Maintain Your Granite Countertop In Top Shape With Some Handy Tips

Now that you've picked granite as the countertop material of your choice, you need to care for it properly, in order to ensure it is going to last as long as possible. The first step in this process is hiring a skilled contractor, who can design, manufacture and install your granite countertop with high precision. Once installed, the granite is in your hands, so here is a complete guide on how to care for it.

To seal or not to seal
There is a granite countertops general rule which states that it needs sealing. Bus this is a flexible rule – not all granite countertops requires sealing, even if they are made of natural stone. To dismiss any confusion, just ask the team of professionals who install your granite countertop if it needs sealing and how often do you need to do this process. There are multiple types of granite sealers and each one comes with certain features, which may or may not be needed in your case.

Using the granite countertop – what not to do
Regardless the sealing process, you need to take care of your granite kitchen countertops to avoid damages. The best way to protect your countertops is to ditch bad habits which might harm the granite. One of them is using regular cleaning products, like bleaching agent, degreaser or glass cleaner. All these products contain harsh chemical compounds, such as ammonia or bleach, which damage the sealing agent, thus, damaging the granite. Even natural substances, like vinegar and lemon juice, can damage the granite surface, so they are also to be avoided.

The same goes for bathroom and tile cleaners – even if they are advertised as being "mild", they do contain abrasive compounds which can scratch and damage the granite.

Simply storing chemical products on granite countertops can lead to damages, so avoid placing any type of oils, perfumes, creams or any other liquids which can spill, directly on the countertop. Even a seemingly small spill can penetrate the seal and reach the granite, which is a porous material, meaning it will absorb the liquid, becoming stained. When this happens, there is virtually no way to remove the stains, so prevention is the best way to deal with stains.

One more unusual tip: don't stand on granite countertops! Compared to regular countertops, like quartz, granite is not flexible and a heavy load focused on a single spot can crack the countertop.

What should you do to protect your granite countertops?
The best protection for your granite kitchen countertops is bloating the spills as soon as they happen. Make sure you don't rub the area, as granite is prone to scratching. Use soft cloths to bloat the spills and avoid using dish soap repeatedly, even if you rinse with clean water.

Baltic brown