Still, when you clean your granite surfaces, avoid using anything acidic. "This includes lemon juice, products with citric acid, vinegar, or corrosive cleaning agents, such as bleach or ammonia," she says.
All acidic foods are dangerous for granite countertops, including citrus juice, wine, vinegar, and beauty products like nail polish remover. Acids can etch the surface, degrading its seal and exposing the vulnerable stone underneath to more stains.
If after a few minutes the water has soaked into the granite, then it's time to reseal the stone. DON'T: Use harsh or abrasive cleaners and sponges. Windex; acidic cleaners, like vinegar, lemon, lime; or anything with ammonia or bleach should be avoided.
Vinegar on granite can corrode the surface. You can clean the granite slabs simply with a damp cloth and a dish soap. In case you find any vinegar stains, follow the aforementioned guide.
How to Remove Tough Stains From Granite Surfaces. Baking soda is a really wonderful ingredient that is extremely useful for removing stains from granite without damaging the surface with harsh and abrasive chemicals. Step 1: For cleaning oil-based stains, mix baking soda and water to form a paste.
Don't pour soap directly on granite countertops. Stone is porous, and full strength soap can seep into pores causing tough to remove stains. Always dilute your soap with water before cleaning. Don't use an abrasive scrubber.
Since granite countertops have a sealant on them to keep them shiny and stain-resistant, you want to avoid using anything too acidic or basic on the granite. Frequent use of vinegar, Windex or bleach will dull the granite and weaken the sealant. Instead, a little soap and water should do the trick.
Though commonly used as a wound disinfectant, hydrogen peroxide also works wonders on your granite tops. A solution of hydrogen peroxide removes stains without bleaching or discoloring your countertops. Carefully spread this thick paste over your countertops.
Acetone can help to remove some of the pesky stains that can affect your granite. You should keep in mind that you need to take extra care when using it. While you may have it in your home already, you should never use nail polish remover on your natural stone.
Rubbing alcohol is a natural bactericide and can also kill fungus and viruses. It has no ill effects on your granite or the seal on your granite so it's an ideal way to keep countertops clean.
Unfortunately, even a single application of any alkaline or acidic substance to your granite will do irreparable harm to the surface. This is because both acids and alkalines remove the weaker particles of the stone up at the surface.
Lemon can be very damaging to granite as it contains calcite, so never use lemon-based cleansers on your granite counter and be careful when cooking with lemon. Do not use scouring cleansers on granite as well as they can eat away at the seal leaving the stone unprotected. Only clean granite with mild soap and water.
With that said, there is one acid, Hydrofluoric acid (HF), that will severely etch, pit and dull a polished granite surface regardless if the stone contains calcium carbonate. This acid can be found in many rust removers.
Water is highly unlikely to cause a stain on your granite countertop. Any water that is absorbed into the stone will likely dry out within 15 to 20 minutes. But while water should not cause any issue, you will need to watch out for oil and grease. Both can stain your granite countertop if you are not careful.
Rust Can Come From Inside Granite
As you can infer from the response of the technician, it is possible for rust to develop inside a granite slab. If this happens, the stain can be quite challenging to remove. This is not the most common type of rust stain found on granite surfaces, but it is one of the possibilities.
Bleach, vinegar, the ingredients in Lysol, and others can cause permanent damage, especially if used incorrectly. Acids, such as vinegar and even lemon juice, can break down the sealant that is used on stone countertops. Clorox and Lysol sprays and wipes are convenient, but they are not safe for granite countertops.
Vinegar is made up of acids that can severely harm your granite. Even if it is diluted, vinegar may still leave acids on your granite countertops. This can cause your natural stone countertops to etch. You can tell that your granite countertops have begun to etch by seeing a small ring or some sign of a watermark.
Etching and Erosion
If the acidic product sits on the surface for too long, or if your granite is very porous, it can even result in indentations or erosion.
A half teaspoon of dishwashing liquid to 2 cups of water, applied via spray bottle, is typically all it takes to care for granite slabs. Be especially careful of acidic, caustic cleaners to prevent the dulling of granite surfaces.
Luckily, everything you'll need to clean your hard surfaces can already be found in your home: Concentrated dish soap that's tough on stains and grease while staying gentle on stainless steel, granite, and glassware, like Dawn® Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray. Soft cloth and sponge.
For regular granite cleaning, the best cleaner is nothing more sophisticated than mild dish soap diluted with water. (You can also make a homemade granite cleaner made with a base of rubbing alcohol.) Wet a sponge with water from the tap and squirt dish soap into its center. Bear in mind that granite scratches easily.
Apply WD-40 to any stains on your countertops. However, don't apply WD-40 to granite countertops since they're porous — the oil in WD-40 will penetrate through the counter and leak out of it, which could contaminate the food you prep on the surface.
Daily granite countertop care is as easy as cleaning with a gentle cleanser like Murphy's Oil Soap or mild dishwashing liquid. If needed you can use a synthetic scrubbing pad to clean your granite counter. With the proper maintenance, granite countertops stay new-looking for a long time.
"Acid and alkaline-sensitive" means that products such as vinegar, window/glass cleaner, CLR, lemon juice, oven-cleaner, and bleach should never be used on granite. Using any of the mentioned products leads to a chemical damage called "etching."