How to Remove a Yellow Stain on a Marble Sink

Q. I have yellow staining on my marble around my sink. I believe it's from the water sitting around the edge of the sink. Do you have a product you'd recommend to remove the yellow? I can't feel it like an etched stain. Would the poultice solution work? Thank you.

A. There is likely some moisture problem at work here. Any attempt to remove the stain without first resolving the moisture problem will be an exercise in futility. Your options are to resolve the moisture problem and then attempt to remove the stain or just replace the top.

If you decide to attempt to resolve the problem, start by contacting a plumber to assess the situation. Ask the plumber to determine whether there is a support rod under the stone. If a rod is there, it may have rusted with exposure to the moisture, and it may be the source of the color you see coming through your stone. If this is the case, the rod will eventually expand and cause cracks or breaks in the stone. Your financial recourse would be to contact the installer to see whether they would be willing to pay for repair or replacement since a moisture problem would likely be caused by improper installation.

A skilled stone and tile restoration contractor may be willing to do the repairs. If you do not already have a stone and tile restoration contractor, contact us. Repair would be tricky, because it would involve cutting and removing a section of stone in order to expose the support rod, removing the damaged portions of the rod, reassembling the top, and making cosmetic repairs to hide the fact that your top is no longer one solid slab. If you are paying for this yourself, be warned that the cost of this work could be almost as expensive as replacing the top, depending on the going rate for repair and restoration work in your market area.

If there is no support rod under the stone, then the plumber should be able to determine how the moisture barrier has been compromised and make the necessary repairs to prevent the stone being exposed to further moisture. Once repairs are complete, the stone will take some time to dry out. You may attempt to poultice the stain out. Sometimes poulticing works, and sometimes it doesn't. It depends on the nature and severity of the stain and how long it has been there. 

Unfortunately, your stone may need to be replaced.