I will always second guess our decision to go with granite countertops when we re-modeled our kitchen. I love them, but it was a big chunk of our allowance, and I often wonder if we should have gotten less expensive countertops and invested the money in another part of our home. I guess we will find out when we sell if it was worth it or not. Anyway! I love the Method brand countertop/granite cleaner, but it's a small bottle and at $4+ a pop, it would be pricey to keep up with. Soooo, about 6 month ago, I googled it and did a little research of what is in it and how to make your own, and here is what I've come up with that works for me:
Take a spray bottle,
Take a spray bottle,fill it about 1/8th full with rubbing alcohol,
add a drop of Dawn dishwashing soap,
a few drops of scented oil (optional, but makes it smell so good),
fill the rest of the way with water, shake together, and you're good to go! It makes your granite (or any countertop) shine and feel so smooth at a fraction of the price~I have loved it and use it on my appliances as well.
add a drop of Dawn dishwashing soap,
a few drops of scented oil (optional, but makes it smell so good),
fill the rest of the way with water, shake together, and you're good to go! It makes your granite (or any countertop) shine and feel so smooth at a fraction of the price~I have loved it and use it on my appliances as well.
Works for me...
wow, I am going to try that. I had granite put in our kitchen when we remodeled last year. I absolutely love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I really hate paying for granite cleaner. I will definitely give this a whirl!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! We go through that stuff quickly.
ReplyDeleteLaurel
Interesting to me....we are getting ready to redo our kitchen and I would love granite but my husband and the realtor say we won't get the money back out of it (with the size of our house - small 70's brick ranch). We are going back with good ole formica (blah). :)
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! We are moving to a different town and doing a small renovation on our new house. Granite is the one thing we decided to splurge on. We plan on living in this house for a LONG time....so the joy of the beauty of the granite will be pay off enough for us!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, I can't wait to try it!
Genious! Love this post! I will pass it on to others I know....
ReplyDeleteFantastic tip! I'm bookmarking this because I want to make some for my counters. I can't stand spending a lot of money on cleaners.
ReplyDeleteI have the same feeling about my granite counters.
I'm so excited to know about this. I hate my granite countertops, maybe this will help. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWe have granite too. Our house "came" with it (it was a builders incentive but I'm sure they just added it to the price). Anyhoo, I'm so glad you shared the recipe for the homemade cleaner!
ReplyDeleteI almost got the same counter top but decided to go with another type. My mom has this but it also seems to show fingerprints up a lot more. I will have to tell her about this stuff. thanks for the info...every penny helps now a days.
ReplyDeleteI had granite in my former home and never once used a granite cleaner - just soap and water. I didn't know you were supposed to use anything special. I loved the granite.
ReplyDeleteI see someone said that they were going for Formica because of cost -- goodness, you can get butcher block (I got mine from IKEA) - It is SO easy to keep up. I love butcherblock.
That's a great tip, to make your own cleaner - I wouldn't pay $4 a bottle, that's for sure.
My WFMW post this week is about keeping drinks cold.
Have a great week!
Kristin (The Goat)
Thanks for the "recipe"! I look forward to trying it out.
ReplyDeleteWhen you say you use it on your appliances...does that include stainless steel ones? or a flattop stove? i just got new stove and dishwasher, and was wondering if this mixture would be okay to use on them instead of buying pricey stove top cleaner. do you know? thanks for the info...!! (ps love this blog!!!)
ReplyDeleteyou have the best ideas! I love reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'll give this a try. I'm using Windex which can't be good for my granite.
ReplyDeleteWell, if only using this would transform deteriorating apartment formica into something nice... you could make millions :) I will certainly save this idea for that day in my future when we have a place of our own!
ReplyDeleteHow clever are you? I am gonna mix me some of this up ASAP. I think we have very similar granite counter tops. Thanks for sharing. I always love your tips.
ReplyDeleteI love method cleaner! Heyyy I got that sign last week at TJ Maxx....just loved it one of my fave movies. cherry
ReplyDeleteWow...gonna have to make me some of this! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, I will have to try it. ~Cindy~
ReplyDeleteWay to go! It's so fun when you can "outsmart" the product makers and find ways to do it yourself. :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a great idea-I'm going to try it on my solid surface counter!
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me what size bottle?? I would guess 32 oz. but dont want to assume with this. Thank you
ReplyDeleteI tried it today and LOVE it!!! :) Thank you, thank you!! I have had Silestone counters for 4 years, and have hated them for most of it. No cleaner seemed to do the trick until now!
ReplyDeleteI'm stuck on what color to paint my arts & crafts home kitchen!! I'm painting trim & cabinets white, beadboard around bottom of walls & on cabinets fronts, black appliance, wood laminate warm oak, & faux painted granite countertops..want some sort of refreshing green &/or maybe a grayish blue color...any suggestions would be appreciated...
ReplyDeleteJust be careful with the Dawn dishsoap. Anything that has ammonia (like windex) or acid in the countertop will make it look shiny for a while but it actually eats away at the sealer that is on the countertop. Once that is gone it will etch the stone leaving big dull areas that really can't be fixed. Our granite supplier recommended Ivory dishsoap because it has a neutral pH level.
ReplyDeleteI meant to say in the cleaner..
ReplyDeleteI would like to try this but where do you purchase the oil for fragrance?
ReplyDeleteYou can buy the oils at Bath & Body Works, or the Body Shop, or even Walmart. Health food stores carry essential oils as well. Good luck! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tip, thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great way to make an inexpensive homemade granite cleaner. I just wish it didn't build up or leave streaks on my black granite countertops. I really liked the Method brand cleaner too. In fact I still have some. A few weeks ago I tried the Supreme Surface granite cleaner and conditioner. It works great on my black granite and doesn't build up or leave streaks. It leaves a really smooth feel... You might want to try it... They are giving away free samples (delivered to your door for free). I just clicked on the free sample link and had it within a week. www.supremesurfacecleaner.com. I hope your readers like it too! You have great ideas!!
ReplyDeleteI was going to try to make my own granite cleaner and was wondering if vanilla or peppermint extract would be safe to add to the cleaner for a scent. I'm looking for an inexpensive but good smelling oil that will be safe on granite.
ReplyDelete