Stone Countertop Care Guide: What Actually Works
From the fabricators who install these surfaces every week: what to use, what to never touch your stone with, how to seal it, and what to do when something goes wrong. No fluff, no product sponsorships.
What to Clean Your Countertop With Every Day
✓ What Works on All Stone
Warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap is the gold standard for daily cleaning on any stone surface — granite, quartz, quartzite, marble or porcelain. Wipe with a soft cloth. Dry with a clean cloth. That's genuinely all you need for daily upkeep.
Stone-specific spray cleaners (Granite Gold, Method Daily, StoneTech) are also fine and smell better, but they're not strictly necessary if you're using soap and water correctly.
✗ What to Never Use on Stone
- Vinegar — acid etches natural stone and strips sealer
- Bleach — damages sealer, can discolour stone
- Lemon/citrus cleaners — acidic, same problem as vinegar
- Ammonia-based cleaners (Windex, etc.) — degrades sealer
- Abrasive scrubbers — scratch polished surfaces
- Bathroom tile spray — often acidic, designed for ceramic not stone
How to Seal Granite and Quartzite (Takes 15 Minutes)
Natural stone — granite, quartzite, marble — should be sealed once a year with a penetrating impregnating sealer. Quartz and porcelain never need sealing.
Test before you seal
Put a tablespoon of water on the counter. If it beads up, the sealer is still working. If it absorbs and darkens within a few minutes, it's time. No need to reseal if the water still beads.
Choose the right sealer
Use a penetrating (impregnating) sealer, not a topical coating. Topical sealers sit on the surface and peel. Penetrating sealers absorb into the stone and protect from within. Granite Gold Sealer and StoneTech BulletProof are both reliable and available at most Calgary hardware stores.
Apply and wait
Spray the sealer on a dry, clean surface. Spread evenly with a clean cloth. Let it penetrate for 10 to 15 minutes. Wipe away any excess. Let it cure for an hour before using the surface. You're done.
What to Do When Something Goes Wrong
Oil-Based Stains (Cooking Oil, Grease, Lotion)
Make a poultice: mix baking soda with acetone (nail polish remover) until it forms a thick paste. Apply to the stain about half an inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap, tape the edges, and leave it for 24 hours. The poultice draws the oil out of the pores as it dries. Remove, rinse thoroughly and reseal.
Water-Based Stains (Coffee, Wine, Juice)
Mix 12% hydrogen peroxide with a small amount of flour to form a thick paste. Apply to the stain, cover with plastic wrap and leave for 24 hours. Rinse well. Works on most organic stains. For stubborn wine stains on light granite, a second application is often needed.
Rust Stains
Rust stains come from metal objects left on wet stone — cans, steel wool, cast iron pans. Use a commercial rust remover rated for natural stone (not standard rust removers, which are too acidic). Apply carefully and rinse immediately. Badly set rust stains may require professional polishing.
Etch Marks on Marble
Etching is not a stain — it's acid damage to the stone surface itself. The acid dissolves calcium carbonate, leaving a dull spot. Light etch marks can be polished out with a marble polishing powder and a felt polishing wheel. Deeper etch marks need professional honing. Prevention — no acids on marble — is far better than treatment.
Have a Countertop Problem We Haven't Covered?
Call us. We've seen most things that happen to stone and can usually tell you how to fix it.
Care and Maintenance Questions
How often should I seal my granite countertop?
Does quartz countertop ever need to be sealed?
Can I use vinegar to clean my stone countertop?
My granite has a stain that won't come off with cleaning. What do I do?
New Countertops Come With a Care Walkthrough
Every Bedrock installation includes a full care and maintenance walkthrough at handover. You'll know exactly how to look after your stone before we leave.