DIY Cleaning Tips
The Right Way to Clean Granite and Stone Benchtops
Acid-based cleaners — including vinegar, citrus and many standard kitchen sprays — will permanently etch your stone benchtop. Here's what to actually use, and how to maintain natural stone properly.
Stone benchtops — granite, marble, travertine, limestone, engineered stone — are among the most beautiful and expensive surfaces in a modern kitchen. They're also among the most commonly damaged by improper cleaning.
The damage is usually invisible at first. But over months of cleaning with the wrong products, stone surfaces lose their polish, develop a dull etched appearance, and can become permanently marked. And the frustrating part is that the products causing the damage are the same ones most people would reach for to clean a kitchen surface: lemon-based sprays, vinegar, bathroom cleaners, bleach, and even standard multi-surface kitchen products.
Understanding why these products damage stone — and what to use instead — is the difference between a benchtop that stays beautiful for decades and one that looks tired and dull within a few years of installation.
Why Most Cleaning Products Damage Stone
Natural stone is calcium-based. Marble, limestone and travertine are primarily calcium carbonate. Granite is less sensitive but still porous and reactive. Engineered stone (like Caesarstone, Silestone and similar brands) varies — most are quartz-based and somewhat more acid-resistant, but still require proper care.
The problem: acid dissolves calcium carbonate. Even mild acids — white vinegar (acetic acid), lemon juice (citric acid), citrus-based cleaners, bathroom descalers, and many standard kitchen sprays — react chemically with the surface of natural stone. This reaction etches the stone, dulling the polish and leaving cloudy, dull patches that cannot be removed without professional re-polishing.
Once stone is etched, the only remediation is professional diamond polishing and re-sealing — a costly process. Prevention is far simpler.
The pH Problem: What to Look For on Labels
The key number is pH. Products with a pH below 7 are acidic and will damage natural stone. Products with a pH above 9–10 are strongly alkaline and can also damage stone surfaces and their sealers over time. The safe range for stone cleaning is pH 7–9.
Never use on natural stone:
- White vinegar (pH ~2.5)
- Lemon juice or citrus cleaners (pH ~2–3)
- Bleach undiluted (pH ~12 — too alkaline, strips sealer)
- Bathroom descalers or limescale removers (highly acidic)
- Grout cleaners with acid
- Toilet bowl cleaners
- Most standard kitchen spray cleaners (check the label — many are mildly acidic or strongly alkaline)
Safe for natural stone:
- pH-neutral dish soap diluted in water
- Dedicated stone cleaner (specifically formulated and pH-neutral)
- Warm water with a drop of gentle dish soap for daily cleaning
Daily Cleaning: What to Do
For day-to-day maintenance of a stone benchtop, less is more.
What you need: A clean microfibre cloth and warm water, with a small drop of pH-neutral dish soap if needed.
Method:
- Dampen a microfibre cloth with warm water and a tiny amount of dish soap.
- Wipe the benchtop in straight strokes, working in sections.
- Rinse the cloth with clean water and wipe again to remove any soap residue — soap residue builds up over time and creates a dull film on stone surfaces.
- Dry with a clean dry cloth. Leaving water on stone — particularly calcium-based stones like marble — can leave water marks and in hard water areas like Adelaide, mineral deposits.
That's it. Daily cleaning of stone doesn't need to be complicated and doesn't need specialist products.
Dealing With Spills on Stone Benchtops
Spills are where the most damage to stone benchtops occurs — not from the cleaning, but from the spill itself sitting on the surface.
The most damaging common spills on natural stone:
- Red wine, coffee and fruit juices (acidic and can stain)
- Tomato-based products (acidic)
- Citrus juice — lemon, lime, orange (highly acidic)
- Vinegar-based dressings and condiments
- Alcohol
- Cooking oil (stains rather than etches)
Rule: Blot spills immediately. Don't wipe — blotting prevents the spill from spreading. Then clean with a damp cloth and mild dish soap.
The longer an acidic spill sits on stone, the deeper the etching. A lemon squeezed directly onto a marble benchtop and left for 30 minutes will leave a clearly visible dull patch. The same lemon wiped up immediately will cause minimal or no damage.
Deep Cleaning: Monthly Maintenance
For a thorough monthly clean:
-
Use a dedicated stone cleaner (available at tile shops, stone suppliers and some hardware stores). These are pH-balanced, safe for the stone surface and the sealer, and more effective than plain water for removing grease and buildup.
