U.S. General Services Administration
Technical Procedures Disclaimer
Prior to inclusion in GSA’s library of procedures, documents are reviewed by one or more qualified preservation specialists for general consistency with the Secretary of Interior Standards for rehabilitating historic buildings as understood at the time the procedure is added to the library. All specifications require project-specific editing and professional judgement regarding the applicability of a procedure to a particular building, project or location. References to products and suppliers are to serve as a general guideline and do not constitute a federal endorsement or determination that a product or method is the best or most current alternative, remains available, or is compliant with current environmental regulations and safety standards. The library of procedures is intended to serve as a resource, not a substitute, for specification development by a qualified preservation professional.
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We’ve reviewed these procedures for general consistency with federal standards for rehabilitating historic buildings and provide them only as a reference. Specifications should only be applied under the guidance of a qualified preservation professional who can assess the applicability of a procedure to a particular building, project or location. References to products and suppliers serve as general guidelines and do not constitute a federal endorsement nor a determination that a product or method is the best alternative or compliant with current environmental regulations and safety standards.
REMOVING GREASY SMUDGES FROM MARBLE USING THE COTTON SWAB
METHOD
THE CLEANING OR REMOVAL OF STAINS FROM STONE MAY INVOLVE THE USE
OF LIQUIDS, DETERGENTS OR SOLVENTS WHICH MAY RUN OFF ON ADJACENT
MATERIAL, DISCOLOR THE STONE OR DRIVE THE STAINS DEEPER INTO POROUS
STONES. USE THE PRODUCTS AND TECHNIQUES DESCRIBED HERE ONLY FOR
THE COMBINATIONS OF DIRT/STAIN AND STONE SPECIFIED.
PART 1–GENERAL
1.01 SUMMARY
A. This procedure includes guidance on cleaning greasy
smudges from marble by absorbing the stain with cotton
swabs. This method is typically used for small localized
greasy smudges.
B. Grease stains are usually light brown or yellow in color.
C. See 01100-07-S for general project guidelines to be
reviewed along with this procedure. These guidelines
cover the following sections:
1. Safety Precautions
2. Historic Structures Precautions
3. Submittals
4. Quality Assurance
5. Delivery, Storage and Handling
6. Project/Site Conditions
7. Sequencing and Scheduling
8. General Protection (Surface and Surrounding)
These guidelines should be reviewed prior to performing
this procedure and should be followed, when applicable,
along with recommendations from the Regional Historic
Preservation Officer (RHPO).
D. For additional information on poulticing, see 04455-02-R.
E. For general information on the characteristics, uses and
problems associated with marble, see 04455-01-S.
PART 2–PRODUCTS
2.01 MATERIALS
NOTE: Chemical products are sometimes sold under a common
name. This usually means that the substance is not as pure as
the same chemical sold under its chemical name. The grade of
purity of common name substances, however, is usually adequate
for stain removal work, and these products should be purchased
when available, as they tend to be less expensive. Common
names are indicated below by an asterisk (*).
A. Ethyl Alcohol:
1. Other chemical or common names include Ethanol;
Ethyl hydroxide; Ethylic alcohol; Methyl carbinol;
Cologne spirits*; Fermentation alcohol*; Grain
alcohol*; proof spirit*; Rectified spirit*; Spirits
of wine*.
2. Potential Hazards: FLAMMABLE.
3. Available from chemical supply house, hardware
store or liquor store.
4. Denatured alcohol, which carries no liquor tax,
should be a satisfactory substitute for ethyl
alcohol for stain removing purposes.
-OR-
Methyl Alcohol:
1. Other chemical or common names include Carbinol;
Methanol; Methyl hydrate; Methyl hydroxide;
Methylic alcohol; Colonial spirits*; Columbian
spirits*; Green wood spirits*; Manhattan spirits*;
Pyroligneous spirit*; Pyroxylic spirit*; Standard
wood spirits*; Wood alcohol*; Wood naphtha*; Wood
spirit*.
2. Potential Hazards: TOXIC AND FLAMMABLE.
3. Available from automotive supply distributor,
chemical supply house, dry cleaning supply
distributor, drugstore or pharmaceutical supply
distributor, hardware store, paint store, or
photographic supply distributor (not camera shop).
B. Mineral water
C. Cotton swabs
2.02 EQUIPMENT
A. Glass or ceramic container for mixing the solution
B. Wooded utensil for stirring the ingredients
PART 3–EXECUTION
3.01 EXAMINATION
A. Examine the marble surface CAREFULLY to determine the
cause of staining before proceeding with any cleaning
operation.
3.02 ERECTION, INSTALLATION, APPLICATION
A. Thoroughly rinse the area to be treated with mineral
water.
B. Pour a small amount of mineral water into the container
to be used for mixing. Add an appropriate amount of
ethyl or methyl alcohol to the mineral water and stir the
solution with a wooden utensil. NOTE: The water/alcohol
ratio should be small, as the primary function of the
water is to slow down the evaporation of the alcohol.
C. Saturate a cotton swab in the solution and daub the
stained area.
D. The oil from the stain should be absorbed into the cotton
swab. As the swab becomes soiled, substitute clean swabs
and continue.
E. Repeat as necessary until the stain has dissipated.
NOTE: A polished marble surface may require re-polishing
after treatment. See 04455-02-P “Re-polishing Marble” for
re-polishing techniques.