How do I get my granite countertops to shine again??

NEVER use vinegar on granite countertops. The acid in the vinegar will eat away the granite. My recipe for a granite countertop is: spray bottle, 1 cup of alcohol, 1 Tbsp. of liquid dish detergent, 2 cups of water and (optional...15 drops of your choice essential oil). Shake it up, spray it on your countertops and wipe with a paper towel or soft cloth. It brings back the shine, doesn't show smudges and handprints as much. I even use it on my black/stainless steel stove and fridge. It works great!

Remember that granite is rock, and is normally pocked and rough. Your granite countertops were buffed professionally before installation. You can use an electric hand buffer and spend a few hours which will take off another thin layer of stone. Or you can find the polish you like. Clean the countertops thoroughly first (I recommend Barkeeper's Helper), rinse very well and dry, then polish and buff with a soft cloth. Don't polish every day, but you are already wiping them down regularly. Best wishes 😇

Marble, granite, and stone do NOT like having acidic (ie: citrus-based) cleaners used on them. Citrus or vinegar will actually cause “etching” on granite countertops. Not a good thing. Granite countertops also don’t like it when you use something like Windex on them because it strips the “seal” off of the stone.

Apparently there are some very nice countertop/granite cleaners out there that do a great job…but $7.00 for a 12-ounce bottle? YOU can do better than that! :-)

After researching several homemade options out there…I discovered they all had the same basic ingredients…just in varying amounts. Some had a LOT of alcohol in them…some very little. I think the following “recipe” has a good balance of the ingredients, based on the information I read.

Homemade Granite Cleaner, 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol (or cheap vodka), 3 drops of Dawn or other dish soap (Castile soap would also be a good alternative if you prefer), Water, 5-10 drops essential oil (optional – to help mask the alcohol smell).

Put the rubbing alcohol or vodka into a 16 oz spray bottle. Add the dish soap, essential oil and fill up the rest of the bottle with water.

Now give it a few shakes….THEN give it a try! It should give your countertops a nice, clean shine. Works on appliances too! All at a FRACTION of the price of the store-bought stuff.

William? Great minds think a like!😉

You could also spread epoxy resin on it. Il will be shiny as if it was wet all the time. Il did my counter tops with it and I think it is perfect!

https://www.amazon.ca/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=epoxy+resin&tag=h0a61-20&index=aps&hvadid=176945002499&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14801724838982138622&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000270&hvtargid=kwd-62123931&ref=pd_sl_8ge7mj5fy0_e&gclid=CI6d4_Kb-9QCFQUdaQodsNAJwQ

HATE GRANITE countertops! just moved into house with them, and despise them. my tops apparently werent finalized or sealed....when rubbing hands over they feel rough, like minute sand particles. have cleaned etc. but feel still feel like salt spilled. drives me nuts! plus they are multicolored so you cant see anything and petrified I'm going to drop something and break it. like the house but kitchen..no. too late. they are also very noisy. like solid surface like swanstone. too bad the granite cant be replaced.....too expensive and messy. oh well....just have to buy new dishes and glasses...........lol

I use Rejuvenate that I bought at Menards. Works fine.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/fix-dull-granite-countertops-35364.html

Here's the best article I've found to bring the shine back to granite counter tops - and to keep it there!

I use Weiman's Glass Cooktop cleaner and polish. Apply a thin coat, let it dry and buff it off with a clean dry cloth. It makes it shine like glass!

Car wax works great. Just apply a thin coat to clean counter tops then let dry and wipe/buff off with a clean soft cloth

before you try any kind of wax, be sure to read on the bottle whether or not you can use it on natural stone. Some waxes, like carbona wax, are not good for porous surfaces like granite.

Have a blessed day

Granite should be sealed yearly. Chemicals used not specifically for granite will dull the surface.

I apply coconut oil about 1 x every 2 weeks. After cleaning them down with some alchohal and some dawn in a spray bottle It's greasy at first when applied, but I always use a cloth to rub it down once again. Stays nice and shiny and lasting.

I put 50 or 70% alcohol onto a spray bottle and wipe it with a magic eraser Azeri. Run your hand over it lightly. If you feel any spots that need more attention (maybe candle wax dripped and left residue after yourself wiped it hardened after a day of two), address them with more alcohol. After the cleaning phase, wipe the surface with a clean kitchen towel. This buffing will leave your counter gleaming. It also disinfects it like nothing else safe for granite! It works on faucets and stainless sinks and appliances as well.

Olive oil

Thanks for all of the suggestions Home Talkers! I will try the alcohol, dish soap, and water method though.

I have had black granite countertops in both kitchen and bathrooms for about 5 years and I use this stuff to clean. Microfiber cloth, spray, wipe...done! Even removes sticky hairspray. Worth the price of $13/24 oz. Product lasts a long time...I've been using the same bottle for almost 5 years.

http://www.jondon.com/stonetech-revitalizer-citrus-1.html