Hi James, I did a bit of research on the proper way to clean and shine granite counter tops. I have granite tops too so I am interested in this answer too. Google says that they have discovered a consensus among stone experts. That consensus says that no special cleaning products are necessary to get those tops shiny and streak free. They say to use a soapy clean cloth to wipe them down regularly. I do this anyway as I'm sure you do too. I think I will continue to apply sealer on our tops once a year.
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.
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...
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Hi James, I did a bit of research on the proper way to clean and shine granite counter tops. I have granite tops too so I am interested in this answer too. Google says that they have discovered a consensus among stone experts. That consensus says that no special cleaning products are necessary to get those tops shiny and streak free. They say to use a soapy clean cloth to wipe them down regularly. I do this anyway as I'm sure you do too. I think I will continue to apply sealer on our tops once a year.
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.
Car Cleaning Product .........
http://www.granitecarepro.com/remove-granite-soap-film.html