Maintaining your Granite Countertop
Daily Maintenance
1. Clean the countertop with warm water and a few drops of dishwashing detergent using a soft cloth. Rinse the surface thoroughly with clean water and dry with a soft cloth.
2. Attending to spills and food residue promptly will ensure that your granite countertop is always easy to clean. Avoid using abrasive substances and materials; microfibre cloths work well.
3. If you spill something on your countertop, blot with a paper towel or soft cloth immediately. Avoid wiping the area as this can spread the spill.
4. Saturate the spill with warm water and dishwashing detergent and rinse thoroughly. Dry the area with a soft cloth.
5. Granite is highly scratch-resistant. It is best, however, to use a cutting board in order to avoid dulling your knife blades over time.
Extreme Temperature
1. Granite is a natural stone quarried outdoors, and as such, it is very resistant to temperature fluctuations. Hot cooking pots will not damage the surface of your granite countertop, however, it is always a good idea to use trivets or mats.
Heavy Duty Cleaning
1. Scrape away gum, grease or paint with a putty knife or razor blade.
2. If you encounter a situation where extreme cleaning is required, you may need to use professional grade stone degreaser to effectively remove dirt, grease and grime. These products are concentrated and designed to deep clean without damaging the stone. It’s important to follow manufacturers’ instructions carefully.
Removing Stains
1. Properly sealing granite will repel most stains if the spills are cleaned promptly.
2. If you find you have a stain that is not easily removed by following the above directions for spills, a “poultice” can be used to pull the stain from the stone. The stone poultice is a fine, non-acid, absorptive clay cleaning powder that removes deep-set oil stains, grease and light cement grout haze from polished and unpolished natural stone.