Granite
A silicate stone that resists kitchen acids where marble does not — and on which acidic cleaners are still not recommended, for reasons that are not about the stone.
Precautions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
- Check the manufacturer's instructions
In detail
Granite is an igneous rock built mainly from quartz, feldspar and mica. Being a silicate rather than a carbonate, it does not undergo the acid reaction that etches marble, and stone trade guidance records it as generally resistant to most acids encountered in a kitchen. The same guidance nonetheless declines to recommend acidic cleaners on it, and the gap between those two statements is the whole of what a reader needs to understand. A worktop is not only its mineral. Nearly all of them carry an impregnating treatment, which the trade is careful to describe as a repellent rather than a sealer, and which acids degrade regardless of what the stone beneath tolerates. Stone sold commercially as granite is not a mineralogical designation and covers rocks containing carbonate minerals that behave more like marble. And the polished finish is a surface condition rather than a bulk property. Where the specific stone and its treatment are not known, the safe assumption is the more sensitive one — and since the recommended cleaner is the same for both stone classes, nothing is lost by making it.
Properties
Sensitivity
- Acids
- Sources disagree
- Alkalis
- Not known
- Chlorine bleach
- Not known
- Abrasion
- Not known
- Porous
- Sensitive
“Not known” means nobody has established this, not that the material is unaffected.
What works
Neutral cleaner is safe on, in specific conditions, Granite
Safe only in specific conditions
This is only appropriate within specific limits. Outside those limits, no claim is made.
Only within these limits:
- A neutral cleaner, stone soap, or mild washing-up detergent in warm water
- Nothing acidic, regardless of the stone's own acid tolerance, because the impregnating treatment is not the stone
Precautions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Care & Cleaning of Natural Stone
Natural Stone Institute · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That stone surfaces including siliceous stone are cleaned with a neutral cleaner, stone soap or mild dishwashing detergent in warm water. (states this directly)
Where the answer depends
Acetic acid (vinegar) may damage Granite
Depends on the manufacturer
This depends on the specific product or finish. Check the manufacturer's own instructions before proceeding.
The stone generally resists kitchen acids; the impregnating treatment on top of it does not, and commercial 'granite' is not a mineralogical term.
Precautions
- Check the manufacturer's instructions
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Care & Cleaning of Natural Stone
Natural Stone Institute · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That siliceous stone generally resists most acids found in kitchen settings but that acidic cleaners are still not recommended, and that sealing products act as repellents rather than sealers. (states this directly)
Related
- Granite is commonly affected by Oil and grease on textile
- Granite is commonly affected by Water marks
Hacks and claims involving this
- Sealing stone makes it stain-proof Does not work
- Vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner Disputed
- Granite is acid-proof, so vinegar is fine on it Disputed
- Fine steel wool for hard-water marks on stone Supported
- Using a stone cleaner on a quartz worktop Does not work
Where the sources disagree
If granite resists kitchen acids, why is vinegar still advised against on it?
The first statement is about a mineral and the second is about a worktop, and a worktop is not only its mineral. Three things sit between them. Nearly every installed granite surface carries an impregnating treatment, which the same guidance is careful to describe as a repellent rather than a sealer, and which has its own chemistry that acids degrade regardless of what the stone beneath tolerates. Stone sold commercially as granite is not a mineralogical designation and covers rocks that contain carbonate minerals and behave like marble. And the polished finish is a surface condition rather than a property of the bulk material. A statement about acid resistance is therefore true of the rock and insufficient for the object.
What to do: Treat the answer for granite as unknown unless you know what the specific stone is and what is on it. The recommended cleaner for both stone classes is the same — a neutral cleaner, stone soap or mild washing-up liquid in warm water — so nothing is lost by using it, and the acid question does not need to be resolved to clean the surface.
The sources are answering different questions
Sources for this page
Sources
Care & Cleaning of Natural Stone
Natural Stone Institute · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That siliceous stone is composed primarily of silicates and generally resists most acids found in kitchen settings, that acidic cleaners are still not recommended on it, and that sealing products act as repellents rather than sealers. (states this directly)