Stone care & repair
Oil & grease stains: how to fix them on every surface
Cooking oil, butter and grease darken stone as they soak in, leaving a translucent patch that is especially obvious on light marble, limestone and granite around the cooktop. Oil needs a solvent, not peroxide, to draw it out.
Before you try anything: always speak to a professional before cleaning, treating or applying any product to your stone. Every slab is different, and the wrong product can cause permanent damage. Contact us or a qualified stone restorer first.
Choose your surface
Every surface compared
| Surface | What is different on this surface | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble | Oil shows most on white marble near the cooktop and chopping area as a darker, glassy patch. Acetone poultices are safe on marble and do not etch it. | Moderate | Read fix |
| Travertine | Oil can settle in the fills of travertine as well as the stone. If the stone clears but a fill stays dark, a restorer can replace that fill. | Moderate | Read fix |
| Limestone | Oil soaks deep into limestone. Fresh spills respond well to a dusting of cornflour or talc left for a few hours; set-in oil can take three or more poultice rounds. | Moderate | Read fix |
| Onyx | Oil on onyx dims its translucency in that spot, so it is most obvious on backlit pieces. Use short, gentle poultices and ask an onyx specialist if it persists. | Moderate | Read fix |
| Dolomite | Dolomite is denser than marble, so oil usually sits nearer the surface and responds to one or two solvent poultices. | Moderate | Read fix |
| Granite | Oil stains are the most common problem on light granites around the cooktop. They show as darker, slightly translucent patches and usually lift with a solvent poultice. | Moderate | Read fix |
| Quartzite | Oil stains on quartzite tend to follow the more porous veins in the slab, so the stain may look streaky rather than round. | Moderate | Read fix |
| Quartz | Quartz does not absorb cooking oil, but a greasy film builds up around the cooktop and makes the surface look dull and patchy. | Easy | Read fix |
| Porcelain | Porcelain cannot absorb oil. A greasy film is residue, and on matte porcelain it can make the surface look darker in patches until degreased. | Easy | Read fix |
| Terrazzo | In cement terrazzo, oil darkens the binder between the chips first. Epoxy terrazzo resists oil much better and usually cleans up with dish liquid alone. | Moderate | Read fix |
| Concrete | If the sealer on your concrete has worn around the cooktop, oil will keep soaking in there until the surface is refinished or protected. | Moderate | Read fix |
| Soapstone | On soapstone, oil is not a stain in the usual sense. It darkens the stone where it lands; oiling the entire top with mineral oil makes the colour even again. | Easy | Read fix |
Rules that apply to every surface
- Act fast. The sooner you blot or wipe, the less there is to fix.
- Test first. Try any method on a hidden spot and check once it is dry.
- No acids on calcite. Vinegar, lemon and most descalers etch marble, travertine, limestone and onyx.
- Protect after repair. A clear film stops the same mark happening again.
Frequently asked questions
Porous and acid-sensitive stones such as marble, travertine, limestone, onyx need the most care. Non-porous surfaces like porcelain and quartz are usually the easiest.
Always. Try any chemical or poultice on a hidden spot, such as inside a sink cut-out or under an overhang, and check the finish once dry.
A clear protection film over the surface keeps spills and acids off the stone. Stone Film Sydney installs it across Sydney with a 10-year warranty.
Stop fixing. Start protecting.
Clear anti-etch, anti-stain film for every stone in Sydney. Free, no-obligation quote, on site or over the phone.