Well MaryJane, I'm not sure I've spent this much money on myself at any one time, so I'm not as concerned with my own "etching".

I live my life just fine and am not usually one to stress over things (my cabinets arrived grey when I thought they'd be white).

Your advice feels akin to saying "Just wash and dry all your cashmere sweaters on hot! Just open your car doors into poles!" Since etching is something I do have some control over with a little effort and care, I'm asking for help from those willing to give.

I got the Ace hardware grAnite products. Every day cleaner. I don’t use it every day though and polish. I used to go to a granite shop and buy cleaner but the one closest closed down.

Still looking for more tips and tricks on how you care for your "sensitive" counters if anyone wants to share! Thanks! 🙃

My tip: I use Tyrtle Wax car wax paste. Yep. Works like a charm. Easy to apply and helps keep granite smooth and easy to clean. You spread a thin layer on with a damp sponge provided in the container. You let it dry to a cloudy state (10 min or so). Take a soft dry cloth and buff it off. I cook nearly everyday and hubby does clean up. Leaves water everywhere. Since I appreciate the help I just clean it up later. No issues at all. Been using this for years. So easy. I do a treatment around twice a year. You can get it on Amazon. But get the paste. It’s the best.

There have been a million posts on the care of marble counters and I have never seen one that has a solution for etching except that etching is less noticable on honed rather than polished. We had polished marble in the bathroom and it was etched to death. I hated it but learned to live with it. We put a small honed marble baking counter in the kitchen, also etched but you could only see in certain light at particular angles and it didn't bother me. I really don't think there is anything you can do to prevent etching. Many here suggest you embrace the patina but if it's polished, I really don't think I could.

Having said all that, there is a new process to seal marble that supposedly works, More AntiEtch but it's thousands of dollars. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5609402/more-antietch-sealer-for-marble-countertops

stoneguardusa.com

I just want to say I would not like the etching on my countertop either. I don’t think it’s neurotic at all. Try the Turtle Wax idea @Flo Mangan gave you. It sound like the easiest idea at twice-a-year application. You want your countertop to be shiny and free of marks. I had that problem in a master bath and it drove me nuts.

I have polished fantasy brown in my kitchen and had the same happen within the first 6 months. I used the following and it removed the rings:

https://www.amazon.com/Etch-Remover-Marble-Polishing-Compound/dp/B079YWBMMB/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=majestic+stone+care+products&qid=1629731399&sprefix=majestic+stone+&sr=8-4

I seal my counters every 6 months with the following and have found the stone to become more durable as time goes on.

https://www.amazon.com/Tenax-Granite-Sealer-Marble-Concrete/dp/B000VM07ZA/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=tenax+hydrex+polished+stone+sealer&qid=1629731570&sprefix=tenax+hydrex&sr=8-3

I check for any etches prior to sealing and use the etch remover if needed. I’ve had my countertops for 3+ years now and haven’t found any etching since the first year of use.

We sometimes use coasters with a cork bottom, but find insulated cups to work best when it comes to drinks with ice. You don’t get the sweating on the outside of the cup so it isn’t slippery when you pick it up. However, my kids leave glasses of ice water on the counter and we don’t seem to get the rings any more. We also put jars of items likely to cause etching on cork trivets. It’s just become a habit at this point.

Kathy, thank you for asking this question. I'm sure many of us can benefit from tips, especially those tried and found to be successful over the years. I'm a bit confused, though. May I ask if the same tips apply to both granite and marble?

eta: @Flo Mangan

Many people take lemon juice and rub it over the entire counter, to complete the etching process evenly. Further etches wont be noticeable.

Trivets and coasters. I have a trivet on each of the five main areas of the countertop.

Rubbing lemon juice all over your counters is not really an acceptable option. My husband horribly etched our small marble counter while descaling his Nespresso machine. It felt awful. Every time I touched it or went over it with a cleaning cloth it made my blood run cold. It didn't have the nice smooth feel of the honed surface of the rest of the marble. Not to mention that you want polished not honed counters. I'm really sorry to say this but I'm not sure there's much you can do at this point except be hyper vigiliant. (My water did not etch the calacatta in the kitchen but it did the crema marfil in the bathroom...I would be beside myself if water etched my kitchen counters because there is just no winning that battle!)

