How To Clean A Stained Sandstone Countertop

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"My husband is a wonderful cook, just he leaves everything out as he putters around the kitchen. I'yard concerned virtually our new granite counters. Which should I worry nigh more than — oil-bottle rings, wine splatters, what?"

FLORENCE PERCHUK (kitchen designer): In my 38 years designing kitchens, I've seen stains from both oil and wine. I've also seen them from cranberry juice, all citrus juices, salad dressings, vinegars, and coffee. The fundamental is to wipe a spill up as shortly equally you meet it: I tin't emphasize that plenty. If you lot don't let the spills sit down there, they won't penetrate. Likewise, go on Drano, nail polish remover, and any other household acids off the counter. Oils are less of a problem, once the stone has been sealed, and kids with viscous fingers are no problem at all.

What's the right fashion to seal the rock?

Have the supplier seal it a few times as presently as it'south installed. Y'all'll know it's sealed properly when water beads and forms droplets on the surface. Then take information technology sealed once more a twelvemonth later on — that should practice the trick.

Can I seal it myself?

People practice, just I recommend using professionals who know which sealer to utilize on your particular stone. Don't accept advice from a retailer who has a vested interest in selling one particular product. The same goes for everyday cleaners — StoneTech is a good one, only there are slews on the market place.

What's the worst stain you've ever helped remove?

I had a customer who spilled melted lard all over his rock counters and tile floor. You can't imagine how that stuff spreads and penetrates. The tile grout was ruined and had to be redone, simply nosotros managed to poultice out the stains on the counter. We put down a few layers of cheesecloth soaked in h2o and a powder called whiting. You can go it at virtually housewares stores. Nosotros left the layers on for two or three days. The stained areas ended up merely slightly lighter than the area where the lard hadn't reached. Call up, if yous do poultice your rock, it needs to be resealed afterward.

What other kinds of stains can I remove myself?

Quite a few. Many are listed on the Marble Institute of America'due south Website marble-constitute.com. You tin can poultice away rust. You tin remove soap scum or mildew with a solution of a half cup of ammonia in a gallon of water.

How about common stuff similar coffee?

Yous can remove most coffee or juice stains with a lilliputian hydrogen peroxide in water, plus a few drops of ammonia. For everyday wear-and-tear, buff away small scratches with superfine dry steel wool chosen "grade 0000." But if y'all're really worried about your counters, put in those new engineered quartzes, like Zodiaq or Silestone. They're nearly impervious and indestructible. Or be extra careful to embrace the counters completely with cutting boards whenever you lot piece of work in the kitchen.

Which kinds of stone are the easiest to keep clean?

Granite is expert and stiff. Marble is more porous than granite, only tougher than y'all'd retrieve. I've had honed, sealed white Carrara marble counters for 10 years. I abuse them and they're just at present beginning to develop a patina, with slight weathering and chips that I dear.I suggest French limestone for kitchens, too. The color is intense creamy-gold and there is veining. It'south more durable than the lighter limestones from Hellenic republic or the Baltic regions, which are beautiful but too porous.

You lot haven't mentioned slate or soapstone.

They're beautiful too, simply require so much maintenance and abiding mineral oil treatments, they're non practical. Soapstone has the added problem that it's soft and tin chip. I only recommend them if it's a no-melt situation.

Are honed or polished surfaces easier to maintain?

Information technology doesn't matter, really. But we recommend honed — it looks more interesting, and is more than user-friendly for fingerprints than polished, which can exist besides sleek and off-putting.

How about color? I'chiliad terrified whenever I see someone'southward new white kitchen.

Really, blackness is the hardest to maintain in any stone or finish, polished or honed. You can seal and seal and seal, but y'all'll still run into every finger-marker. At that place's naught you can practice.

FLORENCE PERCHUK, KITCHEN DESIGNER, DESIGNS By FLORENCE PERCHUK LTD; 212-245-0999; FPERCHUK@AOL.COM