How To Clean Granite Countertops

by Bryan
(Pennsylvania)

QUESTION:

Can you direct me to step by step directions to clean, and then seal our granite countertops. We have an oatmeal colored granite, not sure of the name, which is approaching 5 years old. It was installed in our new construction home, and I assume it was sealed upon completion of the installation.

Cleaned it weekly with water and dish washing detergent, using a tile grout sponge with mesh backing. The shine had faded, with what appears to be water spots. This is the first time it has been chemically cleaned and sealed to my knowledge. In preparation I used a 6" stainless steel blade scraper lightly to remove all food deposits, then I used AQUA MIX brand stone cleaner, allowed it to dry 24 hours. I then used MIRACLE brand 511 Impregnator. Both of these chemicals were recommended to me by the local tile fabrication shop.

After completing the above steps, the granite countertop looks no better than before I started the process. When viewed from a low angle to natural light from an adjacent door, the spotting is very noticeable. When viewed straight down with lighting from above the countertop, it is not as noticeable.

ANSWER:

The first thing you should understand is that the polish on granite countertops or any other stone is not the result of a chemical application or cleaning. Polishing is done at the factory by big machines that employ intense grinding and friction to create a shiny surface.

The polish does not just go dull. It must either be chemically or physically damaged or covered up. Using dish soap as your regular cleaner could cause a build-up of soap residue that would mask the shine, but the Aqua Mix should have removed that. Dish soap is OK for occasional cleaning.... it won't damage any surface, but it's not the best for regular use because of the build-up.

"Water spots" are very common with marble and other calcite-based stones, but not granite. Water spots are not actually caused by water, but by a reaction of an acidic substance (vinegar, coffee, soda, alcohol, juice, etc.) with the calcium carbonate in marble, travertine, limestone... but it's a rare granite that will react to acids in this way and "etch" or dull the surface. Some granite countertops are porous, but most are not reactive to acids.

Sealing has NOTHING to do with dullness or water spots. The ONLY thing sealing does is retard staining by dramatically decreasing the time it takes for a substance to be absorbed into the stone. Water spots and dullness are not stains... they are most commonly the result of chemical damage. Some stones are so dense they don't need sealing. Others are so porous they need sealing every couple years as sealants can break down some over time.

It's fine that you cleaned and sealed your countertops and if you followed the directions on each bottle you probably did it properly, but cleaning and sealing was not the solution to your dullness and water spots.

I recommend that you contact a professional to restore the polish (via grinding and buffing). If your whole granite countertop is dull with numerous water spots, it is far beyond a do-it-yourself project.

But first you must test your "granite" to see how porous it is and if it is reactive to acids. This information will guide you in future care and maintenance. Perform the water and lemon test. It's always best to do this test on a sample or hidden spot, but since your countertop is already in rough shape it's not too big a deal if the test creates anther dull spot. But you'll need to do the test on a shiny spot.

If the lemon test is positive, then your "granite" is reactive to acids and that is just something you'll have to learn to work around because nothing can prevent etching except not allowing contact with acidic substances.

It doesn't really matter at this point, (except for creating an issue with the people who sold it to you) but your granite countertop may not actually be granite. It's already there, so you just want to know what you are dealing with and the tests will tell you.

Then call a pro to remove the water spots and restore the shine.

Hope this helps,
Ryan