-
Apply the cleaner as directed — usually spray on, leave briefly, wipe off with a microfibre cloth.
-
Pay attention to the area around the sink and stove where grease and water accumulate. These areas benefit from slightly more product and a gentle scrub with the microfibre cloth — never an abrasive pad.
-
Dry thoroughly with a clean cloth.
Removing Stains from Stone
Stone staining is different to surface etching. Staining is where a coloured substance has penetrated into the porous surface of the stone. Etching is surface chemical damage that creates a dull patch.
For oil-based stains (cooking oil, body oil): A poultice of baking soda and water mixed to a paste, applied to the stain, covered with plastic wrap and left for 24–48 hours, can draw the oil out of the stone. The baking soda is mildly alkaline and pH-safe for stone. Remove and rinse clean.
For organic stains (coffee, tea, wine): A poultice of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide (3% solution from a pharmacy) applied the same way can lighten organic staining. Hydrogen peroxide is a mild oxidiser that breaks down organic pigments. Do not use on dark stone — it can lighten the stone itself.
For rust stains: Rust on stone is particularly tricky because most rust removers are acidic. A commercial product specifically designed for rust removal on natural stone is needed — do not use standard rust removers or CLR on stone.
Etching (dull patches from acid damage): Cannot be removed with cleaning. Requires professional polishing. Prevention is the only real solution.
Sealing Stone Benchtops: Why It Matters
Natural stone should be sealed to protect against staining and moisture penetration. The sealer sits in the pores of the stone and creates a barrier — it doesn't make the stone acid-resistant, but it gives you more time to wipe up spills before they penetrate and stain.
How to test if your stone needs resealing: Pour a few drops of water onto the stone surface. If the water beads up, the seal is intact. If the water is absorbed quickly and the stone darkens, the seal is depleted and resealing is needed.
Resealing frequency:
- High-traffic kitchen benchtops: annually
- Lower-use surfaces: every 2–3 years
Choosing a sealer: Use a penetrating impregnating sealer specifically designed for stone — not a surface coating or wax. Ask your stone supplier or tile shop for a recommendation based on your specific stone type.
Application: Clean the stone thoroughly and let it dry completely (allow 24 hours). Apply the sealer with a clean cloth in the direction of the stone grain, allow it to penetrate for the time specified (usually 15–30 minutes), then buff off any excess with a clean cloth. Most sealers need at least 24 hours cure time before the surface is wet again.
Important: The wrong sealer, or sealer applied to incompletely dry stone, can leave a haze on the surface. If you're uncertain, get a stone care professional to reseal rather than DIYing it.
Engineered Stone (Caesarstone, Silestone, etc.)
Engineered stone is predominantly quartz — a harder, less porous material than most natural stones. It's generally more resistant to staining and etching than marble, but it is not impervious and still requires careful cleaning.
Do use: pH-neutral cleaners, mild dish soap and water, dedicated engineered stone cleaners.
Don't use: Undiluted bleach (damages the surface over time), harsh abrasives, acidic cleaners.
One specific risk for engineered stone: Very high heat. Engineered stone is not heat-resistant in the same way as natural granite. Placing a very hot pan directly on engineered stone can cause cracking or discolouration. Always use trivets.
Quick Reference: Stone Benchtop Do's and Don'ts
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Use pH-neutral dish soap and warm water | Use vinegar or lemon-based cleaners |
| Blot spills immediately | Leave acidic spills on the surface |
| Dry the surface after cleaning | Let water air-dry (mineral deposits) |
| Use dedicated stone cleaner for deep cleans | Use bathroom spray or descaler |
| Reseal annually | Use abrasive pads or scouring cleaners |
| Use trivets for hot pans (engineered stone) | Use bleach regularly |
Proper stone care is simple once you know the rules. The main one: if it's acidic, it doesn't go on stone. For professional deep cleaning that treats your benchtops correctly, book a home detailing service in Adelaide.
For a full room-by-room spring cleaning guide for Adelaide that treats your benchtops correctly alongside every other surface, see our spring cleaning guide for Adelaide homes.
Written by Victor Jacon — Master Cleaner & Home Detailing Specialist, Founder of PF Cleaning Adelaide.
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