3 Insider Secrets To Make Natural Stone Countertops Gleam

When I started my house cleaning business back in “the olden days” 😉, natural stone countertops in the kitchen or bathroom were pretty rare.

Most countertops were made of some type of plastic composite material that you could use any type of cleaning fluid on without damaging the surface.

Many of my high-end customer’s homes at that time had tile countertops.

The hardest part of cleaning tile countertops was scrubbing the grout. Otherwise, cleaning tile countertops was a “wipe and go” task.

I used simple equipment and supplies to clean those two types of countertops: cotton cloths, scrub sponges and grout brushes teamed with Soft Scrub® or powder cleansers.

Sometimes I used metal paint scrapers to remove dried-on globs of food.

For greasy, grimy countertops, I used a degreaser or ammonia and vinegar and lots of scrubbing.

Over the years, my customers remodeled and added new countertops made of natural stone.

Those slabs of natural stone included marble, granite, quartz, soapstone and travertine.

Related: “Do I Need To Be Certified To Clean Houses?”

Learning To Clean Natural Stone Countertops

As my customers remodeled and added natural stone countertops to their kitchens and bathrooms, I realized I needed to learn more about the proper cleaning of natural stone, including new techniques, equipment, and supplies.

I spent a lot of time reading and looking at YouTube videos plus lots of practice.

I added new tools like microfiber cloths and non-acid cleaning liquids to safely clean natural stone countertops.

Along the way, I learned 3 secrets to cleaning and maintaining natural stone countertops so they gleamed and brought smiles to my customers faces on cleaning day.

Secret #1 Use The Right Products To Clean Natural Stone

Natural stone has to be cleaned with care. The wrong type of cleaner or scrubbing with the wrong tools can damage the surface of natural stone.

Unlike plastic composites or tile countertops, natural stone countertops should not be cleaned on a regular basis with harsh or acidic cleaners like:

Ammonia and bleach can be used to remove certain stains, but should not be used for cleaning the entire countertop.

With natural stone countertops it’s best to use mild cleaners like dish detergent or non-acid cleaners like Granite Gold® specially made for stone.

Natural stone countertops also don’t need scrubbing with powder cleansers, heavy-duty scrub sponges, brushes or metal scraping tools.

If you need to remove globs of dried food, spray them with a non-acid cleaner, let the liquid sit on the food glob for a few minutes and wipe up with a damp microfiber cloth.

Repeat if needed to get the entire dried food glob.

Secret #2 The Natural Light Test

Sometimes with natural stone countertops, you can miss a spot because of the different patterns in the stone.

Those patterns, flecks or swirls of color can hide tiny bits of food or grease. They become invisible.

I’ve found you can double check your countertop cleaning by turning off the kitchen lights and looking at the surface in natural light.

Under natural sunlight, spots you might have missed are easier to find.

Sometimes I will stoop so I’m at eye level with the countertop to make sure every crumb or bit of grease is gone.

Related: Find out about my proven 7 step workflow for detailed cleaning in customers homes.

Secret #3 You Won’t Believe It Until You Try It!

I came across this secret while reading a blog post by cleaning pro, Kate at Cleaning Gig. Kate’s method for cleaning stone countertops is simple, thorough and effective.

In the blog post, “The Professional Secret to Gleaming Granite Countertops” Kate shares her three step method for cleaning the hazy film of grime that can show up on natural stone countertops after days of daily use.

Kate says this about her “secret” method:

“This 3-step technique gives amazing results with minimum hassle.…any natural stone, solid surface, or laminate countertop will benefit from this easy process. It’s how I clean every kitchen.

(Step #3 is the professional secret… customers have caught me in the process, and said “So that’s how you do it!”).”

Uncover Kate’s secret three step method at The Professional Secret to Gleaming Granite Countertops.

You can’t beat simple and effective. Kate’s method is both.

Special Note: Cleaning Gig blog was shuttered in May of 2023. You can still read the post, however the links no longer work.

Make The “3 Insider Secrets” Your Own

Natural stone countertops, like stainless steel appliances require extra learning and practice to clean well, without damaging surfaces and raising your insurance rates.

The “olden days” of easy wipe surfaces and simple supplies are over.

Natural stone countertops have to be handled with care.

If you take the time to learn how to clean your customer’s household surfaces and materials, you will be rewarded with loyal customers.

You will also become more confident when you sell your cleaning services to new prospects during walkthroughs.

Your customers will not be the only ones smiling when they walk in on cleaning day and see their spotless, gleaming natural stone countertops.