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My Reward PointsGranite countertops are a popular choice due to their durability, beauty, and opulent appearance.
They offer classic elegance, resistance to heat, stains, and everyday wear, and come in a wide range of colors and patterns.
But harsh cleaners can damage granite since it is permeable. If you want to create a homemade granite cleaner, this article provides safe and practical recipes.
Why Choose a Homemade Granite Cleaner?
There are several reasons to utilize a homemade granite cleaner, including the fact that it is safe to use, affordable, environmentally friendly, and customizable.
1. Cost-effective
Homemade granite cleaners are cost-effective due to their use of easily accessible ingredients like water, rubbing alcohol, and mild dish soap, ensuring a shiny finish without costly specialized commercial products.
2. Eco-friendly
Homemade granite cleaners are eco-friendly, using water, mild dish soap, and rubbing alcohol, which are less toxic than commercial cleaners, reducing packaging waste and providing an affordable, non-toxic cleaning solution.
3. Customizable
Granite cleaners can be made with a basic formula of water, dish soap, rubbing alcohol, and your chosen essential oil, or you can make them fragrance-free.
4. Safe
As long as they stay away from dangerous or acidic substances like vinegar, lemon juice, bleach, and ammonia, the majority of popular homemade granite cleaners are safe.
What Not to Use on Granite Surfaces?
You should avoid making homemade granite cleaner with vinegar, lemon juice, ammonia & bleach, and alcohol-based cleaners. Here's what and why:
1. Vinegar & Lemon Juice
Vinegar and lemon juice are not suitable for granite due to their acidic nature, which can erode sealant, dull the sheen, cause etching, and react with granite minerals like calcite.
2. Ammonia & Bleach
Ammonia and bleach are not suitable for granite due to their potential to degrade the protective sealant, cause etching, dulling, discoloration, and increased porosity, and erode the granite's natural makeup.
3. Alcohol-based Cleaners
Avoid using full-strength or undiluted alcohol-based cleaners on granite surfaces, as they can damage the stone's protective sealant, causing a dull finish, etching, and increased porosity; they can also dry out the surface if overused.
Instead, use a homemade granite cleaner without alcohol.
Essential Granite Cleaner Ingredients (Safe & Effective)
To clean granite, use safe and effective ingredients like rubbing alcohol, mild dish soap, Castile soap, and water, and add essential oils like lavender for aroma.
1. Distilled Water
Distilled water in granite cleaners prevents streaks and mineral deposits by removing hard water minerals, resulting in a more precise, spot-free finish, enhancing the stone's beauty and longevity.
2. Mild Dish Soap or Castile Soap
A granite cleaner with mild dish soap or castile soap effectively removes oil, debris, and food spills without damaging the stone or its sealant, providing a safe, daily solution for granite cleaning.
3. Rubbing Alcohol (Optional)
Rubbing alcohol is an effective cleaning solution for granite surfaces, particularly for nicks and scratches.
Spray with a water-alcohol mixture and let it sit for five minutes to kill bacteria, providing disinfectant power when undiluted.
4. Essential Oils
Essential oils like lavender provide calming properties, and tea tree oil provides antibacterial properties that give a perfect scent when used in a granite cleaner.
Quick note - Essential oils can be used sparingly and appropriately diluted in a granite cleanser, but they should not contain citric acid, since this might damage the surface.
Easy DIY Granite Cleaner Recipes
You can make a granite cleaner at home with the two simple homemade granite cleaner recipes: one without alcohol and one with essential oil.
Homemade Granite Cleaner Recipe Without Alcohol
An excellent alternative for daily cleaning and spill cleanup is a granite cleaner that you can make at home without the use of alcohol.
Ingredients
- Distilled water: 1 ½ cups
- Witch hazel: ½ cup
- Castile or mild liquid dish soap: 1 teaspoon
- Essential oil (optional): 10-15 drops
How to Make?
- Fill a sanitized spray container with the distilled water.
- Add the witch hazel if it's safe for your granite; if not, skip this step.
- Add the essential oils and castile soap now.
- Lastly, shake the bottle to mix everything.
Homemade Granite Cleaner with Essential Oils
A homemade granite cleaner with essential oils can effectively disinfect surfaces, hide alcohol odor, and leave granite fresh after washing with alcohol, water, mild soap, or no soap.
Ingredients
- Distilled water: 1 ½ cups
- Dish or Castile soap: 2 tablespoons
- Tea Tree essential oil: 8 drops
- Rubbing alcohol (optional): ½ cup
- Lavender or orange essential oil (optional): 6 drops
How to Make?
- Fill the spray bottle with water, dish soap, and rubbing alcohol.
- Now add the essential oils.
- To ensure the granite cleaner ingredients are well combined, shake the bottle after securing the lid.
How to Use Homemade Granite Cleaner Correctly?
- Spray softly, rather than saturating the surface.
- Always use delicate cloths (not rough sponges).
- To prevent watermarks, dry the surface with a microfiber cloth.
- Do a patch test before using new essential oils.
Tips to Maintain Granite Countertops
Even if you are using the best homemade cleaner for granite countertops, you should follow the tips below to maintain them effectively.
- Seal countertops every 6-12 months to keep them shiny.
- Coasters can help prevent etching from acidic liquids.
- Spills (particularly oil, alcohol, and coffee) should be cleaned up immediately.
- Avoid heavy objects that may cause cracks.
Common Mistakes People Make with Granite Cleaning
- Overusing vinegar or citrus-based DIY granite cleaning recipes.
- Applying too much cleanser (overwetting the surface).
- Ignoring sealing affects longevity.
- Not drying the countertops after cleaning.
FAQs - DIY Granite Cleaner
We hope you now understand how to make granite cleaner at home, as well as some helpful hints and common mistakes. Here are some FAQs:
Q 1: What is the best homemade granite cleaner for everyday use?
Ans: The best homemade granite cleaner product for daily use involves using a spray bottle and a microfiber cloth containing rubbing alcohol, warm water, and liquid soap, regardless of the specific formula.
Q 2: Can I use vinegar in a granite counter cleaner recipe?
Ans: Unfortunately, most typical DIY cleaners are not appropriate for use on genuine stone. Vinegar and lemon juice are acidic and can harm if used in a granite counter cleaner recipe.
Q 3: How do I make a granite countertop cleaner DIY quickly?
Ans: A quick homemade granite countertop cleaner can be made by mixing warm distilled water, essential oils, and mild dish soap in a spray bottle and gently swirling.
Q 4: What essential oils are safe in a homemade granite cleaner?
Ans: DIY granite cleaners often contain essential oils like lavender, basil, tea tree, and sweet orange, which are safe but can be replaced with dish soap, rubbing alcohol, and water for a cleaner-smelling finish.
Q 5: How often should I clean and seal my granite countertops?
Ans: Your granite countertop needs to be cleaned regularly, even though sealing should only be done once a year.
Final Thoughts
Homemade granite cleaners are cost-effective, eco-friendly, customizable, and safe, using easily accessible ingredients such as water, rubbing alcohol, and mild dish soap.
They can be customized and are secure, reducing packaging waste. Therefore, we encourage readers to test different granite cleaner recipes based on their needs.
Finally, switch to natural cleaning today and keep your granite countertops shining for years.
