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.
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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 it’s 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 five-year-old daughter had left one of her many art projects on our granite countertop. 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 8:30 p.m. last night, allowed it to dry over night and this morning it came off beautifully! Thanks again for saving our counter!!!
Regarding water stains around the faucets (sink). My plumber just installed a sink over new granite counter. He began using “putty” to install fittings and remembered out loud, “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 your plumber used. Hope this helps.
I have what I think are water stains in two places around my sink. I want to reseal the counter, but not until the stains go away. Any advice 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 hairdryer, but did not see a difference. I appreciate any advice. I thought a granite countertop 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 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 two 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 countertop, 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 countertop?
I put a bottle of bleach on my granite countertop. 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 countertop. 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 with 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 countertop 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…I’m moving from my rental soon.
My granite floor darkened after rain water seeped into my floor skirting, and underneath my granite. It has been a month, and that portion of the stone still has not reverted to its original color. Any solution? Appreciate your kind help!
We just installed a new vanity with a granite black top finish, and by mistake I picked up Scrubbing Bubbles instead of the granite wipes. It stained my granite top and left it with white spots. Please help; I tried granite cleaner and it didn’t help at all.
How do I remove a ring on my black granite from a bottle of shampoo?
I mistakenly spilled some cleaning solution (that I use for the toilet) on my black granite counter top, and it left a white streak on it. I just purchased that counter top, and did not know that I should have had it sealed. What can I do to remove the stain?
I sat a pitcher of lemonade on my less than one month old black granite counter top. Now, I have two white rings. What can I do?
I left a wet cutting board on my granite counter top, and mold grew under it, leaving a dark stain. Whats the best way to apply the bleach to remove it?
Thanks!
Hi, my new black granite kitchen counters have white spots and rings from the bottoms of glasses. I am unsure what is making these marks, however I believe it might be caused from citrus fruits, as one mark was confirmed to be caused by a pineapple. Does anyone know how to either remove the stain, or color the marks back to black? Thanks.
We just bought a new house and there are what look to be white water stains on our black granite around the faucets in our master bathroom. How should I remove these?
Thanks, Nicole
My blue granite counter top has bleach stains. What steps do I need to take to repair?
I put a bottle of oil on my bathroom counter overnight, and now there is a black ring. How do I remove this? Please help! Thanks.
I have four black rubber circles caused from the legs of a coffee machine on my light colored granite. Can anyone help…
I had three olive oil stains on my new white granite. They looked like dark grey spots. I applied a poultice of talcum powder and acetone, covered it, and let it sit overnight. It worked!! I’m so happy to say that the stains are gone. I was very nervous about applying the acetone onto the granite but it didn’t damage it at all!
I have an oil ring on my light colored counter top. The oil is a diffuser oil. How can this be taken out?
Thanks,
Linda
Help; like all the people commenting, I have a stain on my granite counter top that is easily removable and described exactly how to do it above, but I’m too lazy to read the article to find out what to do. Please help!
Hi, I have black granite worktops and spilled some bleach on them. It was only there a couple of minutes, but it left a mark. You can only see it in certain light, but how do I polish it back to how it was before? Grateful for any help. Thanks.
I splashed scrub-free bath cleanser plus OxiClean in some parts of my Piedra Fina bath counter. Now I have many dots of all sizes on parts of my counter. Any suggestion on what to do to remove the marks…they look lighter.
Please help me. Thanks.
I followed the instructions for an organic stain (raspberry) on my granite countertop and it totally worked. Yay! And this stain was almost a year old!
I did a home-fix on my new white granite and after the final touch of acid wash, the granite turned yellow! Can someone please tell me how to restore the white granite color?
I have a stain around my faucet caused by the plumber’s sealant. The whitish granite now has a dark ring around the faucet. I’ve tried flour, water and dish detergent with no luck. Then, I tried flour and hydrogen peroxide; again, no luck. What should I use and will this come out? My plumber says he’s never seen this happen; I think he didn’t know what he was doing now that I’ve read more on this subject. I can’t seem to find any solution to this problem; I’vbe read about others who have had this happen to them, but no one is posting what they did to remedy it. Please; any suggestion will be appreciated!
For a mouthwash stain, similar to soap stains that are dry, use a wet sponge and leave it on the stain for as long as it takes to dry up the sponge (24-48 hours). Remove the sponge and voila; the stain is gone!
Hi, I need HELP! I rent my home and I was using Lysol Toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet and did not notice that some had gotten on the bottle and I set it on the counter… it left a blue spot in the shape of a C on the counter! Is there any way I can get it out?
Rhonda,
I broke a red ballpoint pen on a counter at a house where I was pet sitting and tried everything I could find to get it out – baking soda, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, dish soap – to no avail. Finally, I found some Oxi-Clean laundry detergent and it worked! The stain is completely gone. It was the concentrated powder version. Good luck!
Kelly,
Plumber’s putty (used as a sealant) is a common cause for dark stains on granite around the faucet because it contains oil. Silicone is typically used as a sealant in place of plumber’s putty for granite or other natural stone sinks because even the non-staining plumber’s putties can sometimes stain granite. If the putty is causing the stain, you need to have the putty replaced, otherwise the stain will return. Try the acetone poultice to remove the stain.
You can also try covering the stain with baking soda, talcum powder, cornstarch, or even flour to draw the oil out of the counter, similarly as one would for oil stains on a couch or concrete. If the dry powder doesn’t work, turn the powder into a poultice by mixing with hydrogen peroxide or water to make a paste, apply the paste to the stain and wrap the area with plastic wrap to draw out the oil.
Source: About.com
Source: Stone City
I had a soap dish that turned moldy and spread on the granite. I used some bleach to remove it . Now there is discoloring and a ring around the paper towel dispenser. How do I get rid of the ring and the discoloration?
Linda,
Try the pure acetone poultice to remove the stain.
You can also mix an oil-absorbing powder, such as baking soda, talcum powder or cornstarch with hydrogen peroxide to make a paste, apply the paste to the stain and wrap the area with plastic wrap to draw out the oil.
Source: Stone City – Granite Countertops Care
I just want to clarify something. Does the paste really require 30-40% Hydrogen Peroxide? I ask because I have been unable to find it anywhere except online. It is very expensive (at around $50 or more for a little bottle) and says it is highly corrosive.
I have a dark ring from cooking oil on my countertop. What type of paste should I use (what would I make it out of) and what other processes should I do?
A drop of lemonade mix was left on my granite counter top overnight and left a stain. How can I get it off?
Hi,
I am concerned. We have a partially granite kitchen table; a glass of gin and tonic with lots of ice was put on it and now we have four ring marks and cannot remove the marks. Can you help?
My tabletop has three or four ring marks in the finish. How can I remove them? I am not sure what caused the problem because I rent this apartment; maybe alcohol, not sure. Thanks.
Hi,
I have polished black granite worktops and have several light ring marks made by wine glasses. Please advise if these can be removed and how.
Thanks.
How do I get coffee stains off my granite countertop? My coffee pot overflowed and I didn’t see it until the next day.
I put a product for cleaning my dinnerware on my granite countertop. It left a deep ring in it. How do I get this stain off my granite countertop?
My laundry detergent stained my new granite countertop. Would the hydrogen peroxide and talc be the best solution to try?