It’s not an ideal everyday cleaner, but baking soda can be used to remove stains on your granite countertop. For everyday cleaning, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) has a pH level ranging from about 8.4 to 9.5, depending on the exact formulation you’re using. When you’re looking for a cleaner for your stone, you want it to be very neutral–about as close to 7 as possible. Most cleaning products designed specifically for natural stone sit in this range. As well, one of the best everyday cleaners is to simply use a little dish soap and tap water with a microfiber cloth on your granite countertops.
That said, baking soda does have a place in your granite world. That place is for stain removal. It’s important to know what caused the stain in the first place. Is it from oil or water absorption? If it’s from any kind of fats or oils, you’ll want to mix your baking soda with hydrogen peroxide or acetone. Mix the baking soda with water instead if the stain is from water absorption.
You want to mix it so that it’s quite thick as a spreadable paste. Coat the stain with a thick paste layer, then cover with plastic wrap, taping down the edges to the counter. Then let that sit overnight to 48 hours, depending on how bad the stain is. Once the time has passed, use a plastic scraper to get the dried paste-up, and wipe the area clean with water. You may want to reseal that area afterward to ensure the granite is at its best. And, of course, the most surefire way to address stains is to prevent them in the first place. That’s why it’s so important to wipe up spills and excess water or moisture off as soon as you can.