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When it comes to choosing a material for your countertops, you can’t go wrong with granite. The most popular choice to date, homeowners love the durability and beautiful diversity of the colors in this stone. While granite is resilient, it does require maintenance to ensure that it stays polished and in good shape. To help you keep things gleaming, here are a few dos and don’ts when caring for your granite kitchen countertops in Cumming. - Do clean up spills quickly. Granite countertops are fairly porous. This means that acidic substances such as wine, coffee, juices, and sodas could end up staining the surface if not blotted up immediately.
- Don’t use soap to clean your countertops. While cleaners and soaps won’t damage the surface of your granite, they will leave residue. Over time, this builds up and makes your countertops lose their shine. In most cases, hot water is sufficient to clean up messes and wipe things down.
- Do use hot pads and trivets. While granite countertops are very resilient, it’s still a good idea to put a trivet down under hot pots and pans. In rare cases, granite can experience thermal shock. This causes cracks in the material.
- Don’t cut on your countertop. You may be tempted to use your granite countertop as a cutting board. While granite is resilient, there is a possibility that you’ll scratch it. Also, cutting things on your countertop will damage and dull your knives very quickly. Always be sure to use a cutting board when you need to chop things.
- Don’t use bleach or other chemically based cleaners. The strong chemicals found in these common cleaners wear down the sealant on your granite. Once this happens, it leaves your surface vulnerable to stains and scratches. If you don’t want to use hot water to clean your surface, invest in a cleaner specifically designed to clean granite. The soft cleaning formula in these cleansers won’t damage the seal or the surface of your stone.
- Don’t stand on your countertop. Granite is extremely durable. It’s not a flexible stone. Usually most countertops don’t have a plywood backing, either. This means that they can crack if too much weight is placed in one area. Sitting or standing on your countertop could end up causing a major problem for your surface.
- Do be careful storing things on your countertop. Oils, hair products, perfumes, creams, and lotions sometimes spill or leak. If this happens, it can cause problems for the seal on your countertop. Instead, store acidic and chemically based products in cupboards and drawers.
- Do re-seal your countertop. Your countertop was installed with a sealant already applied. Over time, this sealant can wear off. Each year or so, it’s important to re-seal your granite surfaces. This gives you an additional layer of protection and prevents additional staining and scratching.
Your granite countertop is durable, beautiful, and built to last. By following these 8 dos and don’ts, your granite kitchen countertops in Cumming will keep your kitchen and bathrooms looking elegant and high-class for a long time.
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