Phoenix Granite Countertop Care
All about caring for your granite counter tops.
While granite countertops are exceptionally strong and durable, it is necessary to take precautions to keep them from becoming stained or acquiring a cloudy appearance. With proper care and cleaning, your granite countertops will retain their full luster and continue to look beautiful for years to come.
Spills and Clean-up
Ideally one would try to avoid spilling anything other than water or mild dish soap on your granite. Liquids like orange juice, soft drinks, and wine can have high levels of acidity. These types of liquids may damage the surface of your countertops if they are not removed immediately. Should spill something, use a cloth or paper towel to wipe off the surface and rinse with a clean wet rag. Many common household cleaners also contain high levels of acid, abrasives and other chemicals that have the potential to damage your granite countertops. If you must use a cleaning agent, use a mild dish soap to avoid tarnishing the surface of the granite.
Sealing Granite Countertops
Your new granite countertops will need to be sealed before use, and again every four to six months. This sealer does not make your countertops impervious to stains; it simply provides a little extra time to clean up a spill before the countertops surface is impacted. 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 at least twice a year. The process of sealing changes a little from product to product however all processes are quite simple. We commonly hear “it’s more work to get everything off of the countertops than it is to apply and wipe off the sealant”. These solvent-based sealers will make your granite countertops look like new. For this reason alone, we see customers sealing their countertops several times per year. For counter tops outdoors in the Phoenix weather, sealing twice as often is prudent.
Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about sealing granite counter tops in the Phoenix area.