I am getting polished Fantasy Brown and have not heard of this etching problem. My DH is notorious for getting water all over the kitchen counters!

My cousin has had polished Fantasy Brown in two kitchens and she reported that she never had a problem with etching. I don't understand. The stone yard is putting a sealer on it. I am going to talk to them. I will also ask them about Flo Mangan idea. I like it!!!

Fantasy Brown is marble, and stones are frequently mislabeled. If you'd like to know what to expect from your stone before you buy it, you have the ability to do exactly that. Get a sample and do some simple tests. Then you'll know more about your stone, and you'll probably have a little fun too. Yay, science!

https://usenaturalstone.org/how-to-be-your-own-stone-sleuth/

Replace it if it’s going to make you that anxious to live with it.

clt3 - Thank you! I will save this and ask my fabricator. Install is this week.

We have a semi-personal relationship with the fabricator owner. He has invited us out to his house to look at his kitchen. We have been working with the company (the owner, his daughter, and 3 other great associates) to find the perfect FB. The have been very meticulous to find a stone that has no fissures and is the color range that I wanted. They have even sent back two batches that have come into their business that had flaws. I hope that I can trust them to give me a nice finish and recommendations on how to care for it.

While reading about the More Anti Etch product, they mentioned travertine as being etch susceptible. We had travertine in our bathrooms in the previous home. Our builder suggested them and we went in not really knowing what they were. They held up great until about 3-4 years before we sold...so they were 10 years old before one day noticing an outline of a circle on my vanity. I think that my housekeeper must have put down a bottle of some type of household cleaner. I tried to remove it, polish it, etc. One day I took some sand paper to it and it partially disappeared with out really changing the surface around it. Moral of that story is to make sure to instruct proper care to anyone cleaning for you...and to your spouse!!!

karin_mt - I knew that Fantasy Brown is both a marble. I know that it is considered to be a very hard marble as opposed to most. I did research and talked to my cousin about it. I know that being careful with the stone is important. I was just taken aback that a water glass could leave etching. I never considered water to be acidic. After having a good talk with my fabricator, I will be purchasing a couple of drying mats, and maybe some Turtle Wax. :)

Kathy Rivera - Have you talked with your fabricator about the etching? Also, I am curious about what happened with your cabinets. Are they really gray, or just a white that had a gray tinge versus a bright white? I purposely order a shade darker than the brightest white for my kitchen. As a whole, they look white.

Thanks all for the ideas!

I'm happy to report no new etching. We have been pretty careful - using coasters for drinks, cleaning up pretty quickly, etc. There's been some pooled water that sat an hour or, my husband missed cleaning some tomato juice/seed for 2-3 hours after cutting (on a board!) the other day, and a dot of red colored ice cream sat over night all with no issue. So I think the pressure of the glass maybe contributed to the etching.

@nhb22 I got them at Lowe's and this brand didn't offer a sample to take home. In the store they looked white with a gray tinge - and I know that lighting is totally different. The brochures looked pretty darn white to me (not bright, but still white). Luckily I got the paint touch up kit way before the cabinet delivery and gave it a try. Yeah, gray. So I was prepared but still - made me change we design plans!

Kathy Rivera - I received an email message from HOUZZ that you mentioned my name here in a new response. I got a glimpse of your comment in the email (glad your countertop is behaving), but the response cut off and had me click a link to this thread. However, there is nothing written here. Not sure what happened to it. 🤔

Kathy, have you made a decision? I’m re-reading suggestions for countertop care tonight...Flo, do you know if I can safely apply Turtle Wax on my new granite? I was told at final walk-through that it has both the factory seal and on-site seal, but I definitely want to protect them from etching and maximize ease of care.

dsimber - I ordered the Turtle Wax, but was surprised at how liquid like it was. I thought it would be more of a wax. I did try a little on my rental granite in an inconspicuous place. I could not see any change, but perhaps it wasn't needed. What worried me the most is that when it dries, it does seem to have a tiny bit of grit, maybe like soft scrub when it is dry. I was worried it might scratch the surface of stone. So I would also like to hear from Flo Mangan on this subject.

Kathy Rivera - They look white to me, also! Whatever, your kitchen looks great!!!

I have bathroom cabinetry that is SW Repose Gray. Sometimes they look a light gray. Other times white.