Today my black tin for loose tea made a mark on the countertop too – so I decided I’d better try to tackle these problems. The first thing that came to mind was lemon juice – since I knew that bleach was a problem with Formica. I’m also trying to use more environmentally friendly products when possible.

So I took out our lemon juice. It’s called Nellie & Joe’s Famous Key West Lemon Juice – Double Strength. It has lemon juice in it and lemon oil from concentrate.

A tin of tea and some lemon juice!

I poured some of the lemon juice onto a paper towel and rubbed it on the tin mark. Nothing happened. Then I went over to the coffee marks and rubbed some lemon juice on them. It looked like they were starting to fade. So I used some more. After a couple of minutes repeating this procedure – I noticed that it actually worked! I got rid of all the stains in the coffee maker area. Then I decided to try again where the tin was. After reapplying the juice a couple of times – it worked too! I got rid of all the stains naturally – with a little elbow grease and lemon juice. Try it out!

If you’d like to share your tricks for cleaning out stains on countertops, feel free to comment below…

But if you choose to go that route, beware that you’ll have to work a little harder to keep the grout between the tiles clean!

From the New York Times:

Where to Find Tests and Testers

To find a certified technician to determine whether radiation or radon is emanating from a granite countertop, homeowners can contact the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (aarst.org). Testing costs between $100 to $300.

Information on certified technicians and do-it-yourself radon testing kits is available from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site at epa.gov/radon, as well as from state or regional indoor air environment offices, which can be found at epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html. Kits test for radon, not radiation, and cost $20 to $30. They are sold at hardware stores and online.