If youâve chosen a granite kitchen countertop after reviewing the different styles of kitchen countertops, youâll have to pay close attention to the care of the granite in order for your kitchen to keep its value. Granite is known as one of the most durable types of countertop available. While granite countertops are very strong and durable, youâll still want to take precautions to keep them from being stained or damaged. With proper care and cleaning, your granite countertops will continue to look beautiful for years.
Clean Spills Immediately
Youâll want to avoid spilling anything other than water or some mild dish soap on your granite countertops, particularly liquids that have a high level of acidity. Orange juice, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages are acidic and can cause damage to your countertops if they are need cleaned up immediately.
Avoid Harsh Cleaning Products
Just like some foods and beverages have high levels of acid in them, some common household cleaners have high levels of acid and other chemicals that have the potential to damage your granite countertops.
Avoid Adding Weight to Countertop Edges
While granite countertops are very durable, you want to do your best to eliminate any chance of damaging them. One of the ways you can prevent damage is to avoid putting any unnecessary weight on the edges of the countertops.
Use Trivets or Hot Pads for Hot Dishes
Granite holds up extremely well under heat, but thin strips of granite do not have enough surface area to absorb all of the heat from dishes, pots, and pans adequately. Trivets or hot pads will help to keep heat away from materials that are less durable than your granite countertops.
Protect Your Countertops with a Sealant
One thing you can do to help protect your countertops from damage is to apply a sealant to them once they have been installed. A solvent-based sealer can be applied to granite countertops to help keep them looking new.
This sealer does not make your countertops impervious to stains; it just means you have a little extra time to clean up a spill before the countertops will become stained. The life of this sealer varies based on a number of factors, but you can estimate that you will need to reapply the sealer to your countertops every two to three years.
