Material
Granite
A hard siliceous stone that resists acid far better than marble but is still porous, so a stain that soaks in still needs a poultice.
- SurfaceSemi porous
- WashingSpot only
- Colour run riskLow
- Reviewed7 September 2026
What granite can and cannot take
- Heat Use with care
- Water and soaking Use with care
- Acids, including vinegar Use with care
- Strong alkalis Use with care
- Solvents Use with care
- Chlorine bleach Use with care
- Abrasives Use with care
Always test on a hidden area first and let it dry before you treat the visible mark.
General rules for granite
Granite is the most forgiving natural stone here and it is still porous.
A milk spill will soak in if it is left, and the resulting shadow needs a poultice like any other stone. Sealed granite gives you longer to react, not immunity.
Routine cleaning is mild washing up liquid in warm water. Scouring powders and creams are excluded because they scratch the polish, and acidic cleaners are excluded as a precaution rather than an absolute.
Check the label
Granite is siliceous rather than calcareous, so it resists acid far better than marble or limestone. The stone trade body still advises against acidic cleaners, because granite can contain traces of acid sensitive minerals, and rust removers containing hydrofluoric acid attack every stone including granite.
Stains on granite
- Baby sick Blot the spill up, then wash the area with a little washing up liquid in warm water, which is the stone trade...
- Blood Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Body oil Lift free oil from granite, then clean a small area with a maker-approved mild detergent solution and a soft...
- Breast milk Blot the spill, identify the finish and use a controlled cold clean only where permitted. Where the maker per...
- Bronzer Lift loose bronzer from granite before it is rubbed in. Blot cream bronzer, follow the material or care label...
- Coffee Wipe coffee off granite promptly with a soft cloth. Identify stone, sealer and adjacent grout before choosing...
- Concealer Lift the concealer from Granite, clean with neutral stone cleaner or very dilute washing-up liquid, rinse and...
- Cooking grease Blot cooking grease from Granite, absorb surface oil, wash gently with mild detergent and judge when dry. A r...
- Deodorant Lift loose deodorant from granite with a dry white cloth, then wipe the remaining film with cool water and on...
- Hair dye Blot Granite, clean with a tested non-acidic stone product, rinse and dry. Refer absorbed colour rather than...
- Lipstick Lift lipstick from Granite, clean with neutral stone cleaner or very dilute washing-up liquid, rinse and dry....
- Motor oil Blot motor oil from Granite, absorb surface oil, wash gently with mild detergent and judge when dry. A remain...
- Nail polish Lift free polish gently if the face permits contact. A maker-approved mild damp wipe can clear loose residue,...
- Period blood Lift any tissue with a spoon edge, then blot. Use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent for th...
- Pet urine Blot until nearly dry, then use only the cool-water quantity granite can tolerate. Use a labelled pet urine e...
- Tomato sauce Lift tomato sauce from Granite, then wipe or blot inwards with a tested cool detergent solution. Remove resid...
Granite is an igneous rock made largely of quartz and feldspar.
It is not calcium carbonate
Which is why it survives a lemon on a worktop where marble would not. The trade body still recommends against acidic cleaners because granite can contain acid sensitive minerals, and that is a sensible precaution rather than a strict prohibition.
It is porous
Most granite worktops are sealed, and a sealer slows absorption rather than preventing it. A spill left overnight will still leave a shadow.
Polish is the vulnerable part
The surface is polished, and scouring powders scratch it. The stone underneath is hard; the finish is what you damage.
Dark granite shows peroxide
A peroxide poultice lightens as well as cleans, which is invisible on speckled mid tones and can leave a pale patch on black granite.
Sources
What we checked and when. Where a manufacturer instruction disagrees with anything here, follow the manufacturer.
-
Care and cleaning of natural stone, Natural Stone Institute
trade body
Stone trade body guidance that calcareous stone such as limestone and travertine is sensitive to acid so only mild non acidic cleaners are used, that acidic cleaners are still not advised on granite, slate or sandstone because they can hold acid sensitive minerals, that scouring powders scratch stone, that the routine clean is a neutral cleaner or mild washing up liquid in warm water, that organic stains are treated with hydrogen peroxide, and that ammonia and bleach are never mixed.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
Guide to cleaning marble stains with poultices, Olson Marble and Stone Care
specialist
Stone restoration specialist describing a poultice as an absorbent powder mixed with a cleaning agent, bicarbonate of soda with hydrogen peroxide for an organic stain, spread about a quarter of an inch thick, covered with plastic wrap taped down and left for 24 to 48 hours, that stubborn stains need more than one application, and that a stone that is deeply etched or discoloured beyond surface penetration needs professional restoration rather than a poultice.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
Cleaning grout, Tile Council of North America
trade body
Tile trade body guidance that grout manufacturers do not advocate the use of acids because acids attack the cement in the grout, that grout is alkaline based and is dissolved by acids, that mildly alkaline cleaners are preferred over acidic ones, that oil and wax based cleaners leave a film that attracts dirt, that alkaline cleaner not properly rinsed leaves a sticky residue, and that cementitious grout should be sealed to prevent staining.
Checked 7 September 2026