How to Care for Granite Kitchen Countertops

Walk down the cleaning aisle at the local store, and we’re inundated with what seems like infinite products promising to do this thing or that – or even both. That seems to be the case more of late with granite cleaners and other stone-care products – products promising to clean and seal, clean and polish, or polish and seal.

Realistically, they may do a little of each, but the solution or secret sauce is diluted – not doing enough of each.

Having grown up in the stone industry, we learned firsthand the importance of a basic three-step process for proper care and maintenance of stone surfaces:

Clean
Seal
Polish
“What do I do” and “How do I do it” were common questions in our installation and restoration days (Lenny P. still runs his restoration business and still gets those questions to this day), and when we first started Granite Gold® in 2003, we were sure to include a cleaner, sealer and polish to answer our customers’ questions.

While stone is a hard, durable surface, it’s from the Earth and very susceptible to various elements and wear and tear.

Step 1

Clean often. Even if your surface appears clean, the safest bet is to clean it daily and after every meal preparation. The most minuscule particle could have a detrimental effect on your natural stone. Avoid common cleaners and abrasives. They will break down the protective seal, and you could be faced with costly repair or replacement

Step 2

Seal frequently. Truth is, you can’t over-seal natural stone surfaces. Frequently sealing granite countertops and all other natural stone surfaces maintains maximum surface protection, penetrating stone surfaces to provide superior, long-lasting resistance to staining, etching and soil build-up. Regularly check the integrity of the seal with an at-home water test. Pour water (about 3 inches in diameter) on the surface in several locations and let it sit for 30 minutes. If you see a dark mark or ring, the water is penetrating the stone and it’s time to reseal.

Step 3

Polish regularly. Polishing stone provides two great benefits. First, polishing after cleaning will bring out stone’s natural beauty. Secondly, it will reinforce the protective seal and provide ongoing protection against water spots and fingerprints. Also, polishing shower walls and tub surrounds will help prevent soap scum build-up. Don’t polish stone floors. You’ll have a hockey rink in your house.