How to get stained countertops clean?:

Judy Thurston
by Judy Thurston
We have nice countertops and they are stained, they were like that when we rented our Apartment, I went and bought every kind of cleaner for counter tops and the stains just kept returning? Please Help Me?icon
  10 answers
  • William William on Feb 08, 2017

    What are the counter tops made of? Photo would help!

  • Dar Teasley Dar Teasley on Feb 09, 2017

    Bleach water

    • Judy Thurston Judy Thurston on Feb 09, 2017

      Wouldnt bleach water dull the finish on them? I dont know i never tried it before, i tried using Clorox Kitchen Cleaner with Bleach but that just left my counter tops real gritty and seen the stains coming right back?

  • William William on Feb 09, 2017

    I assume they are plastic laminate over particle board (pressed wood). You use a lot of bleach to get your bathroom counters clean. But you have recently noticed some yellow stains on your normally white bathroom counters. You try to remove the yellow stains with more bleach, but the stain remains. The stain is caused by using bleach to clean your countertop surfaces. Bleach or bleach based cleaners should not be use on laminate countertops. ***** To remove the yellow stains, all you need is some hydrogen peroxide and a clean cloth. ***** Pour some hydrogen peroxide in a small bowl. Wear latex gloves to protect your hands. Dip a clean cloth or towel into the bowl of hydrogen peroxide. Wring out any excess liquid from the cloth or towel. The cloth or towel should be damp---not dripping with hydrogen peroxide. Wipe the yellow stain with the hydrogen peroxide-soaked cloth or towel. Do not rinse the surface or rub the counter. Let the area air dry. Repeat steps 2 through 5 to remove other yellow stains from your counters. You can also use hydrogen peroxide to remove yellow stains from marble and granite counters as well as other stone counters.



    • See 2 previous
    • Judy Thurston Judy Thurston on Feb 10, 2017

      I have never heard of using Club Soda but i will try and see what it does? Thanks for the tip?

  • Anon Anon on Feb 11, 2017

    Judy...I should have been a little more specific...I don't use Club Soda for stains...I use it for general cleaning. It works great on my laminate countertops, glass, mirrors, most everything. It evaporates quickly, so there are no streaks, no smell. But not really stains. Also, please tell what your

    countertops are made of.

    • Judy Thurston Judy Thurston on Feb 12, 2017

      I think they are made out of cheap yellow laminate with black specks blended in? To tell you the truth if i owned my own house i wouldnt of picked that color because i hate the color yellow? Hope this helps Anon!

  • Ardale Ardale on Feb 12, 2017

    I have formica countertops in a white and very light grey cloudy swirl pattern. I constantly have tea and coffee stains on it. Hubby isn't to careful with his coffee and tea. All I do is wet then wring out a Mr. Clean Sponge and it magically takes every stain off with little effort. I swear by these sponges and will never be without them. We both smoke, I know bad for you, and over time it tends to yellow my countertops no matter how often I wash them off with soap and water and trust me I wash them several times a day, but my trusty Mr. Clean sponge easily takes every thing off and leaves my countertops looking like they are brand new again with no harsh chemicals. How easy is that? Hope this helps or at least gives you another option if some of the other suggestions don't work for you. You can literally clean anything both inside and outside with these babies. I do want to mention my formica is a matte finish but I don't think they would scratch a shiny finish either since the sponge is so fine textured.

    • Judy Thurston Judy Thurston on Feb 12, 2017

      Are those Mr. Clean Sponges you are talking about Mr. Clean Magic Erasers? And if so do you know where i can get them cheap at, because i am trying to save $$$$$?

  • Anon Anon on Feb 12, 2017

    Thanks for the info on the material used for your countertop. Like I say, I can't speak to your stain issue with it. Just do not rub hard, since pressure can wear off the finish. But do try that club soda. I have some in a spray bottle. And sometimes I use it straight from the bottle, onto a paper towel or cloth. You can also pour it onto the counter only the size of a quarter, and spread it around. Sometimes, I DO use the scrubber side of a sponge, BUT VERY VERY LIGHTLY, NO PRESSURE ON IT...to take off some types of marks. By the way, "Anon" stands for anonymous.

