Dull Cup Ring Forms with 5-Second Exposure to Acid
Granite glass-ring stain
QUESTION:I left a cup of diluted tile cleaner (Heavy Duty Acidic Cleaner from Home Depot, hydrocholoric acid based) on the vanity top for about 5 seconds.The bottom of the cup must have contacted some residual cleaner and thus left behind a cup ring (lighter color with dull reflection, see picture). The cup ring only shows when the area is dry. When we wipe the ring mark over with a wet cloth (or just get the area wet with hand), the mark temporarily disappears, and reappear when dry. It is a black granite vanity top from Home Depot (most probably not a particularly high quality piece). And I left the cup on the vanity top for only about 5 seconds. I wonder whether the damage is really to the sealer, not to the stone itself. How should I do? Hopefully some of you have advice for me to try at home, that would be much appreciated. A friend of mine suggested me to use paint stripper with methylene chloride in it, good idea? ANSWER:Well, as you may have read or know, granite does not etch when exposed to most common household acids, but depending on the concentration the HCl may have damaged the granite in this case.However, a 5-second exposure (although enough to etch marble) would have to be very severe to etch granite. You may be right that it has etched the sealer and using methylene chloride as your friend suggests is what you'll need to strip the sealer. Stripping the sealer will certainly give you the answer. If the ring is still there, it's the granite and it'll require professional re-polishing. Good Luck, Ryan P.S. Get all the facts, answers, explanations and simple solutions with step-by-step instructions for any issue, problem or question with our Granite & Marble Maintenance Manuals.
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