remove stain on composite vanity top probably from plumber's putty

[jkmin]

I removed old bathroom faucet and installed a new one. I notice there are stains around the old faucet handle on the composite vanity top. I tried Iron Out from HD, lemon with baking soda, rubbing alcohol, but no help. I noticed that there were plumber's putty around the faucet stem and on the vanity top when removing the old faucet.

How can I remove this stain? I attached the photos for reference.

Thank you very much.

[PC7060]

Hi Jason,

I’d try a Mr. Clean pad in the area on discoloration. No garantees but may help.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

I hope you get lucky with that. But if it’s plumbers putty, much of that stain is oil and is below the surface. I think you’re going to need to use a poultice to have a shot at pulling the oil out.

[jkmin]

Thank you for the replies.

PC7060, I tried, but it does not work. Thank you for the suggestion.

Tool Guy - Kg, what do you use to make the poultice? Is that Aqua mix poultice stain remover or Miracle Sealants POULTPLUS3 Poultice Plus Cleaners, 1 lb? They are both at Amazon.

Thank you.

[Kman]

Those are probably about the same, but maybe Tonto would have a specific recommendation for you.

I'd spread it on top and even inside the hole, as some of the oil is below the top surface.

I have doubts that you'll be able to get it all out. You may be able to lighten it some.

[jkmin]

Thank you for the reply, Kman.

After some googling, I found out that the vanity top material is Formica or laminate. And the Aqua mix does not say that it can be used this kind of material. So, I am a little hesitant to order.

Can the Aqua mix poultice stain remover or Miracle Sealants POULTPLUS3 still be used to remove the stain?

Thank you.

[fhueston]

it looks like culture marble rather than formica. It may only be on the surface so you might want to try some steel wool and some acetone. You dont want to get too aggressive otherwise you many go through the gel coat.

[Kman]

You've got a better view of it than I do, but it certainly doesn't look like either laminate or formica.

[jkmin]

Thank you for the reply, kman, fhueston.

I am quite sure it is not quartz, not marble, not granite. So, I comes down to a few choices. The house was built in 1970s, and I learned that at that time, Formica or laminate was popular choices.

I saw someone recommended the goof-off somewhere, so I am trying it now.
I think it is slowly coming out after hundreds of rubbing with Mr. Clean and rags. I will try some more and let you know.

Thank you.

[cx]

Welcome, Jason.

Gotta agree with Fred's assessment of that material. Definitely appears to be manufactured marble to my eye.

Can't offer any different ideas for the stain removal, though.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

I agree. There’s no doubt that you’ve got a cultured marble top. It’s made from ground marble, sometimes granite, and resin. It’s poured into a mold, cured, then cleaned up & polished. The ultra shiny tops have a clear glossy finish applied.

I don’t think I’d favor one of those poultice choices over another. Choose one. But, like mentioned, you might not get all the stain out. Plumbers putty is notorious for staining cultured marble tops like that. Follow the directions for an application. Don’t rush the timing. And the general advice on something like this is to continue repeated applications as long as an improvement is being made.

[jkmin]

Thank you very much for the reply, cx and Tool Guy - Kg.

I am not sure if it is really cultured marble. My home is not at all expensive house, so if the cultured marble is expensive, probably it was not used when it was built in 1970s.

I removed most of the stain by using the Goof-off and Mr. Clean. I attached the photo for view. I noticed that the stain was gone by removing the top finish and some.

So, it looks dull, a little rough, and not shiny in that area. Is there any way that I can apply some finish to make it like a little shiner? If it is possible, what can I use?

Thank you very much.

[jkmin]

Can I ask one more question?

I am thinking of applying plumbers grease or silicone grease at the bottom of the nut or base, which is on top of the vanity top to prevent the water seeping into the gap. Also, I want to apply either grease to the threads of the handle and nuts so that it would be easier to unscrew later in the far future.

I have 2 questions.

1. Between the plumbers grease or silicone grease, what does not do damage to the O-ring in the handle?

2. Does either plumbers grease or silicone grease do damage to the vanity top like the plumbers putty in the long run by staining the top?

Thank you very much.

[Gozo]

Cultured marble is a cast resin product, rarely seen in fancy homes. We had it in our bathrooms - builder grade stuff.
For the dulled finish (so long as you didn’t scrub through the gel coat), try some auto polishing compound, elbow grease, followed by car wax.
The silicone is less likely to cause O-ring damage. Also, there are non-oil/grease based plumbers putty products you can use. They do tend to dry out sooner than the oil based ones, but less likely to stain.

[cx]

Cultured, or manufactured, marble was a low budget item when I was building houses, Jason. Frequently used for the shower in the second bathroom and even more frequently used for single-piece vanity tops even when budget was not a primary concern. You have "cultured marble."

I've never used anything but Vaseline to lubricate plumbing 0-rings and similar. Never known it to stain anything. Gotta clean it off the areas you don't want it on, of course.

My opinion; worth price charged.