Ever wonder how to get stains out of your countertops? Here are a couple tricks that will work for getting stains off your laminate, granite, and most other types of countertops!
I’m going to give you two answers, listed in the order that I would use them. Some countertop stains will lift off easily and won’t need a second treatment, but some stains are tricky and will need a little extra work to clean up.
Step 1
Mix a paste of baking soda and water together so that it’s a little thicker than pancake batter. Pour the mixture all over the countertop where it is stained. Smear it around with your fingers to make sure that every part of the stain is covered. Place a wet paper towel over the paste so that it won’t dry out. Let the baking soda paste sit on the stain for at least 30 minutes. When 30 minutes has expired dampen a sponge or a Magic Eraser and wipe the paste up scrubbing gently at the same time. Continue to scrub gently until all of the mixture has been wiped up. Then wipe counter with a damp paper towel to remove any remaining residue from the baking soda paste.
Step 2
If the first step doesn’t work to remove the stain here is the next step for you to take.
* 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 24 hours.
* 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. {This helpful process was found here.}
Good luck! I know getting stains on the counter can be extremely frustrating but I think you’ll be amazed at how easily they will lift off with these easy tips.
Got to love that baking soda – magic erasers are another favorite of mine!
Great tips and I love how I can make them with things I've got at home already. So good to use products in new ways!Following from Totally Tuesday, come stop by Thing Sent My Way!Michelle @ Things Sent My Way
We use hand sanitizer and magic erasers to clean at the daycare I work at and at home, followed by a quick wipe with a clorox wipe! It takes red kool-aid (apparently the only juice to ever spill) and Crayon out of even the roughest textured tables! And there is almost zero scrubbing. Without the clorox the kids can help clean, which is important…they usually make the mess haha!
Hi I love these tips! My husband has spilled the wax from my tart warmer on more than one occasion…when the red wax stains the only way I was able to lift it was with tea tree oil, I just put it on the spots and let it sit at least 15 min and voila it was gone!
Thank you for the baking soda paste tip!! It saved our counter!! 🙂
Does anyone know how to make a “homemade’ magic sponge, or at least what the active ingredients are?
Here’s a post my friend wrote about it: http://www.idreamofclean.net/diy-homemade-magic-eraser/
need to get the oink popsicle stain out of my sons freezer , thanks bleach , baking soda , alcohol did not work will try hydrogen peroxide and baking soda next .
Hi Anna,
My white bathroom counter had a stubborn gray stain that developed under a plastic tray I was using to organize various bottles. Water had pooled under the tray and what I think a mold stain started growing. I tried removing the stain with bleach base cleaners without any luck. The baking soda and water also had no effect, so I added some vinegar. Again nothing. I was about to try the hydrogen peroxide poultice, when I remembered I had an old half-used tube of teeth whitening gel in my medicine cabinet. (The cheap kind you can buy at the dollar store that claims to whiten in 5 minutes.) So, I squeezed out a dab, rubbed it around over the stain and covered it with saran wrap. After a few hours I notice the stain was diminishing. I think in another day of two the stain will disappear completely. Thanks for pointing me in the direction of hydrogen peroxide. The whitening gel made It so easy that I thought you would enjoy hearing about it.
Thanks for the tip!
Tom
Awesome, I’m so glad it worked!