How To Remove Stains From Granite Countertops (For Any Stains!)

Granite countertops have an appeal of their own, and many people love having them. But the trouble with granite countertops is significant when it comes to cleaning them.

If you are also struggling with that and don’t know how to remove stains from granite countertops, this is the perfect place for you.

I will go through several ways to stain free your granite countertops. Without wasting much time, let’s get into it quickly.

Removing Stains From Granite Countertops

how to remove stains from granite countertops

Well, there is not one particular thing or way that your granite countertops get stained. Many things can make it stain.

And different problems require a different solution.

So, what I will do here is give you solutions to each of the problems individually. Let’s get going.

  • Oil Stains

The first cause for having stains on your granite countertops is oil stains. And let me tell you, it’s the hardest one to remove as well.

The reason oil stains are hard to remove is because of their difficulty in evaporating.

While it’s the hardest to remove, it’s also the easiest to happen. You probably cook with oil, and it’s only natural that you will spill a bit of oil on the countertop. So, there is no escaping from oil stains.

Also, it’s not just the cooking oil that leaves oil stains. Here, I am talking about all oil-based stains, whether grease, milk, peanut butter, cream, or cosmetics.

How To Remove?

To remove the oil-based stains from your countertop, you will have to rely on granite stain remover products. Don’t worry; you don’t always have to go for specialized products.

In fact, some cleaning products like oven cleaners can damage the countertop. You can go with simple items that are available at home.

A mixture of acetone and liquid cleanser works great for oil-based stains on granite. You can also use ammonia instead of acetone.

This should get you rid of the stains that are on your granite countertop.

  • Organic Stains
removing organic stains from granite countertop

Unlike the oil-based stains on granite, organic stains are much easier to remove. These stains don’t stick to the surface too hard and easily come off when you clean them properly.

You get these kinds of stains from regular food, coffee, tea, wine, and so forth. The stains tend to have a pink brownish color on them.

How To Remove?

To clean the organic stains from your granite countertop, you can use special hydrogen peroxide and ammonia mixture. Make sure to keep the level of hydrogen peroxide around 12%.

 Anything higher than that can impact the granite surface itself, which is something you don’t want.

After applying the mixture to the stain spot, you can rinse it off and dry it properly.

  • Biological Stains

Various types of stains form in granite due to their biological formation. You can often see molds and mildew growth within the granite.

This isn’t the case for all granite countertops, but this can sometimes happen after years of using granite countertops.

When you take a look at these types of stains, it may even disgust you at times. So, these are the stains that you would want to remove as soon as you can.

How To Remove?

There are two ways to remove these kinds of stains from your countertop. You can use specialized mold removers for granites. These removers work very well, and they are your safest best in this case.

But if you can’t find such a product or it doesn’t work, you will have to call professional granite stain removal services.

There is no other way to clean these kinds of stains from your granite countertop. If you try the method that many people prefer using bleach, you may damage your countertop entirely.

So, either go for the specialized mold remover or seek professional help.

  • Paint Stains

Dropped some ink or paint on your countertop accidentally? Well, it can happen to anyone; you don’t need to worry about that too much. You can easily remove these types of stains.

The only complication here is the mixture of lighter and darker stones. Some solution works better for lighter stones while other ones work better on darker stones.

So, you will have to be a bit delicate with the whole process.

How To Remove?

You can remove ink or paint stains from granite pretty easily. You can either use hydrogen peroxide, or you can use lacquer thinner. Sometimes you may need to use both types of solutions.

Hydrogen peroxide works better when the stones are whiter. And lacquered thinner works better for darker stones.

No matter which one you use, make sure to use it in moderation; otherwise, you may cause discoloration on the granite countertop. Now, watch this video to see how to deal with such hard stains!

  • Water Spots

Well, water spots are pretty common to see on your granite countertops. If you haven’t cleaned them right away, the chances are that they will leave a hard-to-remove stain.

However, there are several ways to remove them.

How To Remove?

There are different ways you can remove water spots and rings from the granite countertop. Which one works for you will depend on the intensity of the stains on granite.

Start with the simplest one, which is to use detergent and a bristles brush with water.

If that doesn’t work, you can try using a special paste. You can either make it with water and baking soda. Or you can use a combination of ammonia or bleach with a bit of talc.

And if this fails, then try scraping with a razor and scrubbing with a brillo pad. This should work if none of the above works.

 Typically, the solutions I shared should work for the particular type of stains. However, there is another ultimate solution when none of the above works.

It’s called the poultice solution. Let’s get to know about that and how you can use it to your advantage.

Using The Poultice Solution

granite stain remover products

A poultice solution is a mixture of chemicals that you have to customize yourself. It’s the most powerful way to remove stains from granite when the general ones don’t work.

Also, it’s a 100% guaranteed way to remove any stain on your granite countertop that never fails.

You should only opt for this solution when nothing else works, or the stains are just too deep on the granite.

You will have to make a poultice solution based on the type of stain you are dealing with. Different stains require different kinds of solvents in the mixture.

Also, when you are using a poultice solution, you will have to leave the mixture on the countertop for some days.

So, this is the reason you should try the other solutions first and then opt for this one if everything fails.

Now, let’s check out how you can remove stains using the poultice solution.

How To Remove Stains Using Poultice Solution?

To remove stains from your kitchen countertop, you first have to make a poultice solution. There is no universal formula for all the stain types. So, you will have to make different mixtures for different types of stains.

The two core components for this solution are water and baking soda. These two stay the same no matter what purpose you are making the solution for.

Along with these, you will need a liquid solvent which you have to choose based on the stain you are dealing with.

Let’s take a look at the solvents you will need for particular stain types.

  • For the oil-based stains, you will need Acetone as the liquid solvent.
  • You have to use 6% hydrogen peroxide as a liquid solvent for the organic, paint, and hard water stains.
  • For any rust stains, you will need to use specialized rust remover liquid in the mixture.

Once you gather all the items, start making a paste that has a peanut butter-like consistency. Then, you have to apply the paste to the stained area.

Make sure to do it like a coating with a thickness of quarter to half an inch. Then, spread the coating around 1inch of the stained area.

You will have to finish off the coating with a plastic sealing with tape. Then, you will have to remove the sealing after a day and let the solution paste dry for another day.

This is the real working method of the poultice solution.

So, after the paste has dried completely, you can rinse it off with water. Then use a soft cloth to buff dry the surface. You should notice a significant change in the staining intensity.

If the stain is too hard and deep, it may take more than one tries to remove the stain entirely. Keep this in mind.

Conclusion

All in all, now you know how to remove stains from granite countertops in every different way. I highly recommend trying the basic solutions first before you opt for the poultice solution.

But if you think the stain is too hard or too deep to remove using the basic solutions, directly go to the poultice solution. This will never fail you for sure.

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