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Step 1
Blot up spills immediately, before they penetrate the surface.
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Step 2
Clean stone surfaces with a few drops of neutral cleaner, stone soap (available in hardware stores or from a stone dealer), or mild dishwashing liquid and warm water.
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Step 3
Use a soft, clean cloth to clean the granite. Rinse after washing with the soap solution and dry with a soft, clean cloth.
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Step 4
Remove a stain on granite, basing the method on the type of stain. Mix a cup of flour, 1-2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid with water to make a thick paste. Put it on the stain, cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit overnight.
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Step 5
Scrape away the mixture with a wooden utensil and rinse. If the stain is oil-based (e.g. grease, oil, milk), use hydrogen peroxide in the paste instead of dishwashing liquid - or try ammonia on it.
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Step 6
Try a mixture of 12 percent hydrogen peroxide mixed with a couple drops of ammonia for an organic stain (e.g. coffee, tea, fruit).
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Step 7
Use a lacquer thinner or acetone to remove ink or marker stains from darker stone. On light-colored granite, use hydrogen peroxide to these stains. This also works for wine stains.
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Step 8
Mix molding plaster and pure bleach into a paste and spread over a wine, ink or other non-oil stain. Leave on for 30 minutes, then remove and rinse.
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Step 9
Paste a mix of molding plaster and water over an oil-based or fat-based stain. Mold it into a bird's-nest shape and allow to stand for 3 hours. Remove and rinse.
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Step 10
Reseal the countertop every year or two years. Check with the installer for recommendations. Use a non-toxic sealer on food preparation areas.
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Step 11
Consider using a new disinfectant cleaner made specifically for granite.
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Step 12
Call your professional stone supplier, installer, or restoration specialist for problems that appear too difficult to treat.
Comments
snafusan said
on 10/14/2009 I 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.
Thanks for your help.
teddieg said
on 9/25/2009 Vinegar 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!
alandg46 said
on 6/5/2009 Granite 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.
lnmori said
on 5/4/2009 did 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. help
caddiwoman said
on 1/3/2009 Can 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.