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Expert Tips on How to Remove Stains From Countertops

As you well know, preparing food or drinking dark liquids over your quartz countertop can sometimes be risky in terms of stains. This is especially true if you have young children that are prone to spilling the contents of their plates and cups. But did you know that quartz is one of the most durable and easy-to-maintain countertop materials out there?

With our expert tips, you will be able to prepare all your favourite meals or even drink your morning coffee on your quartz countertop, without worrying about staining it. Here’s everything you need to know about removing stains from countertops. 

How to Remove Stains From Granite and Marble Countertops?

Granite and marble are high-end countertop materials. They are known for their beautiful natural stone look, and for elevating kitchen spaces all over the world. Although both granite and marble are extremely durable, they have a higher level of porosity than other kitchen countertop materials like quartz and engineered stone countertops, which means they can be prone to staining. To maintain their shine, here are some tips to remove stains from granite and marble countertops.

Usually, you should be able to easily remove stains from your granite and marble countertops with just some lukewarm water and mild soap. However, if you’re dealing with a stubborn stain, you can follow the next steps: 

  1. Mix some baking soda with warm water to make a paste.
  2. Let it rest for up to 10 minutes over the stain, then scrub it very carefully.
    Tip: don’t scrub your granite or marble kitchen countertop for too long. Baking soda is an abrasive product, and it could damage it.
  3. Rinse the surface with a new cleaning rag and some warm water.
  4. If the stain is still not going away, cover the baking soda paste with some plastic wrap, tape it to the surface and let it rest until the next day.
  5. To remove water-based stains from countertops, you can also try using hydrogen peroxide, which is also very effective.        

Removing Stains from Quartz and Engineered Stone Countertops

If you have a quartz or an engineered stone countertop, rest assured, there’s not much you need to do to remove stains from its surface.

Quartz and engineered stone countertops are highly durable and are well-known for being non-porous, which means that it’s nearly impossible for them to get stained. Nevertheless, if you do encounter that situation, here’s how to remove stains from countertops that are made of quartz and engineered stones:

  1. Rinse the surface with some water and mild soap.
  2. If this doesn’t do the trick, try using some glass cleaner and gently scrubbing the stain with a microfiber cloth. 

That’s all there is to it!

How to Disinfect Countertops?

Your kitchen countertop is where you prepare your food, so you need to make sure that it’s properly cleaned and disinfected at all times. While water and mild soap do a great job of getting rid of most germs, you might want to use a different technique to kill all types of bacteria and viruses.

Just remember that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to disinfecting countertops. The product you use must be adapted to your countertop’s material. Here are a few tips:

  • How to disinfect granite countertops: dilute bleach with some warm water by following the instructions on the bottle. Wipe the surface with the product and a clean cloth, then rinse it with some warm water.
  • How to disinfect marble countertops: avoid bleach at all costs, as it could damage your marble countertop. Go to your nearest grocery store and get a specialized disinfecting spray that is safe for marble.
  • How to disinfect quartz and engineered stone countertops: wipe the surface with some rubbing alcohol (diluted in water), and a microfiber cleaning cloth. When this is done, rinse your countertop with some warm water and a fresh rag.  

    • How to Seal Countertops

    By sealing your countertops, you’re making sure that you’re protecting them from stains and scratches for longer. 

  • How to seal granite countertops: use a granite-specific sealer. Although highly resistant, granite is a bit more porous than other materials like quartz, so it’s recommended to reseal it once a year, to keep it stain-free.
    Tip: spray some water on your granite kitchen counter. If it goes away within four minutes, it’ll be your sign that it’s time for a reseal. 
  • How to seal marble countertops: marble is a beautiful material, but it’s more fragile when it comes to stains, due to its high level of porosity. To protect it, reseal it once a year with a marble-specific product, by following the same technique as with granite countertops.
  • How to seal quartz and engineered stone countertops: you don’t. Engineered stones are so resistant that they are non-porous, so they don’t need to be resealed, unlike other countertop materials. 

    • Do you need help deciding what kind of kitchen countertop you want, or advice on how to remove stains? Contact us, our experts will be happy to assist you.