I have a confession. Im obsessed with vinegar. I first discovered my love for vinegar when it came to cleaning our walltowall white carpet. Vinegar has helped me. The attractive and hygienic surface appearance of stainless steel products cannot be regarded as completely maintenance free. All grades and finishes of stainless. How to Remove Stains from Granite Countertops. Skip links. Question How do I remove water stains from my black honed absolute granite counter topsRemoving stains from granite countertops can be both a challenge and a puzzle at the same time. In order to remove a stain, you need to ensure that it is indeed a stain and not damage to the stone. Next, you need to determine what caused the stain so that you can apply the correct materials to remove it. Here are guidelines for determining the problem and the necessary steps to resolve it. Use these guidelines to determine whether the spots you are seeing are in fact stains or if they are areas of damaged stone. If you are unsure, consult a professional before proceeding. Stains Discoloration from the stone absorbing a staining agent coffee, tea, oil, etc. Chicken And Mushroom Sauce. When the staining agent is removed, the stain is gone. Damage A change in the natural chemical makeup of the stone. Not caused by the stone absorbing an agent, but rather caused by damage to the surface. Corrosion, typically caused by acids, leaving rings or water spots that cannot be removed. You cannot remove a stain that is actually damage as it requires repairingremoving the damaged area. It needs to be determined if the damage is to the stone or to the protective coatingsealant. Some types of granite do not require sealants and when they are applied, they become damaged and look as though the area is stained. Removing stains requires the use of a poultice. A poultice consists of two materials 1 an absorbent material, such as Bounty or Viva paper towels, talcum powder or diatomaceous earth and 2 a chemical to remove the stain. With a highly responsive induction hob and large double oven with customisable cooking modes, the AEG 49106IUMN Electric Induction Cooker offers the ultimate cooking. There are five different categories of stains and each has its own designated chemical for the poultice. If your stain is caused by a soap bottledispenser, see our guide How to Remove Dish Soap Rings from Granite Countertops. Categories of Stain Stains Organic coffee, soda, mustard, gravy, tea, etc. Chemical Hydrogen Peroxide 3. How To Remove Stain From Stainless Steel Pot' title='How To Remove Stain From Stainless Steel Pot' />Stains Inorganic ink, dyes, dirt, etc. Chemical Rubbing Alcohol for ink Hydrogen Peroxide 3. Stains Oil any type of cooking oil, some mineral oils, butter, margarine, etc. Chemical Pure Acetone avoid using nail polish remover as different brands have different ingredientsStains Biological mold, mildew, etc. Chemical Bleach or MB 9. Stains Metal rust, copper, etc. Chemical Iron out a white powder available at hardware storesThe Removal Process Due to the nature of this removal process, you may want to test a small, inconspicuous area of the stone to ensure there are no adverse effects. Begin by mixing the poultice ex talc powder and hydrogen peroxide. You will want to create a thick paste. It should have the consistency of putty. Apply the mix to the stained area, keeping it only on the stain. The layer of paste should be about one fourth of an inch thick and overlap the stain about a half an inch. Cover the area with plastic wrap and tape the edges down. Allow it to set for 2. Remove the tape and plastic wrap only, leaving the poultice in place. Allow this to remain on the stain until it is completely dry. This can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days. When the paste is completely dry, use a plastic scraper to scrape away the paste. Wipe remaining paste away with a clean cloth. Clean the area as normal and dry with another clean cloth. If the stain remains, you may need to repeat steps 2 6 several times, especially for oily stains, each time removing more of the stain. Most water stains are only a temporary problem. The granite may darken or lighten in color when the water is absorbed into the stone. However, once the water evaporates, the color of the stone should return to normal. To prevent this absorption from happening in the first place, it is necessary to seal the surface of the granite with a high quality sealer. This can be completed on your own or by a professional. If hardwater stains occur, they can be removed by applying vinegar to the area using the same methods as above. It will require professional assistance to repair damaged stone. You can also consult the location where you purchased your stone for advice and service options. This information has been adapted from the No nonsense Guidelines to Stain Removal at www. If you need to remove super glue from your granite, we have a guide detailing the process for that How to Remove Super Glue from Granite. If you have dark stains that are only around the faucet, these are usually caused by the oils in the plumbers putty used to seal the faucet. We have a guide specifically for this problem as well How to Remove Plumbers Putty Stains from Granite. Stainless Steel Cleaning, Care and Maintenance. Surface contamination and the formation of deposits are critical factors which may lead to drastically reduced life. These contaminants may be minute particles of iron or rust from other non stainless steels used in nearby construction and not subsequently removed. Industrial, commercial and even domestic and naturally occurring atmospheric conditions can result in deposits which can be quite corrosive. An example is salt deposits from marine conditions. Working environments can also create more aggressive conditions, such as the warm, high humidity atmosphere above indoor swimming pools. These environments can increase the speed of corrosion and therefore require more frequent maintenance. Modern processes use many cleaners, sterilisers