How to Remove Hard Water Stains From Granite

My house cleaning style is probably best described as clean enough.So while my kitchen sink and counters are wiped down and sanitized daily, some tasks don’t get my attention very often.

The best solution for hard water stains and mineral deposits is to consistently dry any areas that become wet.But who has time to wipe down the kitchen faucets every. single. time. a little water splashes around them?!And if you have kids in the house? Fuhgettaboutit!You need to be careful with granite because most cleaners made for hard water stains are too harsh and can damage natural stone.

Which is why I rely on my hard water stain secret weapon: a pumice stone.Caution: Be sure to check with your granite installer or test using the pumice stone in an inconspicuous area to be sure it doesn’t scratch your stone! After you’ve confirmed it’s safe to use a pumice stone on your granite, just follow these simple steps.

Turn off the water and drain the lines

Either stop up your sink so that you can have a basin of water or get a small bucket of water.There should be a shut-off valve under your kitchen sink. In my kitchen, I have to turn off both the hot and the cold water lines.Then turn on your faucets to let any water still in the line to drain.Next loosen the fittings under your sink so that you can lift the sprayer, taps, and faucet away from the granite.

Remove the fixtures from the granite

You may need to actually remove the handles before you can lift the fittings away from the counter.My handles have a little screw that needs to be loosened (see that hole?).

Then I needed to loosen that bolt plus one under the sink to get the cap to lift away from the counter.

Repeat the steps for your other handle and the faucet so that they all lift up from the counter surface.The rings for my faucets just barely lifted up but it was enough for me to get the area cleaned with the pumice stone.

Use a wet pumice stone to remove the mineral deposits

Go to town scrubbing the hard water stains away!The pumice stone will break down as you use it because it is much softer than the granite.I also cleaned the corner seam along the back of the sink area.That powder you see is the pumice stone remnants.

Wipe up the dust

Once you’re satisfied that the hard water stains are gone, reattach everything you loosened up and turn the water back on to your sink lines.

Reattach all the hardware

Just reverse the process to reattach the hardware and the water lines. Turn the water back on.Sit back and enjoy the results!For more simple ideas, visit Simply2moms!