Question: “How do I remove water stains from my black honed absolute granite counter tops?”
Table of Contents:
Removing stains from granite countertops can be both a challenge and a puzzle at the same time. In order to remove a stain, you need to ensure that it is indeed a stain and not damage to the stone. Next, you need to determine what caused the stain so that you can apply the correct materials to remove it. Here are guidelines for determining the problem and the necessary steps to resolve it.
Stain or Damage?
Use these guidelines to determine whether the spots you are seeing are in fact stains or if they are areas of damaged stone. If you are unsure, consult a professional before proceeding.
Stains:
- Discoloration from the stone absorbing a staining agent (coffee, tea, oil, etc.)
- When the staining agent is removed, the stain is gone.
Damage:
- A change in the natural chemical makeup of the stone.
- Not caused by the stone absorbing an agent, but rather caused by damage to the surface.
- Corrosion, typically caused by acids, leaving “rings” or “water spots” that cannot be removed.
- You cannot remove a “stain” that is actually damage as it requires repairing/removing the damaged area.
- It needs to be determined if the damage is to the stone or to the protective coating/sealant. (Some types of granite do not require sealants and when they are applied, they become damaged and look as though the area is stained.)
Removing Stains from Granite
Removing stains requires the use of a poultice. A poultice consists of two materials: 1) an absorbent material such as Bounty or Viva paper towels, talcum powder or diatomaceous earth and 2) a chemical to remove the stain. There are five different categories of stains and each has its own designated chemical for the poultice.
Categories of Stain:
- Stains: Organic (coffee, soda, mustard, gravy, tea, etc.)
Chemical: Hydrogen Peroxide (30%-40% by volume) - Stains: Inorganic (ink, dyes, dirt, etc.)
Chemical: Rubbing Alcohol for ink; Hydrogen Peroxide (30%-40% by volume) for all others - Stains: Oil (any type of cooking oil, some mineral oils, butter, margarine, etc.)
Chemical: Pure Acetone (avoid using nail polish remover as different brands have different ingredients) - Stains: Biological (mold, mildew, etc.)
Chemical: Bleach or MB-9 - Stains: Metal (rust, copper, etc.)
Chemical: Iron-out (a white powder available at hardware stores)
The Removal Process:
Due to the nature of this removal process, you may want to test a small, inconspicuous area of the stone to ensure there are no adverse effects.
- Begin by mixing the poultice (ex: talc powder and hydrogen peroxide). You will want to create a thick paste. It should have the consistency of putty.
- Apply the mix to the stained area, keeping it only on the stain. The layer of paste should be about one fourth of an inch thick and overlap the stain about a half an inch.
- Cover the area with plastic wrap and tape the edges down. Allow it to set for 24 hours.
- Remove the tape and plastic wrap only, leaving the poultice in place.
- Allow this to remain on the stain until it is completely dry. This can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days.
- When the paste is completely dry, use a plastic scraper to scrape away the paste.
- Wipe remaining paste away with a clean cloth.
- Clean the area as normal and dry with another clean cloth.
- If the stain remains, you may need to repeat steps 2-6 several times, especially for oily stains, each time removing more of the stain.
Water Stains
Most water stains are only a temporary problem. The granite may darken or lighten in color when the water is absorbed into the stone. However, once the water evaporates, the color of the stone should return to normal. To prevent this absorption from happening in the first place, it is necessary to seal the surface of the granite with a high quality sealer. This can be completed on your own or by a professional.
If hardwater stains occur, they can be removed by applying vinegar to the area using the same methods as above.
Repairing Damage to Granite
It will require professional assistance to repair damaged stone. You can also consult the location where you purchased your stone for advice and service options.
This information has been adapted from the No-nonsense Guidelines to Stain Removal at www.findstone.com.
Although staining a properly sealed granite countertop is unlikely. I found this article to be good source of information about how to remove stains from granite countertops.
We put a bleach bottle down on the granite counter top – it left a ring. How can we remove this stain (ring)?
We just got our granite countertops about two months ago and we were not told that we need to seal it. I got bacon grease on it and it left a stain. I am really upset. Has anyone tried to remove the stain with the combination they mention on this site? I am so afraid I will ruin it more?
Shelby
The granite around my kitchen sink has become darker. It looks like a water stain but never drys, just seems to get darker. My housekeeper claims she did not use any cleaner on the granite. What could be causing the granite to be turning dark? Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
There was a glass left on my black granite coffee table for about 2 days while I was away for the weekend. There is a glass ring stain that will not come off. What can I use to clean stain that will not damage granite? I’d very much appreciate any help. Thanks!!
We made margaritas over the holiday week-end. When I cleaned the counter it left rings on the counter. How do I remove??? Thanks bunches, Cyndy
We have a black honed granite kitchen counter which has a light gray stain on it from bleach. Any help?
