Granite countertops should definitely be cleaned on a regular basis. Granite countertops should also be sealed on a regular basis. If you are not sure if your granite countertop needs to be sealed or if you are told that it has already been sealed then the best thing to do is to just seal it yourself.
A sealed granite countertop is much easier to clean and maintain than an unsealed granite countertop. The small price you pay to seal your granite countertops will be worth it to preserve your expensive granite countertops. Also many granite countertops have ugly looking caulk between the countertops surface and the backsplash. It is important to seal these seams to prevent water from getting behind your granite countertop and into your walls. Also unsightly caulk can ruin the look and feel of a beautiful granite countertop. You can read more information here about how to professionally recaulk a granite countertop.
Most granite countertops are not acid sensitive and most granite countertops will not be damaged with most normal cleaning products. Even so there are some granites that will etch if they are exposed to acids. Also even granites that are not acid sensitive will begin to loose their polished look if they are repeatedly exposed to acidic cleaning products. Some types of granites particularly if they have a doctored finish can be damaged with household cleaning supplies. Therefore it is not a good idea to use any type of acidic cleaning products or household cleaning supplies to clean your granite countertops. Only stone safe alkaline or pH neutral cleaning supplies specifically designed for cleaning stone should be used for cleaning granite countertops.
Granite is not sensitive to alkaline cleaning products designed for cleaning stone tiles. Pure granite countertops will not be damaged with alkaline cleaning products. However strong alkaline products can break down any of the sealers in the granite. Additionally some granites are doctored at the factory to look darker or more polished. If the granite is doctored then some type of colored finish has been applied to the granite to make it look darker and more appealing. Typically it is some of the cheaper black granites that are doctored. While it is generally not an ethical practice to doctor a granite countertop you should still do your best to keep the doctored stone looking its best. Many of these doctoring products will break down when exposed to strong alkaline products. The result is that your doctored granite will start to look splotchy and lose its shine. Even pure un-doctored granite can start to loose its shine when it is continuously exposed to strong household alkaline cleaning products that are not designed to be used on stone.
A pH neutral cleaner designed for cleaning stone is the safest type of product to use for normal everyday cleaning of your granite countertop. PH neutral cleaners will not break down the sealers in the granite and will not damage the polished finish of your granite countertop. Most tile stores will carry a pH neutral cleaner for stone, tile and grout. In addition to not damaging you granite countertops surface a pH neutral cleaner will not break down any of the sealers in your granite countertop.
Many people use improper cleaning products like ordinary dish washing soap on their granite countertops. Dishwashing soap is very viscous and it can be extremely difficult to totally rinse all the dish washing liquid out of your granite. Over time the dish washing liquid soap residue can build up and cause your granite to look hazy or dull. Many other types of household cleaners that may not damage the finish of granite countertops can also leave a hazy residue that can is difficult to remove and compromise the polished look of a granite countertop.
There are many stone cleaning products on the market today. It is best to choose a cleaning product from a respected company in the stone industry. Using a pH neutral cleaner from one of the better stone cleaning and restoration companies like Aquamix and Stonetech will give you the peace of mind that you are using a quality product designed for cleaning stone.
PH neutral stone cleaning products come in ready to use spray bottles or in a concentrate form. Spray bottles give you the convenience of having a sprayer to use to spray your countertops with. These cleaners also come pre-mixed so you don't have to worry about mixing the concentrate with water. For the ultimate convenience you can purchase pH neutral stone cleaning wipes to use on your granite countertops. If you want to save some money you can buy the pH neutral cleaner concentrate and mix it with water in a spray bottle. Just mix the cleaner concentrate in the correct proportion given on the container. If you mix your own pH neutral cleaner this way then one bottle of concentrate can last you a very long time.
It is best to clean you countertops as soon as any spills or food products come in contact with them. Do not let any food or grime dry on your granite countertops. Just spray the pH neutral cleaner on the spill and wipe it away with a soft sponge or paper towel. You may want to re-clean the spill to ensure that all the spill residue is thoroughly cleaned and extracted from your granite countertops. It is also a good idea to periodically clean your entire granite countertop to keep them looking clean and beautiful
If a spill is allowed to dry overnight then you may need to use a soft scrub pad to clean the hardened spill from the granite countertop surface. Just keep scrubbing with the scrub pad and the pH neutral cleaner until the dried spill is totally removed. Although granite is an extremely hard stone you still do not want to risk dulling the finish with any type of aggressive scrub pads.
If you are not able to remove these stains with the pH neutral tile cleaner you may need to try an alkaline cleaning solution to clean up the stains. Many times porous types of granite countertops will over time absorb grease and grime that can not be removed with the pH neutral cleaning product. Alkaline cleaning products can emulsify the grease and grime and allow it to be removed from deep within the porous granite countertop. You should only use a quality alkaline cleaning product from a reputable tile cleaning company like stonetech or aquamix. Pure granite will not get damaged with an strong alkaline cleaning product. An alkaline stone cleaning product does have the potential to damage any type of doctoring that was done to your granite countertop. Therefore before you use an alkaline cleaning product on your granite countertop you should test the cleaning product on an out of the way place of your granite countertop to ensure that it will not damage the finish.
You can use the alkaline stone cleaning product just like you used the pH neutral cleaning product on you granite countertop. For tough embedded stains it can help to mix the alkaline cleaning solution with hot water and allow it to dwell for 20 minutes to dissolve the embedded grease in the granite countertop. After the grease and grime has been emulsified and dissolved then you can use a soft scrub pad to remove the stains. In many cases the alkaline cleaning product is able to remove the stubborn greasy stains that the pH neutral stone cleaning product can not remove.
The alkaline cleaning product over time will remove the sealants that were applied to the granite countertop. Therefore you should always go back and reseal your granite countertop periodically especially if you have cleaned it with an alkaline cleaning product. Strong alkaline cleaning products will break down the sealers in the granite so it is best to not leave your granite countertop unprotected.
Sometimes granite countertops will lose their shine and polished look over time. Generally a well maintained quality granite countertop will retain its polished shiny look for many years. However sometimes the granite is not taken care of and looses the shine and clarity. In these cases no amount of cleaning or sealing will be able to restore the shine and polish that the granite countertop had when it was first installed. In these cases it is best to have a stone restoration company come out and polish your granite countertop to bring back the shiny new look that it had originally. A stone restoration company will need to use diamond polishing pads and tools to restore the look and shine of your countertop. Generally restoring a granite countertop with diamond pads is an expensive process. You can call a stone restoration company in your area to find out how much they charge for doing this procedure.
You can read some valuable information and tips on how to find and hire a stone cleaning and restoration contractor at our contractor information page here. Granite Countertop Restoration Contractor.