  • Anon Anon on Feb 12, 2017

    I buy my generic Magic Erasers (off brand) at the dollar store ("Dollar Tree").

    They are as good as the name brand ones.


  • Ardale Ardale on Feb 12, 2017

    Yes I was talking about the Mr. Clean magic erasers sorry I didn't say that before! You can buy knock off magic eraser sponges at Wal-mart and Aldi grocery stores. I have tried both and find that one of those two knock off's did an ok job but the other one turned out to be nothing more then a find textured sponge that at first looked like a magic eraser but wouldn't clean anything so that was a total waste of money. The other knock off did work but not quite as well as the Mr. Clean magic eraser did. Sorry I don't remember now which knock off sponge worked and which didn't but they are both cheaper then the real thing so maybe you could try both and see for yourself. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for though ! I wish they were cheaper too because I literally use my Mr. Clean magic eraser for everything from dishes to lawn furniture and every thing in between (not with the same eraser though!) LOL I keep several of them on hand at all times. I clean my acrylic tubs and shower with them as well as scuff marks off the floor, I also use them to clean my glass cooktop surface, microwave, stainless steel kitchen sink, hard water haze off my glassware and any dried on food on my dishes that didn't come off in the dishwasher then wash them with soap and rinse, all of my outdoor lawn furniture's frames as well as the glass tops, my white staircase spindal's etc. you get the picture. Yeah they are that good and make your cleaning so much easier and faster. I know they are a little pricey but when you consider how many chemical cleaners you won't have to be buying in the future they don't seem so expensive. I just wish they had invented those little miracle erasers years ago and that they were a little bit more durable! Maybe someday Mr. Clean magic erasers will come down in price once everyone tries them and sees all that they can use them on. Hope this helps! By the way the Mr. Clean magic erasers with the embossed surface really do hold up longer then the smooth ones do but both do a great job! And no I don't work for the Mr. Clean company nor does any of my family, I just really love these things! Can you tell??? Ha!

  • Anon Anon on Feb 13, 2017

    Judy: I love those Magic Erasers, just like many other people. Just be careful, though, that you always use plain water on whatever surface you put it on,

    after using. You don't want the chemical(s) in it to come into contact with people, pets, or food. So use the eraser, but follow with a water soaked cloth or FRESH wet sponge on the area, and dry with a cloth or paper towel. Whatever substance in in those erasers, it is very strong. ALSO: Go online and see do-it-yourself "recipes" for that solution...It will save you lots of money. I have not tried those recipes, but give those a whirl. One "recipe" is: 1/2 teaspoon Borax, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 cup hot water. Simple. It is also reported there that the particular sponges used in Magic Erasers are called melamine sponges. They are available on Amazon for $9.99, and the shipping charge is included in that. You get 100 pieces!! The regular Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are reported as being one dollar for each one...so the ones on Amazon are WAY cheaper! And if you don't want to order those, then just try the solution on a regular sponge. Get a good supply of sponges at a dollar store, so that you are avoiding build up of germs or excessive chemical buildup on them. Or, try using the solution on a cloth. But, look online for the info. Just Google: Do-it-yourself Magic Erasers.

    There are lots of entries on the subject.


  • DSapone DSapone on Mar 23, 2017

    If the countertop is made of natural stone, we will clean it with imperia – a cleaner that penetrates deep into the surface while eliminating the stains, bacteria and etching without damaging the integrity of the countertop. To learn more, visit : https://goo.gl/h4BJXZ .

    • Judy Thurston Judy Thurston on Mar 23, 2017

      I don't think they are natural stone, i think they are fake pressed wood that looks like natural stone? Because we rent and the landlord don't care how her duplexes look, as long as she is living in a really nice house that her Husband just built for them!!!!!!!!