How to Clean Granite and Quartz Countertops Safely

Wipe with a soft cloth and warm water, add a few drops of mild dish soap if the top is greasy, rinse with clean water, and dry. The Natural Stone Institute names a neutral cleaner, stone soap or a mild liquid dishwashing detergent in warm water for stone. Cambria and Caesarstone name warm water, a soft cloth and mild soap or detergent for quartz.

Use little soap. The Institute says too strong a soap mix may leave a film and cause streaks, and MSI says too much soap leaves a film that makes polished stone look dull. No source sets a cleaning schedule, so wipe spills at once and clean when the top looks dirty.

Granite Gold, a granite-care maker, said in a 2017 post that dish soaps are not formulated to clean natural stone. The Institute and the quartz makers still name mild detergent, so use a small amount and rinse well.

• Clear crumbs first with a dry cloth so grit is not dragged across the stone.
• Wipe with a soft cloth wrung out in warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap.
• Rinse the same area with a cloth wet with clean water.
• Dry with a clean microfiber towel to avoid water spots.

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Daily cleaning is the same. Sealing is where they differ. The Natural Stone Institute says most granite countertops do not need to be sealed, though in many cases it makes sense to seal marble and granite. Cambria says its quartz requires no sealing, polishing or reconditioning. Caesarstone's care page does not mention sealing, so ask your maker for its sheet.

The sources disagree on granite. MSI, which sells stone, wrote that any natural stone countertop will need to be sealed. The Institute says most granite does not. A water test on your own top settles it: MSI says to wipe the granite, sprinkle water on it, and if the water beads and stays the stone does not need sealing yet, but if the stone absorbs it, seal. Do not use oil for this test.

Sealing does not make stone stain proof. The Institute says it makes stone more stain resistant, so spills still need to come up fast. Our sealing guide covers how often.

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Skip acids, abrasives and strong chemicals. The Natural Stone Institute says lemon, vinegar or other acids may dull or etch calcareous stones, and that scouring powders or creams often contain abrasives that may scratch certain stones. MSI lists scouring pads and rough sponges for quartzite.

Caesarstone tells owners to avoid strong chemicals and solvents, strong acids or alkalis, and oxidizers, regardless of pH. It also names oven and grill cleaners and oil soaps, and says not to use stone cleaners on its quartz.

Vinegar is where advice splits. A Real Homes article tells readers to use a vinegar and baking soda paste on quartz limescale, then quotes a mineral specialist who says not to use lemon, vinegar or ammonia on quartz. The Institute says some granites contain minerals that acids can attack and tells owners to consult the stone supplier before using vinegar. Leave vinegar out unless your supplier says otherwise.

• Vinegar and lemon: can dull or etch stone, and MSI says vinegar wears down sealers on quartzite.
• Scouring powders, creams, pads and rough sponges: the Institute says abrasives may scratch certain stones.
• Oven cleaner, floor strippers and strong solvents: on Caesarstone's avoid list.
• Oil soaps and products containing oils: Caesarstone says they may leave a residue.
• Cleaners made for natural stone: Caesarstone says not to use them on its quartz.

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Leave bleach out of routine cleaning. Caesarstone warns off oxidizers, and MSI lists bleach among products to avoid on quartzite. Cambria's page is silent on bleach. For granite we read no maker or trade page that gives a countertop bleach rule, so we have no basis to call it safe. Ask your supplier or maker.

Whatever you use, never mix bleach with another cleaner. The New Jersey Department of Health alert says bleach with ammonia creates chloramine gases and bleach with an acid produces chlorine gas. Products not to combine with bleach include vinegar, lemon juice, oven cleaner, drain cleaner and rubbing alcohol. It also warns that hydrogen peroxide and vinegar together form peracetic acid.

The alert is written for workers, but the chemistry is the same in a kitchen. It says to work in a well-ventilated area, and if an exposure occurs and you need immediate help, call the NJ Poison Center Help Line at 1-800-222-1222. For Silestone or Dekton, read the care sheet that came with the slab, because we did not rely on any Cosentino document here.

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Blot the spill right away with a paper towel and do not wipe, because wiping spreads it. For natural stone, the Natural Stone Institute then says to flush the area with plain water and mild soap, rinse several times, and dry it thoroughly with a soft cloth. For quartz, Caesarstone says dried spills should be wet with water for several minutes before cleaning, then cleaned in a circular motion over a larger area than the stain.

A poultice is a paste spread over the stain to draw it out. The Institute lists kaolin, diatomaceous earth and powdered chalk among the materials, applied about a quarter to a half inch thick, covered with plastic and left roughly 24 to 48 hours. That is a natural stone method; no quartz maker we read gives one, so on quartz follow the maker.

Stubborn or deep stains may need a professional. The Institute says deep rust stains are extremely difficult to remove and the stone may be permanently stained.

• Grease or oil on natural stone: the Institute says an oil-based stain darkens the stone and must be chemically dissolved. It names household detergent for gentle cleaning, or a poultice of baking soda and water.
• Coffee or tea on natural stone: the Institute says these organic stains may fade once the source is removed, and names 12% hydrogen peroxide with a few drops of ammonia, indoors. Keep it away from bleach and vinegar.
• Rust on natural stone: the Institute says metal stains must be removed with a poultice with a commercial rust remover.
• Rust on Caesarstone quartz: a small amount of Bar Keepers Friend or oxalic acid on a damp cloth, with no abrasive scourer. That is Caesarstone's named exception for rust only, and other makers may differ.
• Limescale on quartz: Caesarstone says to wipe wet spills away to prevent it. It gives no remover, so ask your maker.

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Granite and quartz both take warm water with mild dish soap; what differs is acids, heat and sealing. A cell saying a page is silent is not approval.

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Yes, so use a trivet or hot pad under hot cookware on any surface. Caesarstone says to always place hot cookware on a trivet or hot pad. Cambria says its quartz may not withstand direct heat from pots, pans and appliances like air fryers, and recommends a closed-weave hot pad or solid trivet.

Keep glass cleaner off too. MSI lists window cleaners among products to avoid on quartzite, and Granite Gold's 2017 post says window cleaners can permanently harm granite, which is a vendor claim with no test shown.

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Ask for the care instructions for your exact material in writing. Care differs by brand, and the maker's page governs your slab. New Granite & Marble fabricates and installs granite, marble, Cambria, Silestone, Caesarstone, Dekton and MSI countertops, so these questions fit any of them.

Dekton and porcelain-type surfaces are not covered by the sources we opened, so ask the shop for the maker's care sheet. The shop lists cleaning and sealing among its services and describes ongoing maintenance of natural stone on its site. Ask whether that covers your material.

• Which brand and color is my slab, and where is its care sheet?
• Is it sealed, with what product, and when should I run the water test?
• Does the warranty name approved or banned cleaners?
• Who do I call for a stain I cannot lift?

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More on this site: granite countertops, quartz countertops, marble countertops and how the process works.