and bleaches for hygienic purposes. All these proprietary solutions, when used in accordance with their makers instructions are safe, but if used incorrectly e. Strong acid solutions e. If this should happen the acid solution must be removed immediately by copious water flushing. Maintenance During Installation. Cleaning of new fabrications should present no special problems, although more attention may be required if the installation period has been prolonged. Where surface contamination is suspected, immediate attention to cleaning will promote a trouble free service life. Food handling, pharmaceutical and aerospace applications may require extremely high levels of cleanliness. On Going Maintenance. Advice is often sought concerning the frequency of cleaning of products made of stainless steel, and the answer is quite simply clean the metal when it is dirty in order to restore its original appearance. This may vary from once to four times a year for external applications or it may be once a day for an item in hygienic or aggressive situations. In many applications the cleaning frequency is after each use. Good Housekeeping During Manufacturing. Stainless steel can be contaminated by pick up of carbon steel free iron and this is likely to lead to rapid localised corrosion. The ideal is to have workshops and machinery dedicated to only stainless steel work, but in a workshop also processing other steels avoid pick up from          Tooling used with other metals         Grinding wheels, wire brushes, linishing belts         Steel storage racks         Contamination by grinding or welding sparks         Handling Equipment         Adjacent carbon steel fabrication. Cleaning Methods. Stainless steel is easy to clean. Washing with soap or a mild detergent and warm water followed by a clean water rinse is usually quite adequate for domestic and architectural equipment. An enhanced appearance will be achieved if the cleaned surface is finally wiped dry. Specific methods of cleaning are as in Table 1. Sections below give passivation treatments for removal of free iron and other contamination resulting from handling, fabrication, or exposure to contaminated atmospheres, and pickling treatments for removal of high temperature scale from heat treatment or welding operations. Passivation Treatments         Grades with at least 1. C for 3. 0 6. 0 minutes. Grades with less than 1. C for 6. 0 minutes. Free machining grades such as 3. F, 2. 0 5. 0 nitric acid 2 6 sodium dichromate, at room temperature to 5. C for 2. 5 4. 0 minutes. Pickling Treatments         All stainless steels except free machining grades, 8 1. C for 5 4. 5 minutes. Grades with at least 1. C for 5 3. 0 minutes. Free machining grades and grades with less than 1. C for 5 3. 0 minutes. Pickling Paste is a commercial product of hydrofluoric and nitric acids in a thickener this is useful for pickling welds and spot contamination, even on vertical and overhanging surfaces. Table. 1. Methods of Cleaning Stainless Steel. Routine Cleaning. All finishes. Soap or mild detergent and water Preferably warmSponge, rinse with clean water, wipe dry if necessary. Follow polish lines. Fingerprints. All finishes. Soap and warm water or organic solvent eg acetone, alcohol, methylated spirits Rinse with clean water and wipe dry. Follow polish lines. Stubborn Stains and Discolouration. All finishes. Mild cleaning solutions, eg. Jif, specialty stainless steel cleaners. Use rag, sponge or fibre brush soft nylon or natural bristle. An old toothbrush can be useful. Rinse well with clean water and wipe dry. Follow polish lines. Lime Deposits from Hard Water. Solution of one part vinegar to three parts water. Soak in solution then brush to loosen. Rinse well with clean water. Oil or Grease Marks. All finishes. Organic solvents eg. Baked on grease can be softened beforehand with ammonia. Clean after with soap and water, rinse with clean water and dry. Follow polish lines. Rust and other Corrosion Products. Embedded or Adhering Free Iron. Rust stains can be removed by adding one part of nitric acid to nine parts of warm water. Leave for 3. 0 to 6. See also previous section on Passivating. Rinse well with clean water. Wear rubber gloves, mix the solution in a glass container, and be very careful with the acid. Precautions for acid cleanersRoutine Cleaning of Boat Fittings. Frequent washing down with fresh water. Washing is recommended after each time the boat is used in salt water. Cooking Pot Boiled Dry. Remove burnt food by soaking in hot water with detergent, baking soda or ammonia. Afterwards clean and polish, with a mild abrasive if necessary. See comments re steel wool. Dark Oxide From Welding or Heat Treatment. Pickling Paste or pickling solutions given on previous page. Must be carefully rinsed, and use care in handling see Precautions for acid cleaners. Scratches on Polished Satin Finish. Slight scratches use impregnated nylon pads. Polish with scurfs dressed with iron free abrasives for deeper scratches. Follow polish lines. Then clean with soap or detergent as for routine cleaning. Do not use ordinary steel wool iron particles can become embedded in stainless steel and cause further surface problems. Stainless steel and Scotch brite scouring pads are satisfactory. Precautions. Acids. Acids should only be handled using gloves and safety glasses. Care must be taken that acids are not spilt over adjacent areas. All residues must be flushed to a treated waste stream. Always dilute by adding acid to water, not water to acid. Use acid resistant containers, such as glass or plastics. If no dulling of the surface can be tolerated a trial treatment should be carried out especially for pickling operations. All treatments must be followed by thorough rinsing. Solvents. Solvents should not be used in confined spaces. Smoking must be avoided when using solvents. Chlorides. Chlorides are present in many cleaning agents. If a cleaner containing chlorides, bleaches or hypochlorites is used it must be afterwards promptly and thoroughly cleaned off.