New granite counter tops! Tell me about maintenance?

[Robin Garr]

Our new granite counter tops look great! But ... help me out, here, I didn't google until after it's installed, duh. Are these going to need more maintenance than I expected of solid stone? If you have granite, any tips on cleaning and keeping in good shape?

granite1.JPG

[Robin Garr]

The company just sent us a fact sheet with this information. I had no idea granite took this much care. Is it one of those things for people who just like to show off their kitchens but don't actually use them? Or is the granite company doing a CYA by anticipating anything that could conceivably go wrong?

Dos:
• Clean surfaces with mild detergent or stone soap.
• Thoroughly rinse and dry the surface after washing.
• Blot up spills immediately!
• Protect surfaces with coasters, trivets or placemats.

Dont's:
• Don’t use vinegar, lemon juice or other cleaners containing acids.
• Don’t use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, dishwasher finish rinses, or Clorox wipes.
• Don’t use abrasive cleaners such as dry cleaners, soft cleansers or scrubbing bubbles.
• Don’t use cleaners that contain bleach or ammonia - they will slowly wear down your 15 year sealer.
• Don’t leave cooking oil containers/bottles directly on the stone.

Robin, I don't have granite countertops (mine are some man-made material?) so I have no relevant experience to offer. That said, from some quick reading, it appears that a lot of those instructions pertain to how to keep the surface glossy and beautiful -- which has more to do with managing the sealant that was used than anything about the stone!

Here is a short version: https://graniteliquidators.com/blog/can ... r-not-yes/
And a long version: https://www.countertopspecialty.com/gra ... -care.html

Some of it is common sense... Yes, you can put a hot pot directly on it but do you really need to do that? Yes, you can chop vegetables on it but do you really need to do that?

Some of it is lifestyle... Do you need to stand on your counters? (I do, as a matter of fact!) Do you leave juice or oil spills unattended all day? (I don't.) Do you use a spoon rest for utensils actively in use or do you just lay them on the countertop? (I do both.)

Finally, some of it does seem to be fussy... No bleach or acid-based cleansers. No grit products. No regular soap, even, because the scum accumulates and dulls the shine(!). I imagine this is the sort of thing you just build a new habit and you'll never have a problem.

HTH.

[Robin Garr]

Jeff, thanks! I appreciate the research. I had looked at a couple of other links, but I'll dig into yours too.

I'm approaching similar conclusions to yours, though.

Robin, I would just say to make a habit of putting any and all cleaning solutions in the stainless steel sink immediately after using them. At the very least make sure to dry the sides and bottom after use. Very early on I made the mistake of placing something like Mr Clean on the counter after I used it in the sink and unaware that some had dripped down the outside. When I retrieved it some time later there was a nice outline of the bottom of the plastic bottle. Your beautiful granite might not show such damage but I have absolute black and it pains me every time I look at it.

[Robin Garr]

Thanks for the voice of experience, Christina! I'll show this to Mary, too. Ours, as you can see, is variegated, but from any distance it llooks much more solid black, so I definitely wouldn't want a bottle outline on it!

Robin, that all sounds very fussy. When we renovated are previous kitchen the stonemason who installed the granite said just rub it over with vegetable oil! I’m now on my next kitchen also installed granite benches. That was in 1993, and in fact an occasional rub down brings it up beautifully. Usually I just use hot soapy water. I’m a messy cook and sometimes a klutz but I’ve not (yet) damaged the surface or stained it. Admittedly the first was dark green and the current one is a sandy colour with dark mottllesand streaks but I cannot discern any stains. I don’t place red hot cast iron pans down on it but I don’t really fuss.
Just enjoy and your usual work practice will be fine. It looks great by the way!

[Robin Garr]

Barb, thanks for the reassurance. I feel better already!

[Jenise]

What everyone else said. Not hard to keep at all. Beautiful choice, btw.

[Robin Garr]

I really think the issue is that the stone will last forever but the mirror-like shine that the "15-year seal" imparts is more fragile, at least a little. Here's a pic from a different angle that gives a slightly better idea of it, but it really is like a black mirror.

Granite2.jpg

Robin, we lived with the first one for 22 years and it still looked as new when we left. I have no idea if we had a sealant or what it might have been if there was.

[Robin Garr]

I hope ours will do the same, Barb! Thanks for the information ... it helps.

I have granite countertops in the kitchen and granite tile on the backsplash. Hardly any maintenance. I am very fussy about cleanliness in the kitchen and all I do is use a product called Aunt Fannies Cleaning Vinegar, or a Lemon-scented cleaner from Thymes. Also, have used Glass Plus. Hot stuff does not damage it at all and I put hot pans on it all the time. I would never damage my knives by cutting on it. It is solid, real Granite, however, not a composite. Have had it for 16 or more years, still looks new.

