Cleaning granite countertops naturally
by Erika K
+14
Can anyone recommend how to clean granite countertops with a homemade cleaner? I'm trying to minimize my use of chemical cleaners since I have a new baby in the house. Thanks!
17 answers
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You can try 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol with a few drop of liquid dish soap in a spray bottle. Fill the bottle slowly so it doesn't suds all up. Test it out in an out of the way spot before using it all over.
![Dan's of Central Florida, Inc.]()
Dan's of Central Florida, Inc.
on Feb 04, 2012
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I'll try that. Thanks.
![Erika K]()
Erika K
on Feb 04, 2012
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Vinegar mixed with warm water is another option - and even cheaper than rubbing alcohol and dish soap.
![3po3]()
3po3
on Feb 04, 2012
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Whats wrong with plain old hot water?...Vinegar is acidic and its use on some natural stone products can lead to "ETCHING" ...Remember the famous Oil and lemon test? In my home I simply use a sponge with hot water. If the "soiling" has trace amounts of oil residue then a spritz of our citric based cleaner does the trick. 99% of the time the plain water works fine...its the cleaning residues that leave marks.
![KMS Woodworks]()
KMS Woodworks
on Feb 05, 2012
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Baking soda and water, the grit of the baking soda works like a magic eraser. It will be slightly cloudy, at first, so go over the surface again with windex, and WOW!
![Cape Cleaning and Design]()
Cape Cleaning and Design
on Feb 05, 2012
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I didn't know that about vinegar, KMS. Thanks for the correction.
![3po3]()
3po3
on Feb 05, 2012
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KMS is on point. We use hot water an microfiber rags as well. There are some steam cleaner that you can get to clean the house. We use one on our floors that does not require chemicals and it works great.
![SawHorse Design Build]()
SawHorse Design Build
on Mar 17, 2012
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use car wax
![Joanita B]()
Joanita B
on Mar 18, 2012
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Baking soda is good for & safe. It is a good cleanser for most things. Poor out a table spoon on to a sm plate, with a damp sponge tap it over the B. soda scrub any surface. Rince the sponge with fresh water . I once had gravy spill all over my granite. We made the B. soda into a pastie and let it dry. It absorbed all the oil from the gravy.
![Nancy H]()
Nancy H
on Mar 19, 2012
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Erika, When you use any product that contains oils (which most natural granite cleaners do), you begin to slowly stain your stone (which is porous) darker. It will always seem a bit "greasy" and we have found many people to become frustrated with that. KMS is right...both vinegar and citric acids can etch your stone...anything acidic, even orange juice. What Nancy is describing is called a poultice, which can be used to remove specific stains on your stone. To be honest, hot water is your best bet...not even with soap, as soap causes build up over time and leads to ultimately dirtier stone. Also, make sure your stone is sealed properly. The sealer that we use here is awesome (I think there is a guy up there that uses it...Granite Shield). Once it's sealed with this permanent sealer, you can use even Clorox or Windex to clean the stone...Makes it like a sheet of glass. The suggestion of the steam cleaner is probably your only other option for sanitization! Hope this helps and congrats on the baby!
![Phoenix Stone Solutions]()
Phoenix Stone Solutions
on Mar 19, 2012
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Thanks, everyone. I've been using a mixture of alcohol, water, and a few drops of dish soap.
![Erika K]()
Erika K
on Mar 24, 2012
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I've owed a cleaning service for the past 12 years and I hae always used plain ol Joy dish detergent mixed alittle stronger than dishwater!
![Tami Mishel L]()
Tami Mishel L
on Mar 24, 2012
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Just so ya'll know...Target has a product that's green that sanitizes naturally with lemongrass and thyme. It is an all purpose cleaner and kills bacteria. Great for kitchens--no toxins around your food and utensils. Comes in a spray bottle.
![Linda]()
Linda
on May 14, 2012
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I've also been using it to spray ants on my countertops. It kills them on contact. Then after the next bunch of ants show up I spray with a water mister bottle and it re-activates the original spray and kills the next ants. I've wiped them out after about 5 days--something I've been trying to do for 2 years with ant poison.
![Linda]()
Linda
on May 14, 2012
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Linda, what is this product called?
![3po3]()
3po3
on May 15, 2012
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First of all, contact the grante people for advice. I know coke can harm your granite so I would be careful about using anything abrasive, i.e., vinegar, etc. After all, granite is a natural product and subject to damage and is porus. It is important to clean, but equally important to seal! As for cleaning, Ask Heloiese had the Good Housekeeping lab do tests on vinegar and they found it eliminated almost all of the mold and bacteria...keep this in mind with a new baby.
![Jeanette S]()
Jeanette S
on May 19, 2012
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I put vinegar and water in a spray bottle 4 parts to one, I use it to clean and disinfect everything in my kitchen and the granite is shiny like glass after I dry it off.
![Donna Baumeister]()
Donna Baumeister
on Jan 10, 2016
Dan's of Central Florida, Inc.
on Feb 04, 2012
Erika K
on Feb 04, 2012
KMS Woodworks
on Feb 05, 2012
Cape Cleaning and Design
on Feb 05, 2012
SawHorse Design Build
on Mar 17, 2012
Joanita B
on Mar 18, 2012
Nancy H
on Mar 19, 2012
Phoenix Stone Solutions
on Mar 19, 2012
Tami Mishel L
on Mar 24, 2012
Linda
on May 14, 2012
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