How to Remove Stains From Your Natural Stone Countertop

No one likes stains, no matter if they are on their shirt, car or especially on their natural stone countertop in their kitchen. Unfortunately, there are several stains that do not come off shirts or your car.  The same is the case with the natural stone countertops. There are several stains that do not come out easily. I am sure that many people who are using natural stone countertops have one corner or area of the countertop with unremovable stains that you try to hide with small appliances such as a toaster.

What if I told you that from now on you would no longer need to hide those stains?  In this article we are going to share with you how can you get rid of those old or new hard stains from your natural stone countertops within a short period of time. 

There are several things you can do to remove stains from natural stone countertops. Here are some of the ways.  Let us have a look at them one by one:

• The first thing is to have a look at what type of natural stone countertop you have. This is a fact about which not everyone is aware, but there are several types of natural stone countertops. Some of those countertops are Concrete Countertops, Granite Countertops, Limestone Countertops, Marble Countertops, Quartz Countertops, and Soapstone Countertop. 

There are many other types of natural stone countertops but the ones listed above are the most popular.  Let us have a look at how would you be able to get rid of stains over all these different types of countertops.

See Also

Repurposing Everyday Items: Creative Ways to Maximize Household Goods

1. In the case of Concrete or natural stone countertops, use a type of stain remover, which contains strong acids in it. If you want to get rid of hard stains from such countertops, then you can use lemon juice also, as it is acidic. In case of coffee or any such product stain, you should remove it with the help of chlorine bleach, and once the stain is cleaned, you need to clean it with clean water.
2. In the case of Granite natural stone countertops, do not use any harsh cleaners. As if you used such cleaners, then you would notice them loosing their natural look and color. For getting rid of stains over such countertops you can use any commercial stone cleaner. This would be more than enough.  You must be very careful what you use on granite countertops because granite has pores. Any harm chemicals will get into the pores and the countertop will lose its shiny finish.
3. In the case of Limestone natural stone countertops, you can use a combination of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. You can directly create a thick paste with these materials. You then can apply it over any such dark stain over the limestone countertop and let it sit for about 20 minutes.  Then clean it thoroughly with water.
4. In the case of Marble natural stone countertops, you can also take advantage of the paste mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. 
5. In the case of Quartz natural stone countertops, you can use a knife for removing hard stains such as paint or nail polish. Moreover, other types of stains do not get stick to this material so you would not have to worry much about it.  Quartz is the easiest of all-natural stone countertops to clean as it does not scratch.
6. In the case of Soapstone, you can get it cleaned by directly rubbing the stain with the help of a damp cloth. Moreover, in the case of harder stains, you can use any surface cleaner.

• The second thing to keep in mind is the cleaning method. As every type of natural stone countertop gets cleaned with a different kind of cleaner, the same is the case with the cleaning method.  Every natural stone countertop is hard and you can get it cleaned with applying enough rubbing pressure. However, in the case of those natural stone countertops which are quite sensitive, you need to rub slowly without applying too much pressure.  

Now that we have discussed how to remove stains from your natural stone countertops let us discuss some daily tips you should follow to keep the countertop looking new.

• The first way is to clean the natural countertop regularly after each use. Whenever the work on that countertop is complete, you should just wipe it off completely so that no stain gets penetrate.

• The second tip to keep your natural stone countertop looking like new is to protect it from hot pans and food dishes which can create stains over the countertop.  Make sure to use the proper hot dish and pot trays to protect your countertops.

• In case of a marble and granite natural stone countertops, you should get them resealed every 6 months or so.  Resealing them is fairly simple and doesn’t take much time.  By resealing them every 6 months you can keep your marble and granite countertops looking like new forever.

• Never use the countertop for standing, sitting or for holding heavy objects.  This will prevent cracks. Even the smallest crack can eventually become a huge crack. 

• Do not do the chopping work directly on the countertop, as with this, your countertop will get filled with several scratches. Always use a chopping board for this purpose.  Quartz countertops are the only countertops that can be used for chopping without scratching!