One of the best and easiest ways to stay on top of keeping your granite counter tops clean is to use a warm cloth and wipe up spills immediately before they’ve had time to dry and set or stain. You can use warm soapy water (liquid dish soap works well) to wipe all any residue or spills.
For a more thorough cleaning, you can buy ready-made cleaning products designed for granite, or you can make your own. Mix thoroughly: 3 parts mild liquid dish detergent with one part rubbing alcohol in a bucket or sink of very warm (not hot) water. Never use an acidic type of cleaner, like one with lemon juice, vinegar or ammonia.
If you encounter a tough stain that won’t wash off, make a baking soda mix.
For water-based stains use 1 cup of baking soda and 1/4 cup of liquid dish soap. Add just enough hydrogen peroxide to make a paste.
If your stain is oil-based, use water instead of hydrogen peroxide to make the paste.
Put this paste on the stain and cover with plastic wrap. Let it stand for several hours and then wipe it off.
A great cloth for cleaning is, believe it or not, a cloth diaper! They’re soft, washable and don’t leave loose fibers behind on your nice clean counters.
Want to make sure your counters are clean and not streaked by the cleaner you just used? Buff it lightly with a microfiber cloth. This will remove any streaking and enhance the shine of your granite counters.