whole looks great and did not bust the budget.</p>
<p>Thanks! That GardenWeb link is great.</p>
<p>Anyone have experience with wood floors in kitchens? I have heard mixed reviews, with the majority of people saying they would not do wood in the kitchen again if they had it to do over.</p>
<p>We have been really happy with our wood floor in the kitchen. (We have it in the hall from the garage too, but we keep runner rugs on that). </p>
<p>When we built the house in 1993 I did NOT want wood floors. I knew how to take care of vinyl floors, and they seemed easier and cheaper. DH really wanted wood, so I struck a deal. If he agreed to learn how to care for them and assumed the responsiblity, it was fine with me. He learned to use the BonaX (no big deal), and I didn’t have to clean kitchen floors. He lucked out when we started having a housecleaner come twice a month. These days without the housecleaner we share the chore. </p>
<p>Our wood kitchen floor still looks pretty good 17 years later. We’ve had resealed (with perhaps a little sanding too) twice. It could use it again. When we redo the kitchen in a few years we are thinking/hoping we can keep the old floor.</p>
<p>ADVISE WITH WOOD FLOORS IN KITCHEN - PUT A SMALL ACCENT RUGS IN FRONT OF THE SINK AND REFRIGERATOR (especially if you have a water dispenser). I was given this advise when the house was new, and I have been sooooo grateful.</p>
<p>I have wood and like the look, but my contractor talked me into saving ~$800 and installed pre-finished wood vs bare/sand/stain wood when we remodeled 15 years ago. I completely regret this decision, as the pre-finished has grooves that trap crumbs, etc. From a distance it looks OK, but has not held up how I think a traditional installation would have. (we have a 1920s colonial, so tile would have looked out of place).</p>
<p>nj2011mom–There is now a newer form of the pre-finished hard wood flooring that no longer has those grooves in the edges.</p>
<p>Per wood floors, it would be good to check with friends in your town. A lot probably depends on product, installer, and climate. </p>
<p>This weekend we’d like to go to some new model homes to look at bathroom flooring. But not so much new constructions these days. We may need to settle for looking at open houses.</p>
<p>We’ve had wood floors in the kitchen in the last 3 houses we owned. I’ve never understood why people say they wouldn’t do it again. We’ve never any problems with them. IMO, they show a lot less dirt than tile and are more comfortable on your feet and back. You don’t have the issue with grout lines getting dirty. Linoleum looks pretty good when you first install it but after a while it starts to look worn. Hardwood floors (but not pre-finished) can be re-finished over and over again and they tend to look better the more they age. Although, I don’t think all hardwood floors and installations are equal. It’s not an area where you want to skimp on quality.</p>
<p>Agree with Momlive. Would never consider anything but site-finished hardwood flooring in the kitchen. Forgives a multitude of sins. Easy on the legs and back. Always a classic look. I like tile but used sparingly. It seems as if the various trends in tile go in and out of style but hardwood is a constant.</p>
<p>We’ve had pergo presto click laminate in our living/dining/kitchen for years and LOVE it! Water spills are no problem and wipe right up. We did put it in a bathroom but did not seat the toilet correctly - laminate began to swell due to leakage, and we ended up removing it and replacing with tile. I would still go with laminate in kitchen. We have a neighbor who is currently pulling up all his hardwood floors and replacing with tile, due to pipe leak in the slab. Even wood floors are not immune to leaks!</p>
<p>I’ve had kitchens with wood floors, ceramic tile, and marmoleum. The wood kitchen floor was great. I would definitely do it again. I chose marmoleum in my remodel primarily for design reasons. </p>
<p>On a related note, for some reason they put wood floors in the bathroom of my current house. Can you imagine a bathroom used by two boys with wood floors! Needless to say as part of my remodel, the bathroom now has tile (marble) floors.</p>
<p>Per my endorsement on wood floors in kitchen, it should be noted that I am not a gourmet cook. So perhaps less food spills wear/tear than other folks.</p>
<p>I just cleaned our kitchen wood floor today. After vacuuming, I use a damp kitchen towel to pre-clean spots. Then I take a break and come back for another pass to see other spots in different light and angles. After than I use the mop with BonaX cleaner. </p>
<p>On our bathroom project, we are now leaning away from marble. At this point we lean toward pretty granite vanity top and and grayish-neutral porcelain tiles for the shower (with small glass tile accents) and floor.</p>