LESLIE: Kim in Missouri is on the line and has a question about removing water stain on granite countertop. What can we do for you today?
KIM: Earlier this year, I remodeled my bathroom and I had a new vanity put in and I had a black – it came in a black granite countertop. The kind that’s shiny.
TOM: Yep.
KIM: And for some reason, one of the handles – it’s a faucet – it almost looks like a hard-water stain or a hard-water deposit. I can’t get it off. It almost has a rough feeling. Nowhere else on the countertop looks like that. I’ve tried everything and I’m afraid I ruined it. But do you have any suggestions for me?
TOM: I wonder if it’s a manufacturing defect, Leslie.
LESLIE: I mean it very well could be. So tell us, where is this exactly?
KIM: It’s basically the water stain is around the right faucet – the base of the right faucet. And the right handle and the base of the faucet. And I’ve tried all the things they recommend. I bought it at a big-box store.
TOM: OK.
KIM: And I’ve tried all the things they recommend there. And I’ve tried – I haven’t tried anything abrasive at all. And the rest of the counter looks fine but those two areas just won’t come off.
TOM: So you’re thinking that this is something that’s staining this particular surface, as opposed to just a defect in the original material. Is that correct?
KIM: Yes, I’m thinking is it because I don’t remember seeing it when they first installed it. But within a week or two after I saw that. But it almost looks like a hard-water stain around them.
LESLIE: Have you tried white vinegar in removing water stain?
KIM: Yes.
LESLIE: You did, OK. Because that’s usually – if it’s a hard-water stain or some sort of mineral in the water, that’s going to be the trick for removing a granite water stain.
KIM: And I’m really afraid to try a lot of things because they said you can damage the granite if you use the wrong cleaner.
TOM: Now, you mentioned this was installed. Have you thought about contacting the original installers or the company that you worked with for it? Because they may have access to some products that you don’t. And it sounds like you tried all the basic, over-the-counter-type approaches here that you might need a professional come in and removing water stain on granite for you.
KIM: OK. I could try that. I went to the original big-box store and I went to the departments that – where I purchased this that.
The people who did my bathroom said, “What did you clean this with?” And they showed me that but that didn’t seem to work. And they’ve even – I even read an article that you should use something like Ivory on it with a non-abrasive cloth. I’ve tried that but like I said, it looks good when it’s wet but when it dries, it still comes back.
TOM: Yeah. What it might be that – you may have worn off some of the finish. And once you do that, then stains get into the stone itself. So, I suspect that this is going to be something you’re going to need some professional help removing water stain on granite.
So I wouldn’t – even if it’s not the store you bought it from, there are going to be companies out there that specialize in granite cleaning and polishing, because everyone that has these types of surfaces in their home – I think when you originally buy it, you think, “Well, it’s natural material. I’m never going to have to do anything with it.” But the truth is they often need to be repolished and resealed from time to time to keep looking good.
And so that’s, I think, what I would do at this point since you’ve tried all the basics that you can try. I would just get a professional in to remove water stain for you.
KIM: Oh, thank you so much. Because I said I was just afraid I had ruined the whole countertop for this one little area.
TOM: Yeah. Well, you could if you keep going. That’s why I think you’ve tried everything that is reasonable for you to try. And I would get online to a site, like HomeAdvisor.com, and find a professional in your particular area. Read the reviews, find somebody that sounds good and give them a shot.
KIM: I had no idea where to go. Thank you. I will try that so much.
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