Q. I recently purchased a house that has granite kitchen counters. When liquid from raw chicken dripped on them, I tried cleaning it with diluted bleach, but it seemed to dull the surface. I’ve since heard that bleach should not be used on granite.—Edward Beres, Pasadena, CA
A. We have used bleach to clean difficult stains in our countertop stain test and have seen some (but not all) granite countertops possibly losing sheen where the stain was. We don’t know whether it’s the bleach or the remnants of the actual staining agent. You should follow the manufacturer’s advice and periodically seal the granite. You could also try OxiClean. Dampen it and let it dry on the spot.
Before you shop, check our countertop countertop buying guide and Ratings of kitchen and bathroom countertops.
Send your questions to ConsumerReports.org/askourexperts.
This article also appeared in the June 2014 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2006-2014 Consumers Union of U.S.