[Jenise]

I have granite countertops too, and of course don't cut on them. But I hate cutting boards, which are generally very small and stuff falls off when you cut, etc. They are accepted as 'what you do' so everyone buys and uses them, but: You don't have to! I designated one area my primary prep station and there, instead of granite, I have a five foot wide 1 1/2" thick wood cutting board built into the granite. It just drops in so I can replace it easily some day (should be soon, to be honest, and be better wood than this turned out to be). All the tools for slicing/dicing/peeling are located in the drawers underneath it so once I'm there I can do almost anything needed.

I designated one area my primary prep station and there, instead of granite, I have a five foot wide 1 1/2" thick wood cutting board built into the granite. It just drops in so I can replace it easily some day (should be soon, to be honest, and be better wood than this turned out to be). All the tools for slicing/dicing/peeling are located in the drawers underneath it so once I'm there I can do almost anything needed.

That sounds really smart.

[Jenise]

I love it, Jeff, and am frustrated any time I'm elsewhere and having to resort to cutting boards. For me, that's a never again!

But I am fond of the groove around the edge to catch runaway liquids.

I have granite countertops too, and of course don't cut on them. But I hate cutting boards, which are generally very small and stuff falls off when you cut, etc. They are accepted as 'what you do' so everyone buys and uses them, but: You don't have to! I designated one area my primary prep station and there, instead of granite, I have a four-five foot wide 1 1/2" thick wood cutting board built into the granite. It just drops in so I can replace it easily some day (should be soon, to be honest, and be better wood than this turned out to be). All the tools for slicing/dicing/peeling are located in the drawers underneath it so once I'm there I can do almost anything needed.

Very nice Jenise, I did a reverse on that when we remodeled our kitchen. I had a beautiful wood buffet put into the kitchen, built-in, with drawers on the bottom. On top, I had a granite slab installed with wood trim around it, so I could place hot stuff. It has a large mirror as a backsplash. It reflects light and I love the look.

I have granite throughout my kitchen and pantry and the others correctly said that they aren't hard to keep in good condition. Edges will chip if you strike them, so try not to do that.

Unlike Jenise, I didn't want a potentially vulnerable granite edge near a cutting board. I picked up a sheet of a special non-slip material as an underlay and topped it with a bamboo board from Ikea.

https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/p/laemplig-c ... -00309829/

They are cheap, and you can toss them if they ever wear. Two sided with a flat side and a side with grooves for juices from carved meat.

Five years and haven't needed to replace the Ikea board yet!

[Jenise]

I have a cutting board that I use for meat because of those channels. But the slicing and dicing of everyday kitchen work--with anset board five feet wide and 30 inches deep, there's no worry about nicking the granite!

Robin, how are you liking your granite countertops by now? When we got ours, (I forgot to mention this) they sealed every inch of the granite and backsplash. They left me the cans and told me to apply again if it started to look dull. I have no idea what I did with those cans but have never used them. There is a product that is made especially for cleaning granite, and it also has a sealant that is the same brand. I think it is called Granite Gold. My housekeeper used it for a time but now we both prefer the above products I mentioned in an earlier post. They both leave a nice smell in the kitchen and the granite looks great. The only issue I had was once I left an olive oil jar on the granite that had dripped. A few days later I picked it up and there was a darkening to the granite, I cleaned it well with the Fannies Vinegar product and in a couple of days it was back to normal color.

[Robin Garr]

Karen, I'm glad you ask. I'm loving them more and more! The company that actually did the work for Lowe's is local, StoneMark (https://www.stonemarkgranite.com/) and they do real quality work. They insist that it has a 15-year seal, and urge us to call them if we ever have any problem with it. Wiping it down with soapy water and drying with a microfiber cloth seems to keep it shining like a mirror, and with our new sink and faucet dropped in yesterday, and new white paint and black knobs on the original cabinets, I'm a happy boy. (The new faucet even has a ring that turns from blue to orange to red as the water gets hotter. I love it, and yes I am a nerd.)

(The new faucet even has a ring that turns from blue to orange to red as the water gets hotter. I love it, and yes I am a nerd.)

I have a frying pan that does the same thing!

[Robin Garr]

(The new faucet even has a ring that turns from blue to orange to red as the water gets hotter. I love it, and yes I am a nerd.)

I have a frying pan that does the same thing!

Excellent!