Tools and Materials
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How to Clean Granite Countertops
Maintaining the sealant of your granite countertop is essential to preserving its inherent beauty and strength. To avoid the buildup of food, oil and residue, clean your countertop after every use, removing crumbs from the toaster or grease speckles that come from pan-frying bacon.
How to Spot-Clean Granite Countertops
To spot-clean your countertop, use a mixture of dish soap and water.
How to Deep-Clean Granite Countertops
For tough grime and buildup, use a specialized granite countertop cleaner. Most are easy to use, but follow the instructions on the bottle for the best results.
What to Avoid
When you’re cleaning your countertop, it’s important to keep the following in mind:
- Avoid generic cleaners such as bleach, common household cleaners and degreasers.
- Bathroom cleaners usually contain some sort of abrasive component and aren’t food safe, so don’t use them.
How to Seal a Granite Countertop
Granite is porous and absorbs liquids, grease and grime. It’s important to seal and protect it to prolong its longevity.
A granite sealant works its way into the pores so that other materials can’t. Water-based sealants vary in how long they last as well as whether they’re food safe.
To see how quickly your countertop absorbs water, find a discreet area and drip one drop of water onto the counter. Observe how quickly the granite absorbs the water droplet. If it’s absorbed in fewer than 15 minutes, it’s time to reseal your countertop.
To seal your granite countertop, follow these steps.