Losing my marble

[kags]

I have had my old gas fire removed to make way for a new inset one, and I need to clean the marble surround. It has a residue from the silver tape that held the flue cover on - anybody got any suggestions as to how to remove it?(I've tried elbow grease, it isn't working!). Also, out of interest, is it possible to paint marble, or cover it in any way?

[Jamie Lewis]

How about soaking a cloth in parafin or white spirit and giving it a good rub. It works for the residue of masking tape on glass. Hardly silver flue tape and marble I know, but there's a scrap of similarity. Word of advice don't smoke whilst rubbing - or while trying to get silver tapes of flues etc etc...

[jay ces]

methylated spitit is also a good cleaning agent.

[apricot]

Lakeland Plastics make 'sticky stuff remover' which is very good

[Janetex]

A guide at a "stately" home said that the marble fireplaces were cleaned using cow pats. Tipking is a great website for answers, too.

[kags]

I'm off out to find a cowpat!