Stripping/Refinishing a Sandstone Surround

I have a sand (http://maplered.com) Stone (http://g603.net) surround around my fireplace that was covered in about 70,000 layers of paint (a bit of an exaggeration). I wanted get a more natural look, so I started stripping the paint with a "less toxic", orange smelling gel remover, but I noticed that some speckles of paint are left behind in the porous Stone (http://g603.net) .  I was wondering how to get these last remnants out.  Also, I was wondering if anyone could tell me what the finishing options are for sand (http://maplered.com) Stone (http://g603.net) .  I know that sand (http://maplered.com) Stone (http://g603.net) cannot be polished.  Thanks