Do's & Don't's
The easiest way to keep your stone looking great is to avoid bad habits that may damage it. Granite, marble, quartz and solid surface are similar in many ways, but their differences require varying degrees of maintenance.
However . . . If you utilise the granite care and cleaning procedures that follow for all your worktops . . . no matter what type of stone or surface . . . you’ll eliminate most potential problems without ever having to think too hard about it or worry that you may be causing damage.
Do: Blot up spills immediately. Avoid acid or alkalis coming in contact with your granite work surfaces. Acidic substances like wine, coffee, fruit juices, tomato sauce and fizzy drinks will not etch granite like they do marble, but they could potentially stain the surface. Cooking oils may also leave a stain if not wiped up. Granite worktops should not be brought into contact with strong acids or chemicals including paint stripper, brush cleaner, oven cleaner, nail varnish remover, de-greasant or similar products.
Do: Clean surfaces using a sponge or soft cloth. Warm soapy water is adequate to clean the surface. Granite must not be rubbed with abrasive materials (such as metal pads, scouring detergents and wire wool or alkaline and chlorine based cleaners or bleach) instead, wash with clean warm water to which a non-abrasive light neutral detergent (PH7) may be added. Rinse with clean warm water and dry with a chamois leather or similar. Drainer Grooves can however be cleaned using wire wool.
Do: Use coasters under all glasses, bottles and cans. Again, granite won’t etch and using coasters on dense and/or properly sealed granite is not an absolute necessity like with marble, but using coasters is just a good practice to protect all surfaces.
Do: Use trivets and hot pads under pots, pans and dinnerware.
Do: Use cutting boards. Again, avoid the possibility of scratching/staining the surface and protect your knives. Cutting on stone will dull and damage your knives’ edges quickly. Don’t: Use generic cleaning products such as bleach, glass cleaners or degreasers. These products that you buy at your local store contain acids, alkalis and other chemicals that can etch marble and degrade the granite sealer leaving the stone more vulnerable to staining.
Don’t: Use vinegar, ammonia, lemon or orange as cleaners.
Don’t: Put HOT PANS on Quartz worktops!
Don’t: Use bathroom, tub & tile or grout cleaners. The powders and even the “soft” creams contain abrasives that will scratch and dull surfaces.
Don’t: Sit or stand on your worktops. Unlike laminate worktops, granite, and quartz worktops are very hard, but not flexible and they DO NOT have plywood backing so too much weight in one spot could cause a crack.
Don’t: Place toiletry products directly on your worktop surface. Hair products, perfumes, colognes, nail products, creams, lotions and potions may stain granite or etch the polish (on marble) leaving a ring. Protect your countertop by placing these products on a decorative tray like they do in fancy hotels! And don’t forget when cleaning your mirrors in the bathrooms to spray the glass cleaner away from the countertop and onto the paper towel or cloth FIRST then wipe the mirror. Don’t spray it onto the mirror because guess were the overspray goes?
BEWARE – Grit that gets trapped between the pot and the worktop surface may scratch the surface. Granite is very hard and can take tons of abuse without any damage, but it does contain some softer minerals that could be chipped or scratched. The likelihood is pretty slim, but it is possible. If it does happen, don’t fret too much. Most chips and scratches can be easily repaired, but it’s best to avoid them.
Cleaning Schedule
Daily: Truthfully, hot water and a sponge are sufficient to wipe up spills and debris and keep your worktops clean and tidy throughout the day. At the end of the day, a quick spray and wipe of the most heavily used areas with a specialist granite worktop cleaner will adequately clean, disinfect and protect your worktops.
Although sometimes soap scum can build up and dull your stone, Please see www.granitepolish.co.uk for specialist cleaning kits.
Yearly: We recommend that you seal your granite every 8-12 months to block its pores and avoid watermarks or staining.