GRANITE
With the proper care your granite countertop will stay new-looking for years.  Stone is one of the easiest surfaces to maintain.  Granite being 7 on the hardness scale of 1 to 10, 1 virtually unscratchable.  (A stainless steel knife blade is a 6 on the scale)

 1. Blot up spills immediately, before they penetrate the surface.

 2. Clean stone surfaces with a few drops of neutral cleaner, stone soap (available in hardware stores or form a stone dealer), or mild dishwashing liquid and warm water.

 3. Use a soft, clean cloth to clean the granite.  Rinse after washing with the soap solution and dry with a soft, clean cloth.

 4. Remove a stain on granite, basing the method on the type of stain.  Mix a cup of flour, 1-2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid with water to make a thick paste.  Put it on the stain, cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit overnight.

 5. Scrape away the mixture with a wooden utensil and rinse.  If the stain is oil-based (e.g. grease, oil, milk), use hydrogen peroxide in the paste instead of dishwashing liquid - or try ammonia on it.

 6. Try a mixture of 12 percent hydrogen peroxide mixed with a couple drops of ammonia for organic stain (e.g. coffee, tea, and fruit)

 7. Use a lacquer thinner or acetone to remove ink or marker stains from darker granite.  On light-colored granite, use hydrogen peroxide to these stains.  This also works for wine stains.

 8. Mix molding plaster and pure bleach into a paste and spread over a wine, ink or other non-oil stain.  Leave on for 30 minutes, remove and rinse.

 9.  Paste a mix of molding plaster and water over an oil-based or fat-based stain.  Mold into a bird's nest shape and allow to stand for 3 hours.  Remove and rinse.

 10. Reseal the countertop every year or two.  Check with the installer for recommendations.  Use a non-toxic sealer on food preparation areas.

 11. Consider using a new disinfectant cleaner made specifically for granite.

 12.  Call your professional stone supplier, installer or restoration specialist for problems that appear too difficult to treat.

MARBLE CARE TIPS

Marble is stone that is generally polished and used in fine building work. It may be white or colored. It is porous, and can be stained and can be etched by acids. Wipe off anything spilled on marble immediately, as you would on a wood surface. Avoid setting beverage glasses directly on marble as they leave rings.
Seal the marble with paste or sealer to prevent stains and soil from being absorbed into the porous surface. Do not let acids contact the marble as they will etch it. Strong alkaline solutions are absorbed by the marble and break down the surface leaving it rough.

If well-sealed, damp-mopping should keep it clean. If soil does not all come off, wash with a solution of mild detergent (such as Liquid Dishwashing Detergents) and water, and rinse thoroughly. Remove stains promptly. Check with a local marble dealer for special cleaners if needed to remove stains.
Removing Stains from Marble
Make a poultice from white absorbent material such as a napkin, blotter, paper towel or facial tissue, dampened with the chemical recommended below to dissolve that stain; or mix whiting with that chemical to make a soft paste to cover the stain. The poultice should be left on the stain from 1 hour up to 48 hours, depending on the age and depth of the stain. Plastic wrap, held in place by masking tape, can be put over the poultice to keep it damp; otherwise it will have to be re-dampened with the chemical periodically. Mix only enough poultice for immediate use; mix a second batch later if another application is needed.
Organic Stains: Tea, coffee, colors bleached from paper, textiles or soft drinks. Make poultice soaked with 20% peroxide (hair bleaching strength) and a few drop of ammonia.
Oil Stains: Oil stains may include butter, hand cream or lotion. As soon as possible, spread surface with an absorbent fine powder such as whiting or even corn starch. After a short time brush to remove and reapply more powder. Let stand 24 hours. To remove: Scrub with hot, sudsy (detergent) solution and stiff brush. Or wipe with ammonia-dampened cloth. In either case, then rinse and wipe dry. If these alkaline solutions don't remove all the oil, you can try a solvent. Make a poultice dampened with acetone or amyl acetate (available at drug stores), or with home dry cleaning fluid. Use good ventilation with windows open to remove fumes, do not use near spark or flame, and do not leave on too long.
Rust Stains: Usually the result of metal items such as a lamp, metal container in which plant is placed etc. Use a commercial rust stain remover. Follow directions exactly and do not leave on surface very long as acid in many rust removers can etch the surface.
Acids Fruit juice, carbonated beverages or other acids will etch (remove shiny surface) if allowed to remain on marble. Wipe up acid spill immediately, and wipe surface with wet cloth. If surfaced is etched, polishing may be required.

QUARTZ

Quartz surfaces durable and resilient and will provide you with many years of trouble free use. Quartz surfaces are 99.9% solid and nearly impossible to stain.

Residue on the surface of Quartz appearing as stains is only topical. These topical stains are easily removed with a white Scotch-Brite scrubber and any one of many common household cleaners available today including Mr. Clean, 409, Simple Green, Fantastic etc.