How do I clean a 20 year old granite countertop

use lemon Joy! squirt a little directly on the granite then using a wet rag get it nice and soapy. Wash it well but don’t rinse it all off. Just keep using dry rags and it will buff out shiney!!

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.

Thank you all for the advise. You know when I installed granite at our previous home, the owner of the company told me to use Windex. Isn't that just like alcohol? Anyways, I going to steam it first then follow your advice.

Thanks again,

Margaret

Clean your natural stone countertop with a mild kitchen cleaner.

1. Make a solution of warm water and mild dish soap. ...
2. Dip a soft cloth into the solution and wring it out until just damp.
3. Wipe the countertop in small circular motions with light to medium pressure.
4. If you encounter bits of dried-on food, apply more pressure.