Why hand soap could be damaging your marble...
Posted by Jessica Liles @ MB Stone on May 12th 2023
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What is CA activator discoloration? In certain rare cases in some stones there is in fact a chemical reaction that can take place forming a discoloration of green or blue color. This has been called by different names, most commonly "California blossom" or "blue blossom". The cause really is not yet determined as to what truly causes the reaction. It cannot truly be blamed on activators or other chemicals at this time. Solution: TeBlossom is a removal Kit that chemically pulls out the stains caused by these unknown reactions in stone. TeBlossom is a 2 part kit designed specifically to target these Blossoms. Used similar to Poultice compounds, TeBlossom will pull the blossom from the stone.
Tenax TeBlossum Green Stain Removal Procedure
Products needed:
Tenax TeBlossom kit
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) powder
Mixing sticks
Bowl for mixing poultice up
Plastic wrap
Clear plastic tape (type we use for laminating stone)
Acetone
Clorox Bleach
Paper Towels
Propane torch (possibly)
This process will take at least two days to complete, possibly more depending on how
stubborn the green areas are. You need to forewarn your customer of this fact and that it
is not a quick fix kind of problem.
Removal process
- Identify areas that need to be treated.
- Dispense enough of the TeBlossom into your mixing dish.
The TeBlossom is in two parts, a clear liquid and a pinkish gel like
product that smells like orange sherbet (Don't eat it!)
- Shake the orange gel into your dish and then add an equal part of the clear liquid
to it.
- Stir the two together until they are well mixed.
- Add enough of the DE to the TeBlossom to make it into a toothpaste like
consistency.
- Spread the poultice over the green bloom area overlapping the bloom by at least
½".
- Cover the poultice with plastic wrap and tape the edges with the clear plastic tape.
The poultice gives off a gas while it is doing its thing so you need to leave a small
gap in the tape somewhere where it wont be at the customer's face or where a
child or pet can get at it. It does smell like candy so you need to warn the
customer and also mask it hard enough so keep children and animals away.
- Leave the poultice to sit for 24 hours.
- The next day remove the TeBlossom poultice and inspect the blooms. The green
should have turned to a gold color. If it did not then you will need to apply
another round of it and wait 24 hours.
- Once the green is turned to yellow you are getting close. You need to flush and
clean the area really well - first with water and then with acetone to completely
neutralize the TeBlossom.
- Now make a poultice of DE and bleach. Same toothpaste like consistency.
- Spread the bleach poultice over the now gold area and plastic and tape it off and
leave it for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours check your progress. If it is still gold then another application of
the bleach poultice may be required.
- If you are in a hurry you can use a propane torch to heat the gold areas. The heat
along with the bleach that was present in the stone can remove the remaining gold
color also. You can get the stone pretty hot and also apply the bleach on a paper
towel directly to this hot area and the boiling bleach can also remove the
remaining bloom. Only do this step after you have done the bleach poultice for 24
hours first.
- Once the bloom is completely removed you need to flush the area well with water
to remove the traces of bleach that are present.
- Reseal countertops and you are good to go.
Made in the USA
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