Stone Care Answers · 1 of 11
Stains
Something got into the stone and won't come out. What it is, whether it comes out, and what not to do first.
17 answers on this page. Tap a question to open it.
There's a coffee ring on my marble. Will it come out?
The color usually comes out. Coffee is organic and it lifts from marble. The catch is that coffee is also acidic, so under the brown ring there's often a dull ring, and once the color is gone the etch is still there. That part is re-polished. Blot fresh coffee right away; don't scrub a set-in ring.
Pro
Red wine spilled on my counter overnight. Is it ruined?
On granite or quartzite, almost never; the color draws out. On marble, wine does two things: it stains and it etches, because it's acidic. The pink lifts; the dull mark underneath gets re-polished. Rinse with water and blot if it's fresh. Nothing from under the sink.
Pro
There's a dark ring where the olive oil bottle sits.
Oil wicked through a worn seal into the pores, and it's drawn out by us, then the spot is resealed. That's the stain sealing exists to prevent, and the ring is also your water test telling you the seal is gone in that zone. Wipe fresh oil the same day; set-in oil is a pro extraction. Move the bottle to a tray.
Pro
Bacon grease and butter splatter darkened the stone by the stove.
Same as oil: it's in the pores and it's not going to dry out. Fresh grease that's blotted right away often never becomes a stain. Set-in grease is extraction, then resealing that zone. A splatter guard and a same-day wipe are the entire prevention.
Pro
A can left a rust ring on my counter.
It usually draws out, and it's a pro job. Rust is the one stain where a store product hurts you: rust removers are acid, and on marble they etch on contact. Rust that's iron inside the stone itself may be permanent. Blot, don't scrub, send a photo. Cans go on a tray.
Pro
My cast-iron pan left a rust mark.
Same as a can ring, with more area. Cast iron left wet on stone overnight sweats rust into the pores. It's a pro extraction, and never a hardware-store rust remover. Dry the pan and put it on a trivet or a towel, not the stone.
Pro
Turmeric or curry stained my counter yellow.
It can usually be reduced and often lifted, but turmeric is one of the hardest organic stains on light stone and the longer it sits the deeper it goes. Blot, rinse with water, and send a photo the same day. Don't bleach it; bleach reacts unpredictably with the stain and the stone and takes the sealer with it. Keep a board under the spice jars.
Pro
Beet juice on light stone.
Bright, fast, and usually recoverable if it's fresh. Beets are organic color and lift with the right chemistry. Blot, rinse, don't scrub. On marble, beets are also acidic, so check for a dull patch once the color is gone.
Pro
Tomato sauce splashed on my marble and left a mark.
Two marks, usually. Tomato is acidic, so on marble it etches on contact, and the red pigment can stain. The color comes out; the dull spot under it gets re-polished. Rinse with water immediately. This is why the stove zone is the first place marble shows wear.
Pro
Sharpie or pen ink on my countertop.
Fresh ink often blots out. Set-in ink is in the stone, and the solvent that draws it out depends on the stone and its color. Blot it now, don't rub it wider, and leave the rest to us. On quartz, ink sits on the resin and often wipes off with mild dish soap and patience.
Homeowner / Pro
Hair dye dripped on my bathroom counter.
Rinse and blot immediately while it's wet. Once it's set on light stone, it's a pro extraction, and it may reduce rather than fully lift. Towel down before the next box.
Pro
I got nail polish on my counter.
On marble, granite, or quartzite, a little acetone on a cloth lifts it; acetone doesn't hurt natural stone. On quartz, skip the acetone: let it dry, lift the edge with a plastic scraper, and send a photo if color's left. Paint your nails on a towel.
Homeowner / Pro
Self-tanner left brown marks on my vanity.
Self-tanner works by staining skin, and it stains stone the same way. Wipe it the moment it lands. Set-in tanner on light marble is an extraction and doesn't always fully lift. A tray under the bottle is the whole prevention.
Pro
Candle wax dripped on my stone counter.
Let it harden, or set a bag of ice on it, then lift it with a plastic scraper; never a metal blade. If a faint dark spot is left where the wax sat, that's the wax's oil in the stone, and that's ours. Candles on a plate from here on.
Homeowner / Pro
Sticker or tape residue on my countertop.
Warm water, mild dish soap, and a plastic scraper first. On natural stone, a little acetone on a cloth takes the rest. On quartz, stay with warm water and the scraper; solvents can mark the resin. Never a razor blade on any of them.
Homeowner
There's a water stain on my granite.
Granite doesn't water-stain, so it's one of two things. White or chalky: mineral residue left when water dried, which wipes off with a stone-safe cleaner and a dry buff. Dark and not drying out: that's oil in the stone, not water, and it's a pro extraction. Dry the counter after cleaning and the white spots stop.
Homeowner / Pro
I tried bleach on a stain and now it looks worse.
Stop here and send a photo; it's still fixable, but nothing else you add will help. Bleach is an oxidizer that reacts unpredictably with stone and with whatever caused the stain, and it degrades the sealer around the spot, so the outcome is uncontrolled rather than cleaner. On marble it can also etch. Blot, rinse with water, and leave the rest to us. Next time, blot first and reach for nothing under the sink.
Pro
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Sources:
Natural Stone Institute care and stain guidance; manufacturer TDS (Tenax, StoneTech, Miracle Sealants).
Reviewed September 2026. Fact-checked against Natural Stone Institute publications and manufacturer technical data by an independent reviewer. Written by Restore My Counters.
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