Apply household detergent mineral spirits acetone ammonia or bleach to the stain and clean gently.
Ring stain on granite countertop.
You re looking at an iron oxide rust stain in a granite countertop that could be millions of years old.
In my opinion it s not a defect.
And of course more lightly colored granite is more likely to show stains than darker colors so if you have a white or other pale colored granite countertop it s important to be extra vigilant.
Sometimes lifting a soap ring is as easy as leaving a wet sponge on top of the stain for a couple of days.
Water rings on granite are particularly common as water on a cooler glass will form condensation and result in a circle of moisture on the counter.
Hence a granite countertop does not soak up as much spills or oils as other countertops do.
Stains could come from anything like rust water chemicals oil paint or even ink.
Oil based stains caused by oils grease cosmetics and milk will darken the granite countertop.
Removing stains from granite countertops can be both a challenge and a puzzle at the same time.
This happens when water pools or drips onto a granite counter and is left there to dry.
Even a completely sealed granite countertop can stain if a spill is left to sit for long enough.
But one thing about granite countertops is that if they are not sealed with a quality granite countertop sealer they become prone to staining.
To remove the stains you will need to lift them out of the stone with a special formula or poultice.
Granite countertops also don t like it when you use something like windex on them because it strips the seal off of the stone.
However one issue people can have with their granite countertops is water staining.
In order to remove the stain the oil must be chemically dissolved.
If you are trying to remove an old stain create a dense paste of more baking soda and less water.
How to remove oil based stains on granite countertops.
Use a wet sponge.
Courtesy of tim carter tim carter.