Remove stains from Granite countertop, p3

A. Try corn starch as a very safe and low impact way to remove an oil stain. I set a plate on my new granite countertop last week, unbeknownst to me it had some olive oil on the bottom ring of the plate. The plate only sat there for 30 minutes max, but that was enough. Several hours later I noticed a very obvious ring in the granite from the olive oil penetration of the surface.

I ordered a product at a local tile store that is supposed to remove oil stains which was to come in 48 hours later. In the interim I thought I would try a safer approach since there is always the risk that anything with an aggressive solvent might actually discolor the granite and make things go from bad to worse. I put corn starch on the stain based on a response I had read to this same question.

Put the cornstarch on and let it sit for 18 or 24 hours. A couple of times within that period I wiped the cornstarch with some pressure across the stain in order to encourage the oil to be absorbed by the cs. At the end I then vacuumed up the cornstarch and repeated the process for another 24 hours with more cs. 90+ percent of the stain is gone. Given the pattern and multicolor nature of my granite it is now only visible to me since I know exactly where it is. I highly recommend giving this a try before you put harsh chemicals or cleaners on the granite since the risk is zero with this method. If you discolor your granite with a more aggressive method there will be no turning back if the granite is discolored.

Thanks for such a informative website, I had no idea when purchasing stone that it stains so easily. Moved into our new kitchen on Wednesday, first oil stain by Friday. But after reading some entries on this site, tried a modified version and had success.
I thickly layered dry baking powder on top of the stain, and then covered with plastic wrap . Then I kept a hot towel over the cling wrap for several hours. There is only the faintest mark , which I would only be able to see .

Thanks again now my husband doesn't want to KILL ME !

A. Granite countertops should be sealed on a regular basis. My place told me every 6 months, but I do it once a year or so. I cook with olive oil and let it drip onto the counters pretty much daily. And I don't always clean up at night! I've had my countertops for 10 years.

I didn't seal my new countertop in the bathroom, and am now looking for a oil fix. I was surprised no one mentioned that granite needs to be resealed regularly. I will now put my bathroom on the same schedule as my kitchen...

A. I covered the stain with Tidy Multiple Cats Clumping Litter and covered the kitty litter (to seal it in) with Glad Press'n Seal wrap for a couple days. It worked great!

A. My Problem stain:
Okay, I have a black granite vanity. I placed a brushed nickel soap dish on it. Well, it stained.

How I removed the stain:
I found this solution on the web. But can't remember where.

Anyway ... Use moulding plaster, about a quarter cup, and then mix in some bleach ⇦ bleach/sodium hypochlorite in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . But only enough to make a thick paste. Put the paste about 1/4 inch thick on the stain. Wait about 30 minutes, then wipe it away. Wash thoroughly, and that should do it.

A. I too got an oil stain on my brand new colonial gold granite countertop. Tried various of the remedies found on this site to no avail...bought the StoneTech Professional Oil Stain Remover [affil links] and voila! stain gone. I did leave it on 72 hours...don't know if that made a difference or not. Hope this help someone else...

A. Oil and other stains can be removed from stone using a poultice.

For light olive oil stains, first try ammonia ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] mixed into a paste with powdered chalk or corn or rice flour. Cover the stain with the paste, overlapping by about an inch, then cover with cling wrap and seal down with tape. This keeps the poultice moist, allowing the ammonia time to penetrate the stone.

Leave overnight, remove cover and allow poultice to dry, then brush off.

If that doesn't work or for heavier stains, repeat using acetate. For small stains, leave just one hour. For large ones (over 12 inches diameter) leave overnight. I have used this method several times and it works exactly as I had hoped - no trace of oil remained.

A. Hi, Sally. I don't have granite countertops, so no experience, but that sounds like a worse idea than Maiggan's, and I didn't care for that one at all :-)

Acetone removes some types of granite sealers. I think you need to soak up any remaining acetone with one of the methods mentioned on this page, and then reseal the granite. Good luck.

