What drink has done this to my fireplace?

[TreesWelliesKnees]

Adult DS had a small gathering of his usually thoughtful, lovely friends last night. This morning I have discovered this on my dark marble mantelpiece. It looks bleached! Any ideas on what might have caused it? As far as I can tell from the recycling bin they were drinking Pepsi, vodka, wine...

What are my options for dealing with it? I'm frankly not attached to the dark marble so if I find out what it is I'm tempted to do it all over!

So what's the next step? Another coat and clingfilm?

I think so, but I don't want to ruin the slate...

That’s going to look really good!

Yes, definitely slate painted to look like marble. I had one like this that someone had mostly stripped the paint off, but couldn't get the last of it off.

I painted it with blackboard paint. Worked actreat!

Interesting, looks like the natural slate will be a good match for the hearth tiles. Are you liking it?

I have a feeling I'm going to love it! But it's going to take a LOT of scrubbing and wiping. I've just wiped again with a damp cloth and loads is still coming away. I'm tempted to try wire wool...

Don't use wire wool, it may scratch the slate! How about trying some Nitromorse on it? I think I used that and it got some of the residue paint off.

Ooh it's looking lovely.

Is be very tempted to leave it as black slate and not paint it.

Are you sure the fireplace isn't solid slate? My parents lived in a Victorian house that had this big cold white painted mantelpiece and surround, they tried to strip it and it was solid slate. Looks so similar to yours!

I went to the effort to look up in my 1904 housewife manual

stone or marble hearths shoes be rubbed with pumice stone and soap, and rinsed carefully afterwards.

but

washing marble fireplaces will destroy the polish. After dust is wiped off rub the spots with an oiled cloth, then rub dry with a soft cloth

Only then to read on to find it’s not marble! 😆

There is nothing I can find about slate painted to look like marble, but if you need to know what to do if poisoned by Opium, Arsenic or Prussic Acid, I have the answer ;)

This is already the most fascinating thread I have read in ages, but I am dying to know what you do if poisoned with Prussic acid, which I believe is cyanide, so you’d have to be really quick.

@Renamed
you need to find Carbonate of potash, followed by mixed sulphites of iron

I’ll check the spice rack 😂

A bit of opium wouldn't be such a bad thing over here - it's hard work and my arms are tired! Not much progress with the second coat of bicarb but I couldn't be bothered to use clingfilm so that's probably why. However, I'm off work this afternoon so I'll get some nitromors and give that a go. This thread is motivating me to keep going, so thank you everyone for the tips and the stories! I also feel a lovely sense of connection to the people who have lived in my house over the years - to those who were probably so proud of their painted marble effect fireplace a hundred years ago, and to those who managed not to spill lemonade on it during all the intervening years!

Already looking much better op.I love your tiles.Keep updating us and post a pic of the whole fireplace if you can.

There is nothing I can find about slate painted to look like marble, but if you need to know what to do if poisoned by Opium, Arsenic or Prussic Acid, I have the answer ;)

I have a couple of old books of household management, so I know how to set up a sick room, but I don't remember anything on dealing with poison.

I know how to make laudanum (in theory - never actually tried it,) so I could probably do the opium poisoning bit...

If you do go the nitromorse route, try in an inconspicuous location first. Also, I think you could try wire wool, however it is important to know that wire wool has grades like sandpaper does.

Use a very fine grade and start lightly. 000 should be fine enough. I use that for restoring wood furniture (removing the previous varnish also with nitromorse).

Make sure the room is well ventilated when using nitromorse, and make sure you use gloves and a mask.

You may have found this already but WD40 is great once you have got the paint off - will get rid of any fine scratches or dullness and give it a gentle sheen.

Quick update... Do you all think I on the right track with the nitromors? Shall I do one more layer of it? It seems to have taken the paint off in patches. There was clearly a layer of black paint on top of the slate which is complicating things as I can't tell what's going on. I think the greyish black is the slate?

I am at the stage of regretting not taking the easy option of putting a vase over that first ring!

It looks awful!

It’s possible(?)that the slate was pitted or damaged and that’s why you’ve got pockets of paint left. It does look like it has potential to be lovely. You’ve got so far, might as well see it through!
I think another go with your nitro and a really good clean up, maybe some sort of polish or sealant once it is all clean? (Caveat: I have zero knowledge of slate other than giving mine a wipe with a damp cloth weekly and some baby oil once a year)
edit to add no idea if I’m doing the right thing but it looks ok to me.

Get some wet and dry paper! Used wet.

I’ve stripped one of these fireplaces back - ours was water damaged.

i liked the slate underneath. But I also quite liked the false marble effect but ours was too water damaged to cover with a vase or 2!

How is it looking now? I feel very invested!

Lift off! After three coats of nitromors, sanding and wire wool, I decided it was as good as I was prepared to make it. I wiped it down and have buffed it with WD40 and here is the result! I'm very pleased.

However, I still have the whole of the underneath to do! I am probably only a quarter of the way there. So when it's done I'll post a photo of all of it, but it will be another week or so. I'm so grateful for mumsnet - not sure where it would be without all the advice. DS sloped off to someone else's house for a sleepover this morning, just as I was scrubbing with wire wool, and my parting shot was 'Use their coasters!'

Use the coasters! Is it going to be said loudly at his (potential!) future wedding!!?
@TreesWelliesKnees it does look rather lovely and he innocently did you a favour!