Thread: Granite countertop help

Good morning.

We built a new home a couple years ago, and decided on granite counter tops. I'm beginning to think they were never sealed, or at least not properly. From about 3-4 months after we moved in, I noticed the area around the kitchen sink - especially the handles - had gotten a bit dark. The area where the steam comes out of the dishwater too.

So, it's a water problem, I know that much. I don't think it has anything to do with hard water though. I don't have any of the white marks that people talk about when referring to hard water stains on granite. I've researched several times on the internet. I seem to keep seeing instructions to use vinegar. But, most posts on forums I found are old, and the person asking for help doesn't come back to respond how the advice given worked.

Has anyone had that problem? Dark areas around their sink area, or dishwater area? What did you do to remove them?

TIA!

~ Ambrie ~

I work for a kitchen & bath place. Can you post pictures of your c/t?
Is this soapstone or honed finish granite? Seeing pictures would helo me alot. If you don't/can't post pictures on here PM me & see if you can send them to me that way.

I would say granite? That's what we chose with the builder. It was in their granite category.

I'm not sure if a picture would show it effectively. It probably would end up looking like a shadow, if you could see it at all. If you've ever seen granite that has had some water soak in and how it get darker, that's all it is. There are no additional marks, residue, etc.

I could try doing a picture, but it would have to be later on.

Granite is a natural surface & does have tiny inperfections. Sounds to me like the installers didn't use enough silicone when installing. If it is around your sink & faucet area I would suspect that to be the culprit.
I can honestly say I have never encountered that problem with any of our jobs.
I don't want to give you advice & make your problem worse but here is a couple of suggestions. I would suggest you try this on a very small area.

One quick question before I give you advice; is you countertop glossy or is it more dullish?

I would say dullish because it's definately not glossy!

I just wanted to fix everything before I really slap a good coat of treatment on it. I found out that Soft Scrub will take out greasey type stains, I just haven't tried anything for the water darkening. But once that's done, it's gonna get a good coat of sealer!

I did try the poultice thing - flour mixed with that 12% hydrogen peroxide. Left it on overnight. Didn't do a darn thing! That Soft Scrub worked wonders though.

Thank you in advance for your help, I appreciate it.

Okay...now that makes better sense. You either have soapstone or honed granite.
First you are going to have to clean the countertop. I would advise you to use something like Dawn. You can try using an old,soft toothbrush. Go in a circular motion & only do a small area at a time. If you don't feel comfortable using a toothbrush you can use a soft cloth, NOT paper towels. Rince it off & let dry overnight.
The next day use a soft cloth, put a small amount of mineral oil (on the cloth not the countertop). Test this on a small area first. Then use a different soft cloth to pick-up excess oil. That should work.
Mineral oil will seal it for about a year.
I have heard of some people putting car wax on their countertops but I would never advise this.
Let me know if this works.

I'm not having a problem with excess oil spots. The Soft Scrub takes that right out. It's the darker water spots around the sink and dishwasher that I'm trying to fix.

I'll try to get a picture up, I don't know if I'm describing it effectively. The only problem areas are where I use a LOT of water - the sink area, and the strip right above the dishwasher. It looks like it just doesn't completely dry out all the way anymore and remains a few shades darker than the rest of the granite.

You're so sweet to talk all this through with me, thank you!

No no no. I wasn't implying you had oil spots but you said you wanted to seal it. Mineral oil is a sealant. If you want to see what the countertop will look like before you seal it, wet a paper towel & rub it on in a circular motion. That is what your countertop will look like sealed. The water will evaporate & if you don't like the sealed look then no harm done.
If you are getting water spots near your sink or faucet you either have a leak or the faucet/sink don't have enough silicone to seal properly. A hole the size of a pin can whick-up water like a sponge. If it is always wet in that area that is the problem.
The dishwasher, do you open the door to let your dishes air-dry?

Trust me pictures are worth a $1,000. I had a guy come in last week to show me pictures of a butchered countertop (we didn't do his job) that he now needed us to try & fix. To say this was a bad countertop is an understatement.