Life

These 6 Granite Cleaners Will Keep Your Counters Polished & Protected

by Elizabeth Enochs

Whether you’re looking for a gentle, daily option, or a tough cleaning kit to bust out occasionally, the best granite cleaners help protect your granite countertops from regular wear while also keeping them clean and shiny. I’ve rounded up the best granite cleaners for a variety of needs below.

A Closer Look Into The Product Categories

Your granite-cleaning arsenal should include three distinct components: a cleaner, conditioner, and sealer. However, a good all-in-one product will work if you’re time-crunched.

  • Daily cleaner: Avoid generic cleaners or products with Windex, since Windex can permanently damage your countertops. Also, avoid acidic cleaners, like vinegar, lemon, lime, or anything with ammonia or bleach that can break down the protective sealant of your countertop. Instead, look for gentle, pH-neutral cleaners.
  • Polish: A temporary polish can be used weekly or monthly. You’ll need one that’s specifically formulated for granite, since many household polishing products can strip the sealant. Long-term granite polishes remove a small layer of granite from your countertops and require heavy-duty equipment, so they aren't included in this round-up.
  • Sealer: Unsealed or weakly sealed granite will soak up oils, spills, and stains, which will end up permanently ruining the look of your countertops. Be sure to look for sealers that are designed for natural stone, ideally those made specifically for treating granite. Before you apply a sealer, you'll want to do a "seal test." Leave a one-fourth cup of water on your countertop. If it beads up, you have a secure seal. If after several minutes the water has soaked into the granite, then it’s time to reseal the stone.
  • All-in-one products: All-in-one options clean, condition, and seal the granite with one formula. They’re not as effective as a whole system, and some can leave your finish looking cloudy, but they’ll get the job done if you're crunched for time.

1The Best Overall: A Complete Granite Cleaning Kit With A Microfiber Cloth

This complete granite cleaning kit from Weiman includes all three of the products recommended for granite care: a daily cleaner, a polish, and a sealer — plus, it includes a microfiber cloth, the recommended material for cleaning granite.

The Weiman cleaner safely removes grease, grime, and surface stains while simultaneously reducing scratches and dullness and enhancing natural color and veining. The polish works to restore shine to dull and faded stone surfaces while also revitalizing their natural color; and the seal creates a protective barrier that repels water-based and oil-based stains, which makes cleaning easier and extends the life of your countertops. The specialized formulas are pH-neutral.

What fans are saying: “This kit makes taking care of our granite countertops very easy. The countertops look great, and so far nothing has penetrated or stained them despite several opportunities to have done so. Happy with these products — they really work!”

2The Best Daily Granite Cleaner: A Gentle Spray With Over 1,000 Reviews

Granite Gold Daily Cleaner Spray was created by a third-generation family of stone care experts, and it boasts a 4.4-star rating and over 1,000 reviews. It’s also a '#1 Best Selling' product on Amazon, and it’s easy to see why. It’s specifically formulated with granite and other natural stone surfaces in mind, and it guarantees a streak-free finish. It’s also nontoxic, non-acidic, pH-neutral, biodegradable, and free from phosphates and ammonia.

What fans are saying: “Great stuff! I have super exotic and very expensive granite and I'm very picky about the products I use to care for it. I tried a few daily granite cleaners and they either left a film or just pushed around the grease and grime. This cleaner actually dissolves it gently. The Granite Gold Daily Cleaner and Polish is amazing as well.”

3The Best Natural Granite Cleaner

Boasting a 4.6-star rating, Method Daily Granite Cleaner Spray gently cleans and temporarily polishes, and it’s specially designed for granite and other stone surfaces. Its naturally-derived, plant-based formula is nontoxic and biodegradable, and it includes sodium citrate to optimize pH levels. It also comes in a 100% recycled plastic bottle, and Method is a Leaping Bunny-certified cruelty-free company, if animal-friendly labels are important to you.

Plus, with this convenient eight-pack of sprays, you won't have to restock for awhile!

What fans are saying: "Love all method products; this granite cleaner does require a two-cloth process (one to clean and one to buff), but it’s worth the elbow grease to get my counters sparkling! Most importantly, my daughter (who is very sensitive to chemicals and perfumes) has no reaction from Method products."

4The Best Granite Polish

Granite Gold Polish Spray is specially formulated for granite and other stone surfaces, and it works to temporarily restore shine and luster to your countertops. It’s also nontoxic, non-acidic, pH-neutral, biodegradable, and free from phosphates and ammonia. Plus, this pick boasts a 4.4-star rating and hundreds of reviews. Additionally, the Granite Gold brand consistently lands in the top two picks of experts' roundups for the best granite cleaners — from HDD Mag to Luxury Home Stuff to Homethods.

What fans are saying: “I have had granite counter tops for over five years. I keep them clean, but they kept getting duller and duller. Then, I came across the Granite Gold Products. The Polish has restored the luster and shine as if they were new! After cleaning them, I spray on the polish, wait a few seconds and wipe off — showroom-new counters! Highly recommend!”

5The Best Granite Sealer

TriNova Granite Sealer & Protector is specifically designed for granite and other stone surfaces, and it boasts a 4.5-star rating and over 1,300 reviews on Amazon. This pick uses a powerful blend of polymers to penetrate the stone’s naturally porous surface and block out stains from seeping in and becoming permanent. It’s also pH-neutral, nontoxic, and free of bleach and alcohol.

What fans are saying: “I'm very happy with this product's performance, including ease of use, how long the product lasts (value) and how well it works for our granite countertop. This countertop is in our main bathroom and it takes a lot of abuse from so much water, soap, cosmetics and other substances. I am starting my third bottle of granite sealer and our countertop still looks new. Thanks for a great product!”

6The Best For The Time-Crunched: A Three-In-One Granite Cleaner

This multi-tasking pick is designed for all natural and engineered stone surfaces, from granite to quartz to marble — and it’s formulated with iOSeal, which works to protect against stains, water spots, and fading. It’s pH-neutral, alcohol-free, ammonia-free, and free from harsh chemicals as well. It adds a temporary polish without wax, so it shouldn’t leave any build-up or residue behind. Plus, it comes with a microfiber cloth. Amazon shoppers give this option a 4-star rating.

What fans are saying: “I have black granite counters. While this costs a little bit more than your standard counter cleaner, this all-in-one seals, cleans, and then buffs out to a great shine. Saves time and works great.”

Bustle may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently of Bustle's editorial and sales departments.