Water marks on granite

Can anyone help me to remove water stains from my black granite hearth. I have two ring marks where glasses have beenput down and I can not get rid of them. Is it true that white vinegar does the trick?

 

Vinegar is acidic and should not be used on granite or marble. Keeping these natural stones sealed because they are porous is very important. The sealer protects against grease, coffee, tea, milk, etc. but acids such as lemon juice, orange juice, vinegar, etc. If water does not bead up on surface, granite needs sealed, usually about once a year.

Natural stone polish is often effective for buffing out water marks. Always clean, seal, and maintain natural stone only with products recommended for natural stone. A weekly cleaning with a stone polish that contains liquid wax and silicone will help minimize water mark problems.

You can do an online search for natural stone care products or check with your local stone dealer.

 

I had an "absolute black" granite countertop installed just a couple weeks ago and much to my disappointment I notice a dark circular mark near the sink just yesterday which no amount of gentle buffing and polishing will remove. The contour of the stain perfectly matches the shape of the base of one of my drinking glasses.

From what I've gleaned in my research, a properly sealed black granite countertop should be impervious to just about everything under the sun except for acidic liquids such as lemon juice. I strongly suspect there was something on the bottom of the glass which penetrated the granite and left the stain. I'm almost certain in my case that water isn't the sole culprit. My room mate is a heavy pop drinker and I read somewhere that certain colas if left on granite will leave a mark - I need to have this fact verified by a more reliable source however.

Unfortunately, I don't have a solution as yet, but the gentleman who installed the countertop is coming by on Wednesday to look at it. I'll post back with his analysis of the issue at that time.

In the future I'll be much more careful about leaving items sitting on the countertop!

 

Stone experts state that good quality absolute black granite does not need sealing because of its unique physical characteristics. Note that not all granites are created equal and that some absolute black granites may contain calcite binders that would be affected by acid. Water rings and marks from acidic beverages and foods can often be polished and buffed out with polish recommended for granite. You can check labels on soft drinks to determine if they contain citric acid. All spills should be wiped up immediately.

A water test of dropping beads of water on surface is the key to knowing when granite needs sealing. If stone absorbs water, then sealing with impregnating sealer for natural stone is recommended. Natural stone should be cleaned and maintained with products recommended for natural stone.