“What’s the best cleaning product for granite?” “How do I properly clean my granite countertop?” “What do I need to avoid, in order to preserve my granite surfaces?” These are questions we hear every day in our stone showrooms at The Granite Place, so we thought we’d share our expert knowledge with our blog readers. In the past weeks, we’ve covered the best way to clean Marble, and we’ve gone over properly caring for Quartzite, so it’s time to cover the basics of cleaning and caring for our most popular stone – Granite!
Whether you have a brand new or an existing Granite surface, preserving the color and vibrancy of your natural stone is obviously a priority. After all, you want to protect your investment! Although any natural stone needs some attention and maintenance, it can be much simpler and easier than most people think it is. All your Granite requires is a simple combination of basic cleaning habits and, even more important, prevention.
Protecting a Granite Countertop 
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and nothing could be truer in caring for your Granite countertop. Luckily, Granite is one of the easiest materials to protect. It is stone, after all! The key is to make sure your countertop is well-sealed in order to prevent stains and discoloration.
If you have a newly-installed countertop, your installer has most likely already applied a full seal to your stone. Most modern-day sealants will maintain their seal for up to a decade or more, so you usually don’t need to panic if a spill occurs. If you’ve had your countertop for a while, however, you may want to consider re-applying a natural stone sealant.
Sealing your granite is typically an easy process of spraying and wiping, like polishing the hood of a car. Countertop installers and stone industry professionals typically have access to higher-quality sealants than what are found in most hardware stores, so you always have the option to hire a pro to re-seal your Granite more thoroughly.
Maintaining a Granite Countertop
Granite is what scientists call an igneous stone, meaning it goes through nearly volcanic heat and pressure to be formed. In layman’s terms, this means it is “very, very hard.” Every block of granite has an age of well over 300 million years, so it’s seen quite a lot! You can rest assured that your Granite countertop will be impervious to most of the heat, impact, and scratching we often put our countertops through, however, you may still want to use a potholder or a cutting board to better preserve the polish of your stone.
In order to preserve the luster of your Granite for years, simple mindfulness will go a long way. Cleaning up spills immediately, avoiding harsh chemicals, and using cutting boards and potholders are truly all it takes in order to protect your countertop and keep it looking as gorgeous as the day it was installed.
To sum up, the stone itself is extremely durable against most heat and scratching, and the sealant actively repels any moisture from getting in. By the simple methods of care outlined above, you are helping both stone and sealer do what they do best.
Safe Cleaning Products for a Granite Countertop
Keeping your Granite countertops clean is a remarkably simple process, although there are some considerations to keep in mind. There are lots of cleaning products out there, but not all of them are right for natural stone. Heavy-duty cleaners that contain bleach, vinegar, or other aggressive chemicals may dull the polish and even strip the seal of your stone surface, so be sure to avoid using those. Most approved cleaning products will add “safe for natural stone” on the label, and if you’re unsure about using a product on your Granite, you may test it on a small, more discreet, area of your countertop first.
There’s no need to make a big production when there’s a spill, though. Most messes on a Granite countertop can be easily cleaned by basic dish soap and warm water applied with a non-abrasive sponge or cloth. Thoroughly scrub the surface with soap and water, and remove water and soap residue with a clean, damp sponge. Towel dry to finish, and your Granite surface should be sparkling. Although soap and water will remove most disease-causing bacteria and viruses, nowadays it pays to be a tad more thorough. Check out our previous article for more in-depth information on sanitizing your countertops during COVID-19.
We hope this answers your questions and gives you confidence in caring for your Granite countertops! Feel free to browse our Live Inventory or visit one of our showrooms to view our wide selection of Granite and other natural stones. To find a showroom nearest to you, visit our Contact Us page!
