http://www.ehow.com/guide_12-http://www.ehow.com/guide_12-home.html.htmlwww.ehow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/how_18200_clean-granite-countertop.htmlWith the proper care, your granite or marble countertop will stay new-looking for years. Stone is one of the easiest surfaces to maintain. And granite, being 7 on the Mohs hardness scale of 1 to 10, is virtually unscratchable. (A stainless steel knife blade is a 6 on the scale.) Published on 6/20/2000http://www.ehow.com/tips_18200.htmlWhat kind of stain is food coloring? After an unfortunate accident with blue food coloring, my cream colored granite has a lovely turquoise patch. Bleach was somewhat effective, but incomplete. The stone is translucent there and it looks like the blue seeped down along a hairline crack; it truly looks like it is floating there inside the granite. Any suggestions? I don't know whether to treat this as a general stain, a marker-type stain, or an organic stain...http://www.ehow.com/tips_18200.htmlI bought some cleaner from http://www.cleanergranite.com and they threw in some free stain removing powder which did the job nicely for me. Can anyone tell me what these commercial stain removing powders actually contain? I dont have the packet anymore so I cant check. Are there any powders we should stay clear of? cleanergranite.coms one did the trick and it was free so I cant complain.<br/><br/>Thanks for your help.http://www.ehow.com/tips_18200.htmlVinegar is a disinfectant. I used it on my granite floor tiles (1 cup per gallon of water). That is the recipe for cleaning hardwood floors with vinegar, also. My installer told me that my granite tops have a lifetime sealer on them, so they never stain--even with red wine spots overnight. I cleaned the water spots around the faucet with the white scratchy pad and barkeepers friend. Just a wash cloth and barkeepers friend should work also. It did not scratch the granite or the clear glass vessel sink in the bathroom. NEVER us the green scratchy pad--especially on stainless steel sinks!http://www.ehow.com/tips_18200.htmlGranite is a non-homogeneous rock consisting of primarily of quartz(about 70%) which has a hardness of 7, feldspars are next with a hardness of 6-6.5,the remaining minerals have lesser hardness ranging down to about 2.5(micas). They can be scratched. The micas can, if large enough can be dug out with a fingernail. Know what you are buying. Furthermore many of the materials sold as granite are not. Although igneous in origin, like granite,they are NOT granite.http://www.ehow.com/tips_18200.htmldid anyone have a response to amyg406's question on: on 9/4/2007 How do you remove hard water build up from around the faucet on a granite counter top? I've got that same problem where there's a white ring around the faucet that won't come clean with the various granite polish/cleaners. helphttp://www.ehow.com/tips_18200.htmlCan I use disinfectants like pine sol or some of the others that don't have bleach in them. I want something that will kill germs and not just clean the counters like with soap and water. Someone said to use vinegar and water but I don't think that is a disinfectant, is it? I am starting to get a little darkened area in the grout around the faucet that I want to clean and kill the mold. Thanks for any help you can give.http://www.ehow.com/tips_18200.htmlCan I use disinfectants like pine sol or some of the others that don't have bleach in them. I want something to clean them with that will kill germs and not just clean the counters like with soap and water. Someone said to use vinegar and water but I don't think that is a disinfectant, is it? I am starting to get a little darkened area in the grout around the faucet that I want to clean and kill the mold. Thanks for any help you can give.http://www.ehow.com/tips_18200.htmlwe just had granite installed while remodeling. it was covered with paper until recently to protect it from sanding dust and paint drips. Part of it is kind of shiny but mostly it's dull and streaky. the guy who installed it recommended a specific polish to be put on, allowed to dry to dull, then to buff it out -- like putting traditional wax on a car. We have lots of counters; isn't there an easier/faster way?http://www.ehow.com/tips_18200.htmlwe just had granite installed and parts are dull/streaky while some others are fairly shiny. this is how it was as installed i guess since it was all covered with paper to protect it from dust when there was sanding and painting being done. the installer recommended some product that he says requires us to appply it, let it dry to a dull finish and then to buff it out ... like putting wax on a car. isn't there an easier way?http://www.ehow.com/tips_18200.htmlHow do you remove hard water build up from around the faucet on a granite counter top?