Practical Advice for Properly Maintaining Your Marble Door and Furniture Handles 

Here is our advice for cleaning your marble door handles to help maintain their elegance and shine, whether they are installed on a kitchen door, kitchen unit or rustic chest of drawers.

Designers of decorative ironmongery use this natural stone to create elegant door handles and knobs in all finishes and varied shapes (oval or rectangular lever handle, round or square knob, etc.). Ideal for refreshing furniture or enhancing your interior décor, marble is nonetheless sensitive to stains and scratches. Like glass or ceramic door handles that require regular cleaning, follow these few steps to properly maintain your marble handles.

Dust your marble door handles or knobs

Start by removing dust from the surface of the door handle or furniture handle using a soft, dry cloth. This will prevent abrasive particles from scratching the surface during cleaning.

Use a gentle solution to clean your handles

Make sure to use gentle, non-corrosive products specially designed for marble. 

Here are the products to favour for cleaning marble:

Black soap or Marseille soap and lukewarm water

Mix lukewarm water with a few drops of mild soap or pH-neutral detergent. This is a gentle and safe cleaning solution for marble.

Washing-up liquid and lukewarm water

Washing-up liquid is ideal. Dilute a few drops of washing-up liquid in hot water to clean greasy marble

Soda crystals and hot water

Common household products, soda crystals are natural cleaners to be diluted in hot water

Blanc de Meudon (or Spanish white) and hot water

A very gentle natural product based on calcium carbonate, blanc de Meudon diluted in hot water becomes a paste that is used to deep clean and degrease marble. 

Bicarbonate of soda and lukewarm water

This gentle mixture will help remove stains without damaging the marble.

Clay stone or Sommières earth

 This is a gentle natural product that can help remove light stains without damaging the marble.

White vinegar 

Useful for polishing marble but to be used sparingly (having taken care to test first).

pH-neutral marble cleaners 

You can find cleaners specially formulated for marble in specialist shops. Make sure they are pH-neutral and free from abrasive chemicals.

Whatever product you use, test it on a small, non-visible surface (the underside of the handle, for example) to check the marble's reaction.

By using gentle products, you also protect the support surface of the interior door handle: glass door, nylon or wooden door (raw wood, oak, pine or other timber), antique wardrobe door or drawers with aged brass fittings. 

Roses with bolt or key lock will also benefit from this refresh without damage, whether they are in gilded bronze, matt black brass, stainless steel or chrome aluminium…

Products to avoid when caring for marble

Avoid harsh cleaners that could damage the marble on your door handles or furniture knobs.

Avoid acidic or abrasive products such as cleaners containing ammonia, lemon or other acidic products or limescale removers, as they could damage the stone appearance of the marble.

Similarly, do not use scouring pads or abrasive sponges.

Clean your marble handles gently

Dip a soft cloth or non-abrasive sponge (do not use brushes or metal scouring pads) into the chosen cleaning solution. Wring it out well to avoid saturating the marble with moisture. Gently rub the marble door handles with the dampened cloth or sponge. Avoid rubbing too hard to prevent damaging the marble finish. 

Pay attention to hard-to-reach areas, such as the edges of the handle or the mounting rose or lock rose (sometimes in solid brass or zamak zinc alloy). In the case of persistent stains, you can use a specific product to remove stains from marble. Be sure to follow the instructions provided with the product and test it first on a small, discreet area of the door handles to avoid damage. 

Rinse with water

Use a clean cloth dampened with clear water to rinse the marble door handle and remove any cleaning product residue.

Dry the marble on your handles immediately

Use another clean, dry cloth to carefully wipe the marble door handle. Allowing water to dry on the surface could leave water marks or stains.

Whether your handles are made of marble, white porcelain, bronze or wrought iron, it is recommended to clean them regularly to maintain their satin shine or lacquered patina over time. A stainless steel kitchen handle, a polished brass pull handle or a designer crystal drawer or cupboard knob are designed to last and perform their functional and decorative role through light maintenance.

In conclusion, with the right products and techniques, cleaning marble handles or other materials is easy and effective. Be sure to use gentle, non-corrosive products, rub carefully and wipe thoroughly to preserve the natural beauty of marble.

By following these steps, you will be able to enjoy your marble door handle for a long time!

Articles that might interest you about maintaining your interior handles: 

How to clean a crystal handle

How to clean a bronze handle