Product Overview
Actichem Granite Polish is a ready-to-use polishing cream for bringing granite and dark stone to a final lustre. It is made in the USA exclusively for Actichem, using the highest-grade crystal abrasive commercially available.
The grade of the abrasive is the whole point. Cheap polishing powders cut unevenly and run hot, which is what produces orange peel, swirl and burn marks on dark granite — the defects that are visible from across a room and cannot be buffed out. A consistent, high-grade abrasive cuts predictably, stays cooler under the pad and gives a deeper, more even shine.
It works exceptionally well on darker granites, which are the least forgiving surfaces in stone restoration.
Why Professionals Choose It
- Control during polishing. It is not as hot as lower-grade powders, so you have more working time and less risk of overworking an area.
- Resistant to orange peeling. The most common visible defect in granite polishing, and the hardest to correct once it has happened.
- Zero dust. Supplied as a cream rather than a powder, so there is no airborne abrasive to inhale, settle on adjacent surfaces or contaminate a finished area. On an occupied site this matters as much as the finish.
- Rinses easily. Slurry clears with a wet vacuum and a rinse rather than needing to be chased out of every joint.
- Suits both fabrication and floor polishing. Bench edges and profiles in the shop, floors on site.
- Leaves a micro-coating that resists soiling.
Safety Information
This is one of the genuinely low-hazard products in the range, and the existing description was accurate. Actichem's safety data sheet — version 1.2, issued 22 July 2025 — classifies Granite Polish as a non-hazardous chemical and non-dangerous goods.
- GHS classification: not applicable
- Signal word: none
- Hazard statements: none
- Poisons Schedule: not applicable
- Not regulated for transport of dangerous goods
- Engineering controls and personal protective equipment: not required
- Composition: aluminium oxide (CAS 1344-28-1) 30 – 60%, balance withheld as trade secret
Three practical points that are worth knowing anyway
- pH is 9.4 – 10.5, mildly alkaline. The existing page listed pH 9; the safety data sheet gives the range above and we have published that.
- Do not mix with acids. Section 10 names acids as the only incompatible material.
- The exposure standard for aluminium oxide is 10 mg/m³ TWA, which applies to airborne dust. This product is supplied as a cream specifically so that there is no dust — but do not let spilled slurry dry out and then sweep it, and do not decant it into a powder form.
Applications and Surface Suitability
Ideally suited to darker granites and bluestone. Also used on granite generally for final lustre in both fabrication and floor work.
It is a polishing compound, not a cleaner and not a restoration abrasive. It brings an already-flat, already-honed surface up to gloss. It will not remove scratches, etch marks or lippage — those are honing and grinding jobs that happen before this product comes out.
How to Use
Read and understand the safety data sheet before use. Always pre-test in an inconspicuous location. Do not leave the product unattended on sensitive surfaces.
Preparation
- Mask and tape off surrounding areas to avoid damage to other substrates. Slurry travels further than you expect.
- Remove all waxes and finishes from the stone surface before first use. Polishing over a wax film polishes the wax, not the stone, and the result will not last.
Polishing
- Apply 30 – 40 ml of Granite Polish in the centre of the area being polished.
- Using a slow-speed, heavy-duty machine fitted with a natural pad, work the product over the area.
- Add more product as needed, keeping the cream somewhat thick. A slurry that has gone watery has stopped cutting.
- Work in a slow, even, side-to-side motion for about 10 minutes.
- Pull the slurry back with a squeegee to check the gloss level.
- Once polished, wet vacuum the area. Rinse well, wet vacuum again, and assess gloss.
- If the gloss is acceptable, move on. Overlap areas to blend.
- When the total area is complete, rinse and wet vacuum the whole floor.
- Once dry, buff with a white pad to remove any residue.
Immediately after
Rinse and remove any material that has splashed outside the work area to prevent etching. This is the point where most damage claims on a polishing job originate — not from the polishing itself but from slurry left to sit on an adjacent surface, a skirting or a fixture.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Polishing over wax or a finish. Strip first, or you are polishing a coating.
- Letting the slurry go watery. Keep the cream thick. Adding water to make it go further stops it cutting.
- Working too fast or in too small an area. Slow, even, side to side, about ten minutes. Rushing produces uneven gloss that is only visible once the floor dries.
- Using a synthetic pad instead of a natural pad. Pad choice changes the result as much as the compound does.
