Cutting Out the Mystery Work on Stone Countertops
The next stop on my cleaning hacks tour.
Natural stone countertops— we know them, we love them, but do we know how to clean them?
While so many are moving to manufactured countertop products for ease of maintenance, there is nothing like the beauty of natural stone. I believe that imperfections are a sign that your home is well-loved. There’s nothing worse than walking into a home that feels so perfect that you hold your breath and fear touching anything. Natural stone has the opposite effect— aging gracefully despite its flaws.
Installing Natural Stone
These countertops, whether made of granite, marble, or quartz, offer durability, unique patterns, and a timeless aesthetic that can enhance any space. The installation process involves precise measuring, cutting, and fitting.
Stone Profiles
Before we dive into maintenance, I wanted to share one major benefit of using natural stone—stone profiles.
Profiles can help complete your kitchen and develop a custom, old-world look when you use natural stone. An edge can take several different shapes, but two of my favorites are DuPont and Cove. We love combining depths and profiles to give spaces a deep, luxe, thick stone feel on vanities and other countertops, especially when combined with a laminate or miter.
Sealants
Once you establish the look and feel of your countertops, it’s important to establish regular caulking and sealing. The best thing you can do for your stone countertops (besides having a detailed fabricator) is make sure your stone is properly sealed. I cannot stress this enough. When selecting a sealer Sealants are not one size fits all. Some add sheen, others enhance the depth of color. These Rustoleum Miracle Sealants sealants are my go-to— if it doesn’t come in a blue bottle, I don’t want it!
When it comes to sealants, speak to your professional installer about what works best, and be sure to reseal your stone and caulk once a year. Speaking of caulk— use grout caulk vs. silicone. Silicone caulk should only be used on shower glass doors, whereas grout caulk matches your grout, giving the appearance of a nice, clean line. Caulk should also be sealed once or twice a year.
If you start to see grout or grout caulk popping out, it’s time to recaulk.
Maintaining Natural Stone
Once sealed, these countertops provide a resilient surface that resists scratches, heat, and stains, making them both beautiful and practical. That said, stains and grime are inevitable. Wine glasses will etch and lemon wedges will squirt, but if you clean it up quickly and seal it regularly, you help avoid permanent damage.
Regular Cleaning
Use a simple soap with a sponge or soft cloth to clean natural stone. Basic dawn dish soap is all you need for daily cleaning. If you’re worried about bacteria, keep Clorox wipes on hand and use those when hot water doesn't do the trick— follow the Clorox with another clear water wipe.
If you do want a countertop cleaner, it should be PH neutral. I like using Oceancare Clean & Seal on countertops. It’s biodegradable and will protect the surface of your stone while keeping it clean. I also use Oceancare for regular bathroom cleaning and backsplash tile— they have a product specifically for tile and grout.
Removing Stains
If you do get stains, try Stone Pro Wet Poultice. Bacon grease stains are no longer a concern with this handy tool in your back pocket.
This pink paste is a miracle in a jar. Just liberally apply over the stain like a smear of peanut butter. Cover with plastic wrap, I use Saran Wrap, then apply painter’s tape or masking tape to seal the “plastic” envelope.
Keep it covered for 24 hours. Remove the plastic but leave the place undisturbed for another 24 hours while it carefully leaches the stain out of the stone. I have had stains that require a couple of treatments, but prepare to be amazed at this pro hack. It’s easy to use but like anything, carefully read the instructions.
Rust Stains
Recently I accidentally left my gardening sheers in rust remover, creating some etching on my granite countertops (read: big mess.) I keep this Miracle Sealants Stone Polish on hand for these sorts of accidents. I just soaked the affected area and let it sit.
It took 2-3 applications and it doesn’t smell great, but this blue bottle got the granite right back to its natural shine.
One Last Hack for Stubborn Residue
If you have honed stone, always keep white Magic Erasers on hand. They easily remove stubborn surface residue— they are essentially super fine sandpaper. Be sure not to over-scrub, but these simple sponges and a little elbow grease go a long way!
I want to restate that there is beauty in the well-loved and used items in our homes. Imperfection is inevitable, so it is important to learn to embrace this or risk losing your sanity. But with proper care, a natural stone countertop can be a long-lasting and elegant centerpiece in your home.
If you have tried and true solutions not listed here, I would love to hear about them. Until next time, happy life hacking.
XXOO,
Shaz