Oh, what a shame! We had black galaxy put in our bathroom on the vanity, the shower bench, the curb and window sill and I LOVE it. I am debating putting it in my kitchen because I love it so much. I'd love to see a picture of yours!

My installer told me that it was one of the most bulletproof granites, impossible to stain and etch. Luckily I had a good installer because I kept bugging him about sealing and he told me NEVER. It won't absorb the sealer, just sits on top and makes a big mess like you have now.

He told me to use acetone if I needed to really deep clean it and never use cleaners that were combined with sealers. I just read that you can remove the sealer with acetone. I also read the fumes can be somewhat toxic so open up the windows when you do it. Supposedly all the hardware stores sell this acetone but I haven't tried it yet. My granite is starting to show hard water spots on the curb of the shower from not drying it and I was told to just scrape these off with a razor blade.

These were the instructions I found: "I suggest removiing whatever is on there with acetone. Just do a small area at a time, keeping it wet for several minutes with the acetone, then wipe with paper towels to remove the sealer"

I watched my installer when he finished up the job and that is what he did with the acetone, wiped small parts and dried it. He did tell me that even though acetone is in nail polish remover, don't try that because there are other chemicals. I was not bothered by the smell, can't even remember it being bad.

One last thing, those sponges with the hard scratchy side, usually green, CAN scratch granite so never use those but the puffy round plastic scrubbies are fine.

Be careful and informed before you start with acetone. It is highly flammable and inhaling in a closed space can cause respiratory problems. Check the MSDS (material safety data sheet) that anyone selling this material should provide. Read it all before you buy it... you may reconsider or have a pro do it. Acetone is a major ingredient in nail polish remover. You would not want to breathe this all day.

Here is a link that might be useful: Acetone info

Thanks for the suggestions. I am hesitant to use acetone on my granite (I'm somewhat protective of it now). Does anyone know of another less harmful way to remove the sealer?

I would think it would wear off over time. After all, granites that are supposed to be sealed are resealed every 6-12 months or so...

If it was mine, I would call a professional stone restorer although my granite guy acted like the acetone was no big deal. I, too, am hesitant to even do a small part because I have little kids and worry about everything around them.

Still, cleaning it off with the acetone is what a professional would do and at least if you call one in, you will have peace of mind. Another good website for all things granite is findstone.com. They have a giant section of questions under forums that you can search and you will see that you are not alone. This happens to a lot of people, especially with black absolute, so look at those posts too.

Good luck and once you get that sealer off, you will LOVE your countertop. I am pretty sure it won't just wear off though. You can find restorers by asking granite suppliers. For something as simple as this job, you can tell them the exact square footage and they can almost always quote you over the phone.

Please post back and let me know what you do in case I ever get the nerve up to use the acetone. I do know not to try vinegar or windex or any cleaner that is not ph neutral but a regular granite cleaner will not remove the sealer.