This information is important because it will prevent costly mistakes in granite countertop cleaning. By taking full advantage of this strategy of what to do and what not to do you will be able to restore your granite countertops effectively and cost effective.
Assuming that your kitchen counter-top is made either out of true or mercantile granite, green marble or soapstone or a hone-finished stone (if you have polished marble or polished travertine, then there’s not much that can be done to maintain their highly glossy finish, other than … well, never using your countertop!) there is one thing you must remember:
The Universale Rule For Granite Cleaning: Countertops, Walls, Floors, Bathroom Marble Etc
Don’t even think about using a glass cleaner or your common dish soap on your granite or marble countertops. These counters are used alot in daily cooking and cleaning, but by using these household cleaners you will find a huge costly mistake that will appear by discoloring your marble.
The simple fact is normal household cleaners are to acidic and non-neutral. This is a big problem for most marble cleaning companies. They will need products which are non abrasive as well as non-acidic. A common name for these type of cleaners is a neutral marble cleaner.
Using a “glass cleaner” or “water with a little dish soap” are common but erroneous recommendations that you may hear. Glass cleaners may turn out to be too harsh to both the stone and the sealer (if one has been applied), while water and dish soap can leave an unsanitary and unsightly film that will build up and become problematic to remove. (Wash your hands with dish soap and then rinse them under running water; observe how long and how much water it will take to rinse properly. To get the same rinsing result – which is the only one acceptable – for your countertops, you would have to rinse them with a garden hose!)
Your normal household cleaners which are manufactured and found in common stores are not the solution, and specialty granite cleaners specifically formulated to deal with the delicate chemistry of stone and marble are, your solution when granite counter cleaning is needed.
Below are important points you will want to know when cleaning granite countertops.
Do clean your granite countertops regularly with a specialty marble cleaning product. You will want to use the product full strength in areas which are more busy, such as your eating and cooking areas. In the locations which are less busy you can do a dilution of 1:1 with water. This should be fine for vanity, counterops, around areas which are less active and away from cooking areas. But remember, clean the granite countertops regularly, this is a huge cost saver.
Don’t ever leave a stain too long on your marble, this will be a bad, bad, experience. The water stains are tough to get rid of and surprisingly do a number to your marble. In all scenarios try to get rid of stain quickly and efficiently. A cost effective solution is using coasters. These coasters can be placed under dishware and glassed, not only to avoid the water stains or other type of stains, but because they can protect the granite countertops from being scratched and etched.
Finally a very important note is to not use abrasive pads, even the most common pads are usually not effective in delicately cleaning your marble and granite countertops. You will want a specialty pad and you will want to avoid the presences of solicon carbide grit in any pad as these are abrasive and will scratch your granite countertops.
For more information about granite cleaning, feel free to read the guide on how to clean granite countertops without spending to much on labor and products.
product. You will want to use the product full strength in areas which are more busy, such as your eating and cooking areas. In the locations which are less busy you can do a dilution of 1:1 with water. This should be fine for vanity, counterops, around areas which are less active and away from cooking areas. But remember, clean the granite countertops regularly, this is a huge cost saver.
Don’t ever leave a stain too long on your marble, this will be a bad, bad, experience. The water stains are tough to get rid of and surprisingly do a number to your marble. In all scenarios try to get rid of stain quickly and efficiently. A cost effective solution is using coasters. These coasters can be placed under dishware and glassed, not only to avoid the water stains or other type of stains, but because they can protect the granite countertops from being scratched and etched.
Finally a very important note is to not use abrasive pads, even the most common pads are usually not effective in delicately cleaning your marble and granite countertops. You will want a specialty pad and you will want to avoid the presences of solicon carbide grit in any pad as these are abrasive and will scratch your granite countertops.
For more information about granite cleaning, feel free to read the guide on how to clean granite countertops without spending to much on labor and products.