The holidays are well underway! I can’t walk into a Walgreens, Target, or Bering’s Hardware without seeing decorations for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas…And what is the one decoration that all these festivities have in common? Candles.
Holidays are also a time when we get together with our friends and families to eat our favorite foods. With all these rich meals and candle wax, sometimes our stone countertops can take a beating.
As a stone restoration company, we see more oil and grease stains around this time of year, so how can you protect your marble and granite countertops before everyone comes over for your Halloween party and Thanksgiving? We recommend sealing your stone tops with Seal & Go® S or Seal & Go® W. These sealers are penetrating sealers, meaning they go into the pores of the stone and repel non-acid liquids like water, coffee, tea, grease, oil, etc. We recommend re-sealing your stone annually especially in kitchens and bathrooms. You may need to apply more than one application of the sealer.
If you want to learn more about how to apply Seal & Go® S or Seal & Go® W, check out our blog post, “Smooth Sealing.”
What do grease and oil stains look like?
Grease stains look like darker spots in the stone; however, the surface finish of the stone remains smooth. (Not to be confused with an “etch mark” which is caused by acids and looks like the finish or the shine has been removed from the surface of the stone.)
I can imagine your next question would be, “how can I remove oil stains?”
These stains cannot just be cleaned off; you need to apply a poultice on the stain. What the heck is a poultice you ask?
Per the Marble Institute of America Glossary, “poulticing” is:
“The use of a porous solid mixed with solvents or other liquids such as hydrogen peroxide or bleach used to remove deep stains from porous stones such as marble or granite. NOTE: DO NOT MIX BLEACH AND AMMONIA.”
For those of us that aren’t scientists, a poultice looks like a paste-like substance that you apply on the surface of the stain and let it sit there for a day or so.
You don’t have to worry about making your own poultice either; we sell these products pre-mixed:
1. Akemi Oil & Grease Remover Paste
Please note that poultices work on surface stains, but deep stains cannot be removed.
The best way to avoid these stains is to not let the candles drip directly on the stone and try to wipe up grease as soon as you can. However, if the stains do occur, this process is a way to enjoy the holidays, candles, and all your favorite foods without panicking.
