How to Seal, Maintain and Clean Your Granite Countertops

If you have been following along with my series on installing your own granite tile countertops, you have completed your install and now need to know how to clean and maintain your beautiful new countertops. If on the other hand you are interested in cleaning and maintaining your existing granite tile or slab countertops, this article will walk you through proper care and maintenance of all things granite.

Granite is a natural stone and must be treated with special care. Though granite is not as fussy about what you use as say marble is, using the right products will keep your granite looking its best for a long time.

Many types of granite require periodic sealing. However, not all types of granite should be sealed. Granite that needs sealing will absorb water and other liquids if not properly sealed. To test if your granite needs sealing you will need to place a few drops of water on the surface and cover it with plastic wrap. Tape the plastic wrap down to prevent evaporation. Allow this to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and examine if the water has soaked in to the granite surface. This is usually easily recognized by a darkening of the area where the water penetrated. If the water penetrated, you will need to seal the granite, if it did not, sealing it not necessary and will only lead to problems if you do decide to seal it.

In order to seal granite, you will have to buy a sealant product. These are readily available online or at your local home improvement store. Make sure that the product you purchase is designed for use on granite. All sealers have different instructions so follow the instructions precisely for the product that you buy. I recommend Miracle products. They make quality sealants and are reasonably priced.

Once you have sealed your granite, you will need to clean it from time to time to prevent build up of dirt and grime. There are many commercial cleaners available that are specifically designed for granite. However, these cleaners are expensive and many do not work as advertised. I recommend a solution of denatured alcohol and water. Denatured alcohol is available at your local home improvement store. Use a ratio of 1 part alcohol to 4 parts water. The alcohol will kill bacteria and is effective at cleaning the granite surface. No residue is left behind and the product dries quickly and is safe for use around pets and children. Furthermore, it is a very cