Care and Maintenance for Granite Countertops
The Do’s and Don’ts of Granite
Do use sealer to protect your countertop. If water doesn’t bead upon your countertop service and immediately soaks in, it is time to seal it.
Do clean up spills immediately to minimize damage to your stone.
Do use trivets or mats under hot dishes and cookware.
Do use place mats under china, ceramics, silver and other objects that can scratch your stone’s surface.
Do use coasters under glasses, especially if they contain alcohol or citrus juices.
Don’t wait to clean up spills on stone.
Don’t use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners or tub cleaners.
Don’t use vinegar, bleach, ammonia, or other general- purpose cleaners.
How to Clean a Granite Countertop
1. Blot up spills immediately, before they penetrate the surface.
2. Clean stone surfaces with a few drops of neutral cleaner, stone soap (available in hardware stores) or mild dishwashing liquid and warm water.
3. Use a soft, clean cloth to clean the granite. Rinse after washing with the soap solution and dry with a soft, clean cloth.
4. Remove a stain on granite, basing the method on the type of stain. Mix a cup of flour, 1-2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid with water to make a thick paste. Put it on the stain, cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit overnight.
5. Scrape away the mixture with a wooden utensil and rinse. If the stain is oil-based (e.g. grease, oil, milk), use hydrogen peroxide in the paste instead of dishwashing liquid- or try ammonia on it.
6. Try a mixture of 12 percent hydrogen peroxide mixed with a couple drops of ammonia for an organic stain (e.g. coffee, tea, fruit).
7. Use a lacquer thinner or acetone to remove ink or marker stains from darker stone. On light-colored granite, use hydrogen peroxide to these stains, this also works for wine stains.
8. Mix molding plaster and pure bleach into a paste and spread over a wine, ink or other non-oil stain. Leave on for 30 minutes, then remove and rinse.
9. Paste a mix of molding plaster and water over an oil-based or fat-based stain. Mold it into a bird’s-nest shape and allow standing for 3 hours. Remove and rinse.
10. Reseal the countertop every year or two years. Check with the installer for recommendations. Use a non-toxic sealer on food preparation areas.
11. Consider using a new disinfectant cleaner made specifically for granite.
12. Call your professional stone supplier, installer, or restoration specialist for problems that appear too difficult to treat.
FAQ
Blan-Co Fabricators
15701 Highway 107 · Jacksonville, AR 72076
(501) 834-7498
Fax: (501) 834-6044
blancofabricators@comcast.net
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