Cleaning Granite Countertops

gental soap and water preserves the sealent the longest... and I always cut (chicken etc.) on a cutting board... I use the method dishsoap from Target.

Hi T., I have had granite counters for many years. The best stuff is the Method brand Granite Spray from Target. The bottle is less than $5 (if I recall). I also have the Clean Encounters Countertop Spray Cleaner for Granite and Solid surfaces (from the granite installer). This bottle was $20-30, you can get it at Home Depot. The bottle lasts a long time, does a good job, but you have to use more elbow grease to rub it out than the Method stuff. Both shine up nicely. Enjoy your new counters. HTH, L.

do not use Windex on granite. We were told to use just water and soapy towel. It does the trick great.

I just use water and a paper towel.

T.,
Do not use windex -- you will strip the sealer on your granite and cause cracks. Granite is extremely pourous and will absorb that cleaner. you can get cleaner online - very reasonable; try a google search, I don't know the wesbite I go to regularly. You can get cleaner at home depot for granite and even great indoors sells a great cleaner that I use regularly as well. Do not use windex - you might as well throw away your granite if you are going to use that.
K.

I used to go to Home Depot & get a special spray made NOT to strip granite of its sealer AND reseal as it cleans. Kinda became a hassle to get there when i ran out, so now i just use 409 or such. Whenever i do get out to HD, i'll get a bottle, but i dont stress using other products now & then.

Hi T.!

I use a product called Dr. Bronner's All-Purpose Soap. It's a great product, and also toxin/chemical-free. Works wonderfully for any household cleanup, including granite countertops, and can be purchased at any Whole Foods Market. Hope this helps!

Wash with water, dry then get a lint cloth with the tiniest amount of lemon oil on it wipe down counters, it will make them repel dust and grime and give them a smooth feeling, I used this when housekeeping professionally. If you need to remove sticky residue I'd stick with windex or the like blue cleaner (the ammonia is what cuts the grease). That expensive stuff is nice, had a few houses where the owner required us to use it but it is like buffing a car with wax. Lemon oil is inexpensive and doesn't require much less than a pea size amount (or if you can put it in a spray bottle just one squirt on cloth) will make your counters shine. 1x a week should be good.

The people who installed our granite told us not to use any products that had amonia or bleach in them because it can strip the sealant. We use the antibacterial Windex (it's yellow) so that the counters are still germ free.

I have bought some cleaner at Home Depot (in the kitchen remodel dept) and really liked it. Also I have used a daily cleaner I bought at Bed Bath and Beyond. Both are fairly inexpensive. I forget the names of them exactly, but at BBB you'll see it in the cleaning section.

The brand Method has a granite cleaner in the cleaning supplies aisle at Target. I do not know if it works, but it may! Good luck!

Hi T.,

Go to Bed Bath & Beyond and they have great Granite counter cleaners there. I just moved into my dream home and have granite as well and I have heard all kinds of things, but found some great cleaners there! Decent price.

G. B.

We buy our cleaner at Home Depot. It is called "Clean EnCounters Countertop Spray Cleaner". It is a black spray bottle with gold lettering.

Ok I can't look at all this questions and not do anything for you ladies out there my wife gets in this page all the time to get help and she was telling me how there is alot of question about granite. First I'm a granite fabricator and installer i have been doing this for a 5 years now and what I can tell you is that you can use some warm water with dish detergent like ajax or any other brand it would be good if you use the liquid one.. scrub your countertops and then with a rag dry your countertops now if the rag gets to wet grab another rag and clean the last residues of soapy water this will enhance the shine and if you dry them good you wont have any watermarks on it hope it helps...