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How to Remove Hard Water Stains from Granite

Want to remove those stubborn hard water stains from your granite counter tops? Our simple tutorial gets the job done without using any harsh chemicals.

When I tidied up and decorated my kitchen sink area, I really noticed the hard water stains around my faucets. 

My house cleaning style is probably best described as clean enough.

Cleaning doesn’t exactly “spark joy” for me. ?

So while my kitchen sink and counters are wiped down and sanitized daily, some tasks don’t get my attention very often.

Exhibit A:

kitchen sink faucet with hard water stains on granite

I’m a little embarrassed by how much I let it build up. I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I removed the hard water stains in my kitchen!

The best solution for hard water stains and mineral deposits is to consistently dry any areas that become wet.

But I have three kids and a husband who aren’t especially diligent with those types of requests.? 

And if I’m being totally honest, I’m just as much of a culprit!

Who has time to wipe down the kitchen faucets every. single. time. a little water splashes around them?!

Not me.

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! 

pumice stone

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Pumice stones are also great to get rid of those rings in your toilet. But make sure you have a separate stone for bathroom use… ? That’s why I buy them in a multi-pack.

After you’ve confirmed it’s safe to use a pumice stone on your granite, just follow these simple steps.

Steps to Remove Hard Water Stains and Deposits

Either stop up your sink so that you can have a basin of water or get a small bucket of water.

pipes and hoses under kitchen sink draining into plastic container

Turn off the water that runs to your sink.

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.

pipes and tubes under a kitchen sink

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?).

kitchen sink faucet with hard water stains on granite

I needed to use this little allen wrench to loosen the screw

small allen wrench lying on granite counter
kitchen sink faucet with hard water stains on granite

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

kitchen sink with handle removed and wrench to remove the ring

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.

Then, using a wet pumice stone, just 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. It is pretty satisfying to do in a weird sort of way…

kitchen sink faucet with hard water stains on granite

Use a sponge or washcloth to wipe away the dust to see how you’re doing and if any hard water stains need a little extra work.

kitchen sink faucet after removing hard water stains on granite
kitchen sink faucet with hard water stains on granite

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.

kitchen sink faucet after removing hard water stains on granite

Before and After Pics!

To give you an idea of how much a pumice stone breaks down, check out what happened to mine:

That little nub that’s left is maybe an inch long and it started out almost 4-inches long!

And here’s a picture for comparison. The process took about an hour from start to finish because of the time to loosen up the fittings. Bye bye, hard water stains!

What do you think? Let me know if you give this tip a try! If you have any questions or suggestions, contact me or leave a comment. Follow us over on Instagram and Facebook to see everything we’re up to.

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Universal Stone

Thursday 6th of January 2022

Helpful information! I wish this post could help a lot of homeowners out there! Thanks for sharing!

AnnMarie

Thursday 6th of January 2022

Thanks so much! Been using this method for years and hope it helps lots of people too! :)

Sarah

Monday 22nd of February 2021

I'm going to try this out! When I first moved into my home I got the marble countertops cleaned and sealed by a local tile cleaner and they were able to get up all the hard water stains. Now that it has been a few years, I need to remove the stains again, so I'm excited to test out your method!

Anne

Monday 22nd of February 2021

You may want to make sure in an inconspicuous place that it doesn't scratch the marble since marble is softer than granite. I hope it works for you!

Cindy

Sunday 4th of October 2020

That's a great tip Anne! I think I have the exact same counters in my kitchen and I never know how to clean it well! Pinned and going to try this soon!

Anne

Tuesday 13th of October 2020

Thanks Cindy! It's amazing what a difference it makes. Let me know how it works for you!

Mike

Friday 4th of January 2019

Thank you, thank you - I've been trying to figure out how to remove hard water stains on my granite bathroom countertop. I will be sure to give this a try. It sounds as if a pumice stone should be safe -- do you have a "go-to" stone and/or brand?

Anne

Friday 4th of January 2019

Hey Mike! I'm so glad that you found this helpful! I use a fine grit pumice stone that I get from Amazon. Be sure to test your granite in an inconspicuous spot first. I like this set from Amazon because I also use the handled stone to clean the ring in my toilets: https://www.amazon.com/Spot-Products-Cleaning-Removing-additional/dp/B01LWDPGRW/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1546631978&sr=1-3-spons&keywords=pumice+stone+fine+grit&psc=1