The look is dramatic. You
wanted it in your dream kitchen and bathrooms... Now that you have it ~
how do you care for your beautiful countertops?
First of all, Glenn Haege, the
ever-popular Detroit News columnist, recommends, “with any granite, or
stone, is to seal it. The most delicate part of any stone is the inside.
A penetrating sealer soaks through the surface and protects the inside
of the stone.”
Mr. Haege compares granite to a
“very stiff sponge. Anything you spill on it can penetrate and do
serious damage. Even water spills can lift the level of the stone and
cause it to crack or chip.”
One should inquire from the
installer whether the granite’s been sealed or not.
“Sealing in not a one-time
thing. It should be done once every year or two. If you have an older
house and can’t remember the last time you sealed it, or just moved into
an existing house granite, figure it hasn’t been sealed and clean and
seal it.”
Haege recommends the following
products for cleaning: Granite Gold (www.granitegold.com or
888.475.STONE) and Stone Care International – SCI (www.stonecare.com or
888.839.1654). You’ll find Stone Care International products at Ace
Village Hardware.
"Granite Gold warns that
everyday cleaning products such as Windex, 409 and Soft Scrub can damage
and discolor granite...cotton cloths, especially terry cloth towels, are
important tools for stone countertop cleaning. Make sure you have a
plentiful supply and launder them after every use.”
To seal your granite
countertops; start with SCI Marblemist to clean the surface. Wipe dry
with terry cloth then air dry for 6 to 12 hours before sealing,
following the directions.
Daily maintenance of your
granite means dabbing up standing water. No wiping, especially with your
dishwashing sponge (it’s full of soap and harmful particulates.)
Every Week you’ll need to
sanitize the surface with Counterrific, standing for 5 minutes and then
wiped with paper towels.
Use Granite Gold Polish or SCI
Stone Polish for Monthly maintenance of your granite.
