Everything you need to know about granite countertop care is fully explained and outlined below. You’ll have it down in no time and can then confidently keep all your countertops looking fabulous for decades.
Daily:
Hot water and a dish rag or sponge are all you need to clean spills and wipe away crumbs to keep your kitchen countertops clean and tidy throughout the day.
A quick spray and wipe of the main areas of use with a good granite counter cleaner like this
Granite & Marble Spray Cleaner are sufficient to clean, disinfect and protect your countertops, and provide a streak-free shine.
Weekly:
Remove (or move aside) all items on the counter and use the granite cleaner over the entire surface, including the edges.
This routine will remove all dust, debris, and hidden gunk or spills that collect around appliances, containers, dish racks, etc.
Using a specific granite cleaner also serves to condition the stone, protect the sealer, and help maintain its overall luster. Of course, this process is much easier if you reduce the clutter on countertops and maintain an organized kitchen.
Monthly:
A temporary granite polish like the Topical Conditioning Stone Polish can be used periodically (weekly to monthly as you like) to enhance the shine for the ultimate in natural stone and granite care.
Such topical dressings are not for maintenance or repair, however, and such products are not what make the countertop shiny.
This type of product "enhances" the shine (like waxing a car), improves cleaning, helps eliminate fingerprints, and provides a slight bit of protection.
Various stone care products call themselves "polishes” but will have completely different purposes.
A topical polish may improve the look a bit but will not correct the problem. And since it's not meant to be permanent, it will wear off with regular use and cleaning.
Yearly:
Testing for sealing granite countertops (the lemon juice and water drop tests) annually is a good idea to determine when you need to reapply a granite sealer. However, that does NOT mean you should be resealing the granite every year.
You'll read and hear that you should be sealing granite every year or every three years, but the proper frequency for applying a granite sealer is not set in stone and really depends on a number of variables. Testing will tell you when it’s time.
You will likely know anyway that resealing is needed when you start to notice that water around the sink darkens the stone; this is a sign that the granite is beginning to absorb the water.
Source: Countertop Speciality
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