Care and Maintenance of Granite Countertops

 Care and maintenance of your granite countertops is very simple and will enhance and lengthen the beauty of your countertops. In addition to dusting, you should clean natural stone on a regular basis with warm water and a mild cleanser. Abrasive cleaners should not be used under any circumstances. Avoid using cleaners with ammonia (unless you have had your granite countertops sealed with our granite sealant) bleach, acids, or other all-purpose cleaners. We recommend that your daily cleaning should be done using a Neutral PH cleaner, you can find them on basically any grocery store. Anything besides that will overtime either reduce the lifetime of the sealer applied or give a dull look to your countertops.

Natural stones have the characteristic of being porous which simply means it can be penetrated by water, oils, and chemicals; therefore most granite should be sealed in order to minimize staining. Resealing your countertops is a quick and simple process and should be done annually; the frequency will depend on your countertop particular needs. Manufacture instructions on how to seal your granite or marble countertops can be found on its containers. Make sure you read it before applying it, however, that process is fairly easy to be accomplished.

Granite is the most durable, long lasting, natural material suitable for kitchen countertops due to its hardness, heat and scratch resistances, and minimal absorption which will provide you with many years of use with very little aging in the appearance and feel of your countertops. Under normal use such as general cutting in food preparation, granite resists scratching better than any other surface. You may also place hot dishes directly out of the oven onto the countertops without the fear of damaging your granite countertops

It is important to clean all spills and avoid leaving unwrapped foods on granite surfaces. Using coasters under glasses, especially if they contain citrus juices or alcohol will also help with the prevention of staining. Use a paper towel to blot up spills as quickly as possible, and avoid wiping a spill since it will spread the spill. Use a soft cloth to dry the area completely.

If a stain remains, it is important to determine the type of stain since different types of stains have various removal processes. The most common types of stains are organic (coffee, tea, food, cosmetics), biological (mold, fungus, mildew), metal (rust), ink (pens, magic markers), and oil (grease, cooking oil). Poultice powders can be used for the safe removal of specific stains. Poultice powders are designed to re-absorb a stain out of a stone that cannot be removed with a liquid cleaner. Follow the directions on the labels of the products you purchase for the correct usage of these cleaners. You can find these cleaning products at most home improvement stores.

Please feel free to contact us with any additional concerns you may have with the care of your natural stone countertops.