Maintenance Of Natural Stone Installations Like Granite Countertops

It is essential to get yourself acquainted with the basics of natural stone maintenance, irrespective of whether you already own or are on the verge of owning a granite or marble countertop or other granite installations like a vanity top. Developing a countertop cleaning regimen is all about inculcating some right habits and is not demanding. It helps to sustain the durability and the overall appearance of granite installations, making them sturdier and visually-pleasing for a lifetime of sustained use.

Maintenance of Kitchen Countertops
The most commonly-used stone for kitchen countertops is either granite or some variety of green marble. The fact is that the maintenance regimen for both of them are strikingly similar. Most folks commit the mistake of using sprays and other cleaning agents that have been randomly picked at some supermarket or discount store for cleaning countertops. Many of these cleaning agents contain chemicals that could prove to be harmful to the granite surface and could lead to the tarnishing of the shine that is associated with granite surfaces, as they are corrosive in nature. Some granite surfaces could be resistant to such chemicals but this is something that is hard to establish. Stones like marble are made-up of calcite which is even more susceptible to being damaged by harsh chemicals found in cleaning detergents/sprays.

Note: it is always recommended that at the time of getting your countertop installed, insist upon questioning your contractor whether there is a real need for using impregnators for sealing the installation. Such sealers provide a high degree of protection against chemical agents but daily usage of such abrasive agents could even dampen the effectiveness of the best of sealers and leave stains that are sometimes impossible to eliminate.

Cleaning Tips — avoid the use of generic cleaners for cleaning your granite or natural stone countertops. Instead, try to use simple cleaning aids like water and sponge for keeping the surface clean. The best possible solution for such issues is being spontaneous, i.e. do not wait for cleaning the spill and always keep a small mop or a wet sponge handy to wipe-off the spilled material off the countertop surface. The best method is not to rub away the spill, but to immediately blot it with the an absorbent material. Your countertop cleaning regimen should be a combination of:
· Spot cleaning that is done on a daily basis to remove accidental spilling on the countertop.
· After-use cleaning that is used for cleaning the countertop after every episode of using the kitchen premises, even if you have not done much activity on the countertop itself as debris tend to settle down on it
· Periodic servicing-type maintenance — this is done to address more serious issues such as—
1. Development of any minute cracks or broken edges that should be filled-up
2. Noticeable reduction in shine or overall lustre that can be solved with scheduled polishing

Many kitchens have small flower pots near/along the countertops. It should be noted that soil is the most common form of naturally-occurring abrasive agent and once it starts to get accumulated (invisible to the naked eye, i.e. in microscopic volumes) on the countertop surface, it will start to weather away the surface, every time you rub it hard with a cloth.