Regards,

A. So did the lady who suggested treating the whole surface with a coat of oil try it? I think this is a brilliant solution (of course I've thought of it also) - as in "if you can't fight'em - join'em". The colour change this would create is pretty much similar to what happens to the look of raw wood after finishing with an OIL treatment (heaven forbid) or varathane/clear stain which is used every day with wood products) and no one complains about that. We reno. houses and have lived with about 5 different colours of granite (polished & sealed) over the last 7 years and have never had a problem (I cook a lot) with oil until the one I have now (light gray/white/black speckled local looking granite). All of the granite has come from the same supplier. It turns out that this particular granite was not sealed properly according to the owner of the company so he is replacing it for us.

When he comes to do it I'm going to ask him to bring a sample piece so I can try an experiment on one half of it - covering it in oil and the other half with a good heavy coat of varathane. I'm hoping the varathane with fill the porous areas. It will also deepen the colour just like it does to wood but maybe it will survive "oil testing" afterwards also.

A. I wanted to thank the people on this forum for the suggestions, and reinforce to new readers that this DuPont product, StoneTech Professional Oil Stain Remover [affil links], REALLY works .

I left a plate that apparently had olive oil on the bottom on my brand new granite counter tops. It sat for about 48 hours, leaving a dark ring that no amount of cleaning could get rid of. I tried cornstarch first for about a week and it barely made any difference. This was very stressful. Applying the DuPont product takes a lot of faith because at first the situation looks much worse; the solvent seeps into the rock and causes a lot more discoloration, and the paste looks like the world's worst glue spill. But a few minutes ago I cleaned up the hard, powdery paste that was left behind and the stain is 100% gone, making me feel a whole lot better. I promise you I don't work for DuPont, this is just a good product worthy of a recommendation!

A. My light colored granite counter top was stained with an olive oil mixture which set for 3 or 4 days before discovery. I was confronted with a dark circular stain which was very noticeable. After searching a trying different cleaning products I read about using a paste mixture of acetone ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] Warning! highly Flammable! and baking soda, spreading on the stain, and covering with plastic wrap and tape. I followed the directions and mixed a paste about the consistency of toothpaste and left it on the stain for about 3 hours until the powder was dry. The powder was wiped away and the area washed with water. At first the area was dark colored but after an hour it lightened and the stain was completely gone. WORKS GREAT.

A. I had a Bacon pan leave a nasty stain on my six month old countertops. Corn Starch with detergent, as suggested above, worked miracles. My large dark portion was back to new within 24 hours. My stain was the size of a medium cookie sheet so I mixed 3/4 box of cornstarch with a cup and half palmolive then spread on the large stain generously. Wiped off after 24 hours, cleaned with Windex Commercial Line ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] .

A. Recently, I found a stain on the light-colored new granite in my guest bathroom. Wasn't sure what caused the stain but figured it was probably oil-based. Tried the flour & dish soap which faded it a little. But when I used the crème brulé torch [affil link to info/product at Amazon] it got it all and made the entire stain disappear in a couple of minutes. Thanks to Shelley N (Aug 08) and Kevin Chesney (Nov 10)!

A. I have a very large kitchen with a lot of granite. The granite is swirls of gray, black, white and peach. A house sitter left a bag of recycling for a week that had plastic bottles in it, and one of them contained oil. So, oil, beer, juice etc. spilled through a hole in the bag and sat there for at least a week.

I tried everything - the poultices, Dawn,Shout, etc. and I realized that we have a friend that drives old cars that leak oil. Every time he visits, we have oil spots on our beige driveway. We use a product called, Super Clean [affil links] to eliminate the oil spots on our driveway. I think we bought in Home Depot or an automotive store (?). Anyway, I sprayed it on, sprinkled baking soda on top, let it sit for an hour and the huge stain disappeared! This stuff is amazing!

A. Hello everyone .
Most of the stain on a granite countertop or natural stone will go if you apply a wet piece of cloth with bleach and leave it there for a one hour or more. Make sure that the piece of cloth is wet enough.
Sealer should be applied every year by a professional.
Granite counters are beautiful and made for lifetime.
Best Regards,
Elva

A. I tried the homemade remedies and they did not work. The Dupont StoneTech Professional Oil Stain Remover [affil links] worked for our countertop. If you are in Canada you cannot order it from Amazon or any American supplier. Instead, go to the Dupont site where you can search for distributors in your area.