Proper Care and Maintenance of Granite Countertops – Simple. Home. Blessings (2024)

I was committing some serious sins against my granite countertops in my kitchen without even realizing it! They were seriously neglected and when I did clean them, I did it wrong! Poor granite!

After a quick instructional session with our granite installer last week, I remedied the situation and now know the proper care and maintenance of granite. My countertops look amazing and I feel so much more confident that I am treating them properly.

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So, here’s what I have learned from being the builder’s wife:

Daily maintenance of Granite Countertops

Daily cleaning of granite only requires a quick wipe down with a gentle dish soap and water. You can use the soft scrubbing side of a sponge to pick up more stubborn messes, if necessary. I was using a cleaning solution specific to granite in my every day cleaning, but found out it is not necessary. Nothing beats something as natural as soap and water for cleaning. I really like using Seventh Generation dish soapand recommend it for this purpose.

To maintain and care for your countertops on a long-term basis, you need to set aside about 30 minutes once a YEAR! Hey, I can do that!

The simple process for resealing your countertops is quick and easy. I just did it and my countertops are so clean! I can’t decide if I am inspired to cook and bake a whole lot or eat out for the rest of the week!

Here is a quick tutorial for resealing your granite with products recommended by the professionals:

Materials for Granite Countertop Care:

Acetone(affiliate link)

511 Impregnantor (you can find it on the floor care aisle in your local hardware store, affiliate link)

3 old soft rags

a razor blade (the secret weapon!, affiliate link)

Procedure for Granite Countertop Care:

1. Clear the granite countertop of everything. And brush away any crumbs and debris. Create a plan of attack by visually sectioning off your granite. You will work in sections to do steps 2-4. Then repeat until the entire surface is clean.

2. Saturate a soft rag with acetone. Apply the rag soaked with acetone to a section of your granite and wipe over the entire section. For countertops, make sure you get the drop edge (and maybe underneath it); spills and drips like to hide there! The acetone will cut through the grime quickly and will clean the granite. You could skip the acetone and just use soap and water again: but this is a once-a-year deep cleaning, so I think it is worth it.

3. As you clean with the granite you will want to come in behind with your razor blade and pull up any rough spots of grime left on the surface. Here are my tips for making this work:

• Hold the razor blade at a 45° angle and pull toward you, wiping off the grime after each swipe.
• Hold the razor blade up and lay the bottom of your hand down on the granite to check for any more rough spots.
• You can go back over a spot with the acetone, but your best tool for getting the grime is the razor blade.

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4. After you have thoroughly cleaned the section of granite, saturate another rag with the 511 impregnator and wipe down the granite with the rag. You will want to only go over the area once, so work in an orderly fashion. Let the impregnator set for 30-60 seconds and wipe off the granite with another clean soft rag.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 on each section of your granite until you have completed the project.

Remember, this simple process only needs to be done once a year – so it may be a great thing to add to your Spring cleaning routine.

The Builder’s Wife Shares is a series I do based on interviews I have with my husband and the guys he works with. If you have a question you would like answered, I would love to hear it! Please go to the Builder’s Wife Shares page and leave your questions in the comments.