You know that your granite countertops were an investment into your home, and they can bring a lot of resale value and curb appeal in the future. However, you have to keep them looking their best.
Stains are very common, especially in the kitchen, and though granite is unlikely to stain if maintained correctly, you still might want to have a few tips and tricks in mind if you need them. The most important of these is to wipe up any spill immediately, even if it’s only water. You especially want to be careful with acidic spills, such as soda, coffee, wine, orange juice, or even tomatoes!
General Cleaning Tips
In almost every case, you can clean your granite completely and thoroughly with mild soap and a bit of warm water. Simply make a mixture of water and soapy water, clean your granite, dry the granite, and you should be done. However, there are some situations where a general cleaning will not remove a stain.
Depending on the type of stain you have, here’s how you can remove it:
Stains from Food
Food can stain your countertop IF it’s not maintained correctly, as mentioned above. Fortunately, most food stains are very easy to get rid of with just a bit of flour and peroxide. To use this combination, mix the two ingredients until it is the consistency of a paste, and then spread the paste on the stain. Let it sit on the stain…sometimes you might even need to leave it overnight, and then wipe it away.
Stains from Oil
Oil stains can happen in the kitchen, too, and though you might panic when you see them, these are very easy to get out. Once again, use flour, but this time, mix it with your dishwashing soap. This mixture will cut through the oil and remove the stain.
Stains from Fungus, Mold, or Mildew
You might have granite in an area where it is prone to staining from mold, fungus, or mildew. If this is the case, grab your bleach. Bleach will not harm your granite, but it will certainly harm your stains. Pour the bleach onto the stain, cover it in plastic wrap, and check it after a couple of hours.
Stains from Hard Water
If you see hard water stains on your granite, you might also be prone to panic. However, these can usually be taken care of with mild soap and water. In fact, most stains on the granite can be removed with soap and water, as mentioned above. Just make sure you aren’t using any soap or cleaning product that is abrasive. This can affect the sealant on the granite, which will open the stone up to damage.
Stains from Rust
Has something rusted onto your granite? If this is the case, try soap and water, first. If that doesn’t work, there are products on the market that are designed to help get rust stains off of stone. Just make sure the project you choose is designed for granite.
Stains Not Going Anywhere?
Occasionally, you might find a stain that won’t come up with soap and water, and won’t come up with the suggestions listed above. What do you do in this case? There are stain removal products that are available from major manufacturers that can help to get those stains gone for good. If you use those and the stains continue to persist, you should contact the granite supplier where you purchased the granite from. They will have other options available, and might even come to take a look at the stain in order to offer a suggestion on getting rid of it.