Kitchen · DIY guide

How to clean and seal a stone benchtop

Natural stone — marble, granite, limestone — is porous and needs sealing. Engineered stone generally does not. Sealing a benchtop that does not need it wastes an afternoon; not sealing one that does leaves you with a permanent oil mark next to the cooktop.

  • DifficultyEasy
  • Time1–2 hours plus curing
  • Materials$40–90

Legal to DIY in Victoria

Checked as at September 2026. Rules and prices change — confirm anything you are about to act on.

What you need

  • A water test (free — see step 1)
  • Impregnating stone sealer suited to your stone
  • pH-neutral stone cleaner
  • Lint-free cloths
  • Gloves and good ventilation

Step by step

  1. Test whether it needs sealing at all

    Drip a tablespoon of water onto an inconspicuous area and leave it 15 minutes. If the stone darkens where the water sat, it is porous and needs sealing. If it beads and the stone does not darken, the existing sealer is still working. Engineered stone almost never needs it.

  2. Clean thoroughly with the right product

    pH-neutral stone cleaner only. Vinegar, lemon, bleach and most supermarket sprays etch natural stone — the dull patch is a chemical burn in the surface, not a stain, and sealer will not hide it.

  3. Let it dry completely

    At least a few hours, longer in winter. Sealer applied over moisture will haze and it is unpleasant to remove.

  4. Apply the sealer thinly and evenly

    Work in sections of about a square metre with a lint-free cloth. Keep the surface wet with sealer for the dwell time on the bottle, usually 5–15 minutes.

  5. Buff off every trace of residue

    Before it dries, buff the surface dry with a clean cloth. Sealer left to dry on the surface leaves a streaky film that is genuinely difficult to remove. This is the step that matters most.

  6. Wait before using it

    Most sealers need 24 hours to cure. Keep the bench clear and dry for the full time.

Common mistakes

  • Sealing engineered stone that never needed it
  • Using acidic or bleach cleaners on natural stone
  • Letting sealer dry on the surface
  • Sealing over an existing stain — it locks it in permanently

When to stop and call someone

Chips at the edge, cracks around the sink cutout, or a failed join between slabs need a stonemason. So does an etch mark in polished marble — that is a re-polish, not a clean.

This guide is general information, not advice for your particular house. Rules change — check the current position with the Building and Plumbing Commission, Energy Safe Victoria and WorkSafe Victoria before you rely on it. Plumbing, gas and electrical work must be done by a licensed practitioner. If your home was built or last renovated before 1990, assume asbestos until it is ruled out — see what a strip-out finds.

Doing this in an older Melbourne home?

What you find behind the wall depends a lot on when the house went up, and that varies suburb by suburb. If the job turns out to be bigger than a weekend, these pages set out what we usually find and what a full renovation costs there:

See every suburb we cover →

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