Don't use anything acidic (i.e. vinegar). A good wipe down with a damp rag, followed with a dry one will keep it clean and looking nice. Once a month, use a granite countertop polish. Good luck.
Check out Wikihow for several ways to clean, maintain and seal granite countertops. One essential, do not use anything acidic like lemon, vinegar, bleach or ammonia. Even though granite is probably the hardest surface you can find for a countertop, it is still permeable, so use soap sparingly.
Dish soap and water is your best cleaner, but it won't shine it too much. If you want to get the shine, you can use a granite polish after you clean it with soap and water. Most of them have either polymers or petroleum to shine it and protect it. These aren't necessary, but they sure make it look nice!
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.
If you are trying to remove an old stain, create a dense paste of more baking soda and less water. Then place the paste over the stain, allowing it to function for a few minutes. After that wipe off the baking soda paste. If it is needed you can repeat the procedure until the stain vanishes.
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.
6 simple steps to seal granite and all other natural stone *****
A damaged protective seal leaves granite and other natural stone surfaces susceptible to costly repair and replacement, and the coming holiday is a perfect time to make sure your stone is protected.
Whether it’s a countertop, floor, shower wall or vanity. Sealing frequently will maintain maximum surface protection for resistance against staining, etching and soil build-up.
I’m often asked how often natural stone should be sealed. Some in the industry will say once a year; others maybe twice annually. The reality is you can never over-seal your stone. Frequent sealing provides constant protection against oil-based stains such as salad dressing, cooking oil or vegetable oil. When they come into contact with unsealed natural stone, the oils can penetrate the pores and leave unsightly reminders. The same is true for water-based stains such as tea, wine or coffee.
So, to answer the question on how frequently you should be sealing granite countertops or other natural stone surfaces, our advice is to determine whether you need to reseal. Here’s how you can do that:
Pour water (about 3 inches in diameter) on the surface in several locations and let it sit for 30 minutes. If you see a dark mark or ring, the water is penetrating the stone and it’s time to reseal.
If it’s time to reseal or you’re sealing for the first time, you can have a professional restoration specialist handle the job for you – a pretty big price tag can come with that. Some do-it-yourself stone sealers require protective gear because of the toxicity.
In six simple steps, here’s how to seal granite and all other natural stone for about 10 percent of the cost of having a pro come do it for you or having to dress like your local hazardous waste team:
1.Make sure you thoroughly clean the surface with a safe-on-stone granite cleaner…..
2.Spray the granite sealer on the surface in a 3-foot section…..
3.Immediately wipe into stone with a lint-free cloth. Do not allow sealer to dry on the surface – it will cause hazing…..
4.Buff dry with a lint-free cloth…..
5.For maximum protection, repeat the process 2-3 times…..
6.Wait 24 hours for sealer to cure before using a granite polish to add shine and luster…..
Once complete, you’ll have the added confidence knowing the pain-free effort you put into protecting your stone.
This is contrary to everything else posted here — but I’m sharing anyway! When the granite man came to install counters where I work about 7 or 8 years ago, he told me to always use Windex to clean them. I have done that and they still look like they did the day they were installed — beautiful!
Every time I clean my mirrors, they end up having tons of streaks and almost look worse than before I started. What could I use to clean them that won't leave streaks...
See more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_7PMhzRWBY
Don't use anything acidic (i.e. vinegar). A good wipe down with a damp rag, followed with a dry one will keep it clean and looking nice. Once a month, use a granite countertop polish. Good luck.
Check out Wikihow for several ways to clean, maintain and seal granite countertops. One essential, do not use anything acidic like lemon, vinegar, bleach or ammonia. Even though granite is probably the hardest surface you can find for a countertop, it is still permeable, so use soap sparingly.
Dish soap and water is your best cleaner, but it won't shine it too much. If you want to get the shine, you can use a granite polish after you clean it with soap and water. Most of them have either polymers or petroleum to shine it and protect it. These aren't necessary, but they sure make it look nice!
This is what I use on my black granite! Until I redo them with epoxy! I get it at Lowe’s.
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.
If you are trying to remove an old stain, create a dense paste of more baking soda and less water. Then place the paste over the stain, allowing it to function for a few minutes. After that wipe off the baking soda paste. If it is needed you can repeat the procedure until the stain vanishes.
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.
6 simple steps to seal granite and all other natural stone *****
A damaged protective seal leaves granite and other natural stone surfaces susceptible to costly repair and replacement, and the coming holiday is a perfect time to make sure your stone is protected.
Whether it’s a countertop, floor, shower wall or vanity. Sealing frequently will maintain maximum surface protection for resistance against staining, etching and soil build-up.
I’m often asked how often natural stone should be sealed. Some in the industry will say once a year; others maybe twice annually. The reality is you can never over-seal your stone. Frequent sealing provides constant protection against oil-based stains such as salad dressing, cooking oil or vegetable oil. When they come into contact with unsealed natural stone, the oils can penetrate the pores and leave unsightly reminders. The same is true for water-based stains such as tea, wine or coffee.
So, to answer the question on how frequently you should be sealing granite countertops or other natural stone surfaces, our advice is to determine whether you need to reseal. Here’s how you can do that:
Pour water (about 3 inches in diameter) on the surface in several locations and let it sit for 30 minutes. If you see a dark mark or ring, the water is penetrating the stone and it’s time to reseal.
If it’s time to reseal or you’re sealing for the first time, you can have a professional restoration specialist handle the job for you – a pretty big price tag can come with that. Some do-it-yourself stone sealers require protective gear because of the toxicity.
In six simple steps, here’s how to seal granite and all other natural stone for about 10 percent of the cost of having a pro come do it for you or having to dress like your local hazardous waste team:
1.Make sure you thoroughly clean the surface with a safe-on-stone granite cleaner…..
2.Spray the granite sealer on the surface in a 3-foot section…..
3.Immediately wipe into stone with a lint-free cloth. Do not allow sealer to dry on the surface – it will cause hazing…..
4.Buff dry with a lint-free cloth…..
5.For maximum protection, repeat the process 2-3 times…..
6.Wait 24 hours for sealer to cure before using a granite polish to add shine and luster…..
Once complete, you’ll have the added confidence knowing the pain-free effort you put into protecting your stone.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Granite-Gold-24-oz-Countertop-Liquid-Sealer-GG0036/204845004?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA-D28I-Cleaning%7c&gclid=CJvcxP_49tACFdgagQodtwgK5g&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.walmart.com/ip/17209070?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227016742016&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=48112370912&wl4=pla-96448667072&wl5=9040531&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=17209070&wl13=&veh=sem
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/weiman-reg-granite-stone-complete-care-kit/1017999745?skuId=17999745&mcid=PS_googlepla_nonbrand_cleaning_&product_id=17999745&adpos=1o4&creative=43742633029&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CK6_jbz59tACFdccgQodIMcC6w
This is contrary to everything else posted here — but I’m sharing anyway! When the granite man came to install counters where I work about 7 or 8 years ago, he told me to always use Windex to clean them. I have done that and they still look like they did the day they were installed — beautiful!