How to Keep Your Countertops Clean

Preventing a stain is a much more attainable feat to accomplish, than trying to take a stain out of the stone.  The best way to prevent staining is to seal your countertops.  Before sealing your countertops, make sure to clean up crumbs, oils, spills, or debris.  Your countertops must be clean, to ensure that nothing gets sealed onto the stone.  Sealing is crucial for granite, due to the natural holes and pitting in the stone’s surface.  A sealant is applied to the entire surface of the stone and prevents crumbs and germs from going into these pits, as well as creating a stain-proof layer over your stone.  It is important to keep up with sealant every two to three years, to keep your granite in tip-top shape.  In addition, make sure to clean up spills immediately.  At International Granite and Stone, we use DryTreat.

Cleaning

When it comes to cleaning your granite countertops, it’s important to remember that certain products can wear down the sealant on your counters, making them more susceptible to staining.

The following products should NOT be used to clean Granite, Quartzite, or Marble countertops, as their acidity can corrode the sealant:

• Vinegar

• Windex

• Bleach

• Abrasive Sponge

• Gritty Cleaners

• Wax

• Polish

You CAN use mild soap and water, as well as specialized granite or natural stone cleaners.

Quartz Countertops are the least maintenance in terms of cleaning.  Quartz is a non-porous stone, so no sealant is ever required.  Because there is no sealant, you don’t have to worry about wearing it down. Quartz is cut-resistant, scratch-resistant, and never stain, so long as you regularly clean your Countertops with warm soap and water.

Pro Tip: To add a little bit of shine to your countertops, apply a small amount of cooking oil onto the stone, and buff away!