Coffee, tea, soda
Blot, rinse, dry. On marble, look for a dull ring after it's dry: that's an etch from the acid, and it's ours.
Don't scrub. Don't leave the mug there.
If color stayed → Diagnose my stain · If it's dull → Diagnose my dull spots
Something just happened to your counter
Do this in the next sixty seconds.
Don't read the whole page. Find your spill, do the three things, then come back when it's handled. Almost everything on this list is fine if you act now and don't reach under the sink.
Every spill, every stone
- Blot. Don't wipe. Paper towel straight down, lift, repeat. Wiping spreads it.
- Rinse with plain water. Then blot again.
- Dry it. Then look at it in angled light.
- Nothing from under the sink. No vinegar, no bleach, no wipes, no scrub pad, no rust remover. Not yet, and for most of these, not ever.
Not sure which stone you have? The instructions below say "marble" or "quartz" for a reason. Identify your stone in a minute →
Find your spill
Red wine
Blot hard, rinse, blot, dry. On granite or quartz you're probably done. On marble, expect a dull mark under any color; both are fixable.
Don't salt it, don't use white wine, don't use anything with "stain" on the label.
Oil, grease, butter, lotion
Blot everything off, then a drop of dish soap in warm water, then rinse and dry. Fresh oil on a sealed top usually never becomes a stain.
Don't leave it to "dry"; it doesn't. Don't use a degreaser spray.
Lemon, lime, vinegar, tomato, mouthwash
Rinse with water right now, blot, dry. On granite and quartz, that's it. On marble, or quartzite that's really marble-family stone, the mark is already made; rinsing stops it getting bigger.
Don't rub or scrub. Rubbing doesn't remove an etch, and anything gritty on the cloth makes it worse.
Rust ring: can, cast iron, razor
Move the object. Blot any water. Dry. Take a photo. That's all.
Don't use a rust remover, CLR, Bar Keepers Friend, or lemon. Every one of them is acid, and on marble they etch on contact.
Ink, marker, pen
Blot straight down while it's wet. Dish soap and water. On quartz it usually comes off with patience.
Don't rub it wider. Don't reach for hairspray or a magic eraser.
Hair dye, nail polish, self-tanner, makeup
Wipe it while it's wet, then dish soap. Nail polish on natural stone: a little acetone on a cloth. Nail polish on quartz: let it dry and lift the edge with a plastic scraper.
Don't use acetone on quartz. Don't scrape with metal.
Hot pan just came off the counter
Leave the spot alone until it's fully cool. Then look. On granite and quartzite, usually nothing. On quartz, a dull or discolored patch is resin damage; photograph it.
Don't put cold water on a hot spot; a sudden swing can crack stone. Don't polish it.
Bleach, oven cleaner, toilet cleaner, drain cleaner splashed on it
Rinse with a lot of water, immediately. Blot, rinse again, dry. Take a photo of the area in angled light.
Don't "neutralize" it with something else. Don't scrub.
Pet accident on the counter
Paper towel, lift it off, dish soap and warm water, rinse well, dry. Both urine and vomit are acidic; speed is everything on marble.
Don't use a disinfecting wipe or spray on stone. Alcohol diluted with water if you need to sanitize.
Candle wax, crayon, slime, glue
Let it harden. Ice on it if you're in a hurry. Lift with a plastic scraper, then dish soap. Slime and school glue soften with warm water and peel.
Don't use a knife or razor. Don't melt wax off with a hair dryer; heat drives the wax's oil into natural stone.
It chipped or cracked
Find the piece and keep it in a bag. Photograph the damage with a coin next to it for scale. Keep sleeves and sponges off the edge.
Don't glue it yourself. Don't put weight on an overhang with a crack in it.
It's handled. Now what?
If the counter looks the way it did before, you're done. If there's a mark, a ring, a dull patch, or color that stayed, take one photo in daylight and send it. You'll see your own counter with the damage gone, and what we'd do, before anyone comes out.
And read the guide when you have a minute, so next time you already know →
Send the photo. See it gone.
One picture. Your counter, fixed, in your inbox. No visit, no pressure.
See YOUR Counters Restored