Best Stone Cleaner (+ Satisfying Before & After Pics, 2024)

How many times have you reached for a rag, sprayed some all-purpose cleaner on it, and started wiping only to find that it did nothing to the stains you were trying to remove?

I bet quite many.

This has probably led you to believe that with really bad stains, harsh chemicals and plenty of elbow grease are always needed.

Luckily, that’s not the case!

There’s a miracle product many people have never even heard of that cleans practically EVERYTHING in your home. That product is called a stone cleaner.

Since the name is a little confusing (yes, you can clean several stone surfaces with it but it does SO much more), let’s see what a stone cleaner is, what it’s meant for, and why it brings more amazing results than you’ve ever dreamed possible.

All-in-One, Natural Stone Cleaner: It Cleans, Polishes, and Protects

The product I’m talking about is a cleaning stone by the brand Universal Stone. What is a cleaning stone, you might wonder, and why is it called a stone in the first place?

The name stone doesn’t mean this cleanser is just for stones (although it works great on them too, such as granite, marble, and tiles) or that it contains stone per se (it does contain clay which is commonly found in many rocks). The name mostly describes the solid texture of this cleaning product.

Clay is not only the stoniest part but also the miracle ingredient of this cleaner, all the ingredients being green soap, soap flakes, polishing clay, glycerin, and lemon oil (less than 0,02%).

Instead of listing all the stains this stone cleaner and polish removes (e.g., lime and hard water deposits, permanent marker, grease, and hard-to-clean stains) and especially the dozens of surfaces this works on (stainless steel, silver, copper, aluminum, tiles, marble, granite, floors, counter tops, sinks, tubs, toilets, taps, windows, cabinets, glass, crystal, enamel, plastic, acrylic, wood, ceramics… whew!), I would say this based on my experience:

When nothing else has worked, this natural stone cleaner probably will.

At best, it can make non-salvageable-looking things appear brand new like this sink I first scraped with a scraper and then scrubbed and polished for a family member using Universal Stone:

When something is left to stain for years like this sink above, it starts to look so old and used (and disgusting, obviously) that you could be fooled into thinking you have to throw it away and buy a new one.

That’s exactly why it’s so gratifying being able to remove ingrained stains that no other cleaner has been able to do (at least not without producing toxic fumes).

Even at worst, this cleaning stone is a very good, eco-friendly, non-toxic, and acid-free cleaner made from natural ingredients.

It’s non-abrasive in the sense that it doesn’t scratch any surfaces it’s meant to be used on, but the clay works as a natural and gentle abrasive and polisher; if the product had nothing to separate itself from normal, ineffective, liquid all-purpose cleaners, it wouldn’t have the miracle powers so many customers praise it for.

Stone Cleaner in Action: Before & After Pictures

As I’ve been using Universal Stone for well over a decade, I can usually tell when I’m going to need it and get the results I’m after.

Still, it’s always as satisfying to see how effortlessly you get a clean surface.

1. Silver

As you can see, Universal Stone is perfect for cleaning tarnished silver.

(This silver tray was engraved in 1947 and still looks pretty after cleaning; I love it when I can restore something to its former glory instead of buying new stuff that’s often of lesser quality anyway.)

2. Home Appliances

Most home appliances are great candidates for cleaning with Universal Stone:

I find stains like the ones above impossible to remove with any “normal” all-purpose cleaners; you wipe and wipe, but nothing happens.

But when you have a clay-based cleaning stone, all that useless wiping is left in the past, and the results speak for themselves.

3. Stainless Steel

One very exciting space for me to clean is of course our sauna:

Lime stains are very easy to clean with Universal Stone: you just wipe a damp sponge across the stone a few times, then squeeze the sponge to produce foam, and start cleaning.

When you’re done, you’re supposed to rinse the cleaned surface with water or wipe with a damp cloth; otherwise you’ll be left with white residue that’s harmless but doesn’t look nice.

4. Wood

This is the newest area of interest to me as I wanted to confirm whether you can use Universal Stone on sauna wood.

I had to do some digging on Finnish sites to find the answer (yes, to get proper sauna information, Finland is always the place to go), and found saunas specifically mentioned on Universal Stone’s website!

That makes total sense too since you want to use a natural, non-toxic cleaner in a sauna where your skin touches the surfaces and where you inhale steamy air.

Initially I thought the before and after pictures of wood wouldn’t look as impressive as with silver, for instance, but wow, being wrong can look this good:

I’m so impressed with this result that I’m going to wash the entire sauna with my cleaning stone!

Since our sauna is such a large area compared to a sink, for example, it’s going to be interesting to see how much product will be needed: you see, this stone cleaner is incredibly long lasting (lasting several years for the average user), so I’m going to monitor how much product our sauna will require.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the best cleaner for stone?

An acid-free one that also polishes the surfaces without damaging them. The stone cleaner featured in this post works great on stone surfaces both indoors and outdoors.

The best part is that you’re not limited to using it just on stone but can use it almost everywhere in your home, yard, and garage.

2. How do you clean outdoor stone work?

While a cleaning stone is suitable for outdoor stone work and would bring nice results, it can be too labor-intensive with large areas.

Consider using a stone cleaner spray instead that doesn’t require any rinsing or scrubbing such as Wet & Forget Outdoor that’s an exterior stone cleaner liked by thousands of people.

3. Can I clean stone with vinegar?

Vinegar isn’t recommended for stone surfaces because of its acidity which can lead to etching and dullness over time. Try an acid-free alternative like a cleaning stone instead.

4. I want a natural all-purpose cleaner that actually works, but I can’t stand the smell of vinegar. What are my options?

With cleaning products, natural doesn’t luckily mean just vinegar and baking soda anymore like it used to! A cleaning stone like Universal Stone is natural, biodegradable, very effective, and contains no vinegar (or baking soda).

If you’re interested in a DIY version, you’d have to experiment with mixing different soaps and clay powders together.

Final Thoughts

If you’re intrigued by this stone cleaner and want similar results as I’ve gotten, you can find it on Amazon.

(There’s also a lime-scented version which apparently contains more perfume oils, but the lemon version is the best stone cleaner I’ve ever used.)

Just remember to let the stone dry after each use and only then close the container. This way your stone cleaner has an indefinite shelf life.