- Not masking. Splashed slurry on an adjacent surface is the most common source of damage on a polishing job.
- Expecting it to remove scratches. It is a final-lustre compound. Scratch removal is a honing job.
- Assessing gloss while the floor is wet. Wet stone always looks glossy. Rinse, vacuum, let it dry, then judge.
Technical Specifications
| Product code | AP183 |
| SKU | AP183.01 |
| Pack size | 1 US quart (946 ml) |
| Appearance | Dark grey liquid or paste |
| Colour (as listed by Actichem) | Grey |
| Odour | Floral |
| Fragrance | None added |
| pH | 9.4 – 10.5 |
| Specific gravity | 1.51 – 1.942 |
| Solubility in water | Partly soluble |
| Flash point | Not applicable — non-combustible |
| Abrasive | Aluminium oxide, 30 – 60% |
| Dilution | Ready to use — mix with water to form a slurry in use |
| Application rate | 30 – 40 ml per area being polished |
| Working time | Approximately 10 minutes per area |
| Machine | Slow-speed, heavy-duty, natural pad |
| Classification | Non-hazardous chemical, non-dangerous goods |
| Signal word | None |
| Poisons Schedule | Not applicable |
| Incompatible with | Acids |
| Country of manufacture | United States of America |
Actichem's safety data sheet lists a single pack size of 1 US quart (0.946 L). An earlier version of this page also referred to a 500 ml pack; we have removed that reference pending confirmation from Actichem that the size exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is orange peel and why does this product resist it?
Orange peel is a dimpled, uneven gloss that looks like the skin of an orange under raking light. It is caused by inconsistent abrasive particle size and by heat build-up under the pad, both of which make the compound cut unevenly. A consistent high-grade crystal abrasive that runs cooler is the direct answer to both causes.
Will it remove scratches?
No. This is a final-lustre polishing compound. Scratch removal, etch removal and flattening are honing and grinding operations that happen before polishing. Polishing a scratched surface gives you a glossy scratch.
Why a natural pad?
Natural fibre carries and holds the slurry differently to synthetic and generates less heat. Heat is the enemy in granite polishing. If your result is patchy, the pad is the first thing to check after the slurry consistency.
Can I use it on marble or limestone?
It is formulated for granite and bluestone. Marble and other calcareous stone are polished with different compounds and different techniques — pre-test and contact us before committing to a marble floor with this product.
Is it safe to use in an occupied building?
It is non-hazardous and dust-free, which makes it one of the more straightforward products to use on an occupied site. The practical constraints are the machine noise, the wet floor and the need to mask surrounding surfaces, not the chemistry.
How much will I need?
Thirty to forty millilitres per area worked, with more added to keep the slurry thick. Actual consumption depends on stone hardness, how far the surface is from the target gloss and how large your working sections are. Estimate from a trial section on the actual stone.
What happens if slurry dries on an adjacent surface?
Rinse it off before it dries. Dried slurry is harder to remove and, on some surfaces, can leave marking. Masking is faster than remediation.
Related Products
- Actichem Stone Soap — the maintenance cleaner for the polished floor. It is particularly good on post-polishing cleans, which is exactly the job that follows this one.
- Actichem Stone Gel Pro — acid-free cream cleanser for scale and soap scum. Removes the soiling before polishing.
- Actichem Stone Sealer Pro — water-based penetrating sealer to protect the finished surface.
- Actichem Solv Sealer Gold — solvent-based sealer for dense granite, where a water-based sealer will not penetrate.
Summary
Granite Polish is the compound to reach for when the surface is flat and honed and the only thing left to do is bring up the shine — particularly on dark granite, where every defect shows. High-grade crystal abrasive, cooler working, resistant to orange peel, zero dust, and it rinses out cleanly.
It is also genuinely non-hazardous: no signal word, no hazard statements, no poisons schedule, no dangerous goods classification, and Actichem states no personal protective equipment is required. That is rare in this catalogue and worth saying plainly.
Safety Data Sheet
Actichem Granite Polishing Cream Safety Data Sheet — version 1.2, issued 22 July 2025
SKU: AP183.01
Not sure whether the floor in front of you needs polishing, honing or grinding? Contact Carpet Cleaners Warehouse before you order. Polishing compound applied to a surface that is not yet flat will not fix it, and the trial section is what tells you which stage you are actually at.
