4 Essential Points to Maintain your Kitchen Counter-tops
Assuming that your kitchen counter top is made either out of true 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 counter top), there is one thing you must remember:
This firm rule applies to all stone surfaces—counter tops, floors, walls, etc.—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). 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 counter tops, you would have to rinse them with a garden hose!)
Generic household cleaners off the shelves of the supermarket are out, and specialty cleaners specifically formulated to deal with the delicate chemistry of stone are, very definitely, in order.
KITCHEN COUNTER TOPS
DO'S
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Clean your kitchen counter top regularly with an appropriate stone-safe cleaner. Use a higher concentration near cooking and eating areas, and diluted water for less demanding situations such as vanity tops—areas of the counter top far from cooking and eating areas.
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Treat your counter tops to a conditioning stone polish occasionally. It can do a terrific job at brightening up your polished stone surface. Be sure that the ingredients are classified as “food-grade.” As with all the products, be sure to follow the label instructions.
DONT'S
- Let any spills sit too long on the surface of your counter top. Clean spills up (by blotting only) as soon as you can. But, if you do have dried-on spills . . .
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Use any green or brown scouring pads for dried-on spills. The presence of silicon carbide grits in them will scratch even the toughest granite. You can safely use the sponges lined with a silvery net, or other plastic scouring pads. REMEMBER: it’s very important to spray the cleaner and let it sit for a while to moisten and soften the soil, before scrubbing. LET THE CLEANING AGENT DO THE WORK! It will make your job much easier and will be more effective.
Thanks for looking at our guide, if you have any questions feel free to contact us.