Is it safe to use acetone to clean the haze off of my granite?

Q: I recently had ghibli granite countertops/backsplash installed and noticed a smearing/haze that looks like the granite was not thoroughly cleaned prior to being sealed. I took a rag and acetone and cleaned an area of the backsplash and resealed and it looks much better. Is it ok to liberally use acetone to clean countertops? Can I wipe off the granite with a rag saturated with acetone to clean the granite and then reseal? It seems like the installer used this method to initially clean but was not very thorough.

A: Yes, you can. Mineral solvents are usually safe to use on stone unless you have a doctored slab. Before you seal your granite you should first determine if it needs to be sealed. First, pour some water on the stone, wait 30 minutes, and wipe the water off. If the stone darkens, it needs to be sealed. If it doesn't, your stone doesn't need sealer. Once the granite is clean you should follow through with routine maintenance with appropriate granite cleaning products. Check out our free, downloadable Stone and Tile Care Guide for more information. You can ask your professional stone and tile restoration contractor for recommendations of products. If you don't already have a PRO, contact us.