Our whole counter top turned dark after 4 months, It was supposed to have a 15 year seal. The supplier can’t figure out what happened. Can anything be done to restore the original color?
How do I remove a bleach stain from my black granite counter-top?
The granite around my kitchen sink has become darker after I used Oven cleaner for the sink. How do I remove the stain?
Thank you so much.
In Nov 2009 I spilled bleach on my black honed granite. It left a stain that was lighter than the stone . Turns out that the stone itself will not stain, it being non-reactive to the high PH of bleach (alkali). What happens is that the sealer gets etched so here’s what I did. I carefully applied a methylene based paint remover according to instructions just to the spots. I then treated the spots with an enhancer according to instructions which I repeated three times. Wax on / wax off. It wasn’t completely gone right away but its almost a year now and the stain is gone. Saved $600 for grinding and resealing.
Hand soap is alkaline but mildly so . Granite is non-reactive and the soap is too mild to etch the sealer. My guess is what you got is a water stain where water gets under the sealer and darkens the color. Give it time and it will dry out and the stain will disappear. Again, my guess.
Hello,
I have a water stain around my faucet that won’t dry up. I had granite counter tops installed about a month ago and we have noticed a water stain building up around the ring where the faucet is installed. We removed the faucet and have left it to dry for 5 days now and the stain is no different in color than when we started the drying process. How can I get this water stain to dry up?
I know once it is dry, I will seal it like crazy, but until that time, I need advise on how to get this water stain out.
Thank you so much for posting this information to get stains out of granite! It worked GREAT!!! My 5 year old daughter had left one of her many art projects on our granite counter top. This particular masterpiece was done in permanent marker. Over the weekend we had many people in and out of the house and at some point someone placed an empty glass on the art work. The water coming from the outside of the glass caused the ink to bleed into the granite. Worst part is no one noticed it for a day or so…the ink was blue and the granite is almost white! It looked so bad I just knew we were never going to get it out! I took the saran wrap off at 8:30PM last night, allowed it to dry over night and this morning it came off beautifully! Thanks again for saving our counter!!!
Regarding water stain around the faucets(sink). My plumber just installed a sink over new granite counter. He began using “putty” to install fittings and remembered outloud ” I need to use only silicone to install these; putty will darken the area around the faucet and I had to buy someone a new countertop for this mistake”. Check and see what plumber used. Hope this helps.
I have what I think is water stains two places around my sink. I want to reseal the counter but not until the stains go away.. Any advise on how I can help these stains dry quickly. With it being around the sink, I feel I will never get to reseal it. I tried using my hair dryer but did not see a difference. I appreciate any advise. I thought a granite counter top was the toughest and easiest material to take care of. Doesn’t seem to be the case so far..
My mouthwash left a darkened ring on my gray granite vanity top. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Hi, my mother in law as put bleach and water in my black granite sink and it left white marks. Is there anything I can do to remove the white stains? Thank you.
Just bought my condo and I have 2 dark (almost looks like tar or oil stains) on the countertop..How can I clean them and what could it be?
I put a few layers of newspaper on my dark grey granite bench top, then put oven shelving on the newspaper and sprayed it with oven cleaner, not realizing that the oven cleaner would soak through the newspaper and onto the granite bench top, which now has streaky, light marks on it.
Could you suggest what I might do to try and get rid of these “streaky” marks? Many thanks.
We put in a faucet that turns on when you touch it, and it left a stain on our granite counter-top, which we believe is from its battery. The stain is greenish in color. What kind of poultice would be best to try to remove the stain?
I have two brown rings on my granite countertop from candles. Any suggestions on how to get a wax ring off?
I have a red wine stain on my granite counter top. Should I use peroxide and talc, as this site suggested, for organic materials?
How do I get white-out off my granite counter-top?
I put a bottle of bleach on my granite counter-top. I picked it up and I did not notice there was bleach on the bottom of the bottle, and now there is a light pink and white stain on my light beige counter-top. Please help!
Any help please, I have two white ring marks on my black granite worktop. Could anyone tell me how to remove them please? Thanks, Dave.
Dark Stain
Recently I noticed a dark stain on an outside corner of my beige w/brown streaks granite bathroom countertop. What could it be and how do I clean it? Please help, it would be greatly appreciated!
I have a granite bathroom counter top that is a year old. The installer told me to seal it and when dark spots appear that do not dry, it meant I needed to reseal those spots. I did but now I have what appear to be two permanent dark spots. I’m wondering if resealing just those two spots trapped something even though they were completely dry when I resealed. Do i need to remove the sealer and then do something else?
Thanks, Cindy
I used a bathroom cleaner with bleach and it left stains on the granite surface. What is the best method
to treat the surface? I am confused: is it hydrogen peroxide and talc, or is it methylene paint remover?
Please help…… Moving from my rental soon.