Soap Scum On Granite Countertops
by Carrol Maxwell
QUESTION:There is "soap scum" appearing marks where the dish drain board sits on the granite countertop.We cannot clean it away. I did not put a drain board under the dish drain, thinking granite could not be damaged. Is this because the installer did not properly seal the granite? The rest of the counter top is fine. Counter is about 10 yrs. old. What can we do? ANSWER:It may be soap scum, but it could also be hard water deposits. Both can form a whitish type film that can be very tenacious and can't be removed with general methods for cleaning granite countertops.Soap scum is waxy and hard water deposits are more crusty. You'll have to use a specialty stone cleaner, but fortunately the same granite cleaner will take care of both soap scum and/or hard water. We recommend using this Hard Water / Soap Scum Remover made just for this issue and safe for use on marble and granite countertops, showers, baths, etc. And to dispel any misconceptions... granite can be damaged. Every single type of countertop surface available on the market can be damaged... some more easily than others. Granite is certainly one of, if not the hardest to damage, but it can occur. So, proper granite countertop care and maintenance is still important... it's just easier than other surfaces. Try the Soap Scum/Hard Water remover, however, if it turns out that you indeed have a "stain" (darker spot of something absorbed into the surface), then follow the directions in the Removing Granite & Marble Stains ebook. You should also perform the water test for sealing granite countertops to see if it might be time to re-seal your granite. If so, I'd suggest using one of these recommended impregnating sealers, with SenGuard being the absolute best available.  Good Luck,Ryan P.S. Get all the facts and simple step-by-step solutions to any problem with our Granite & Marble Maintenance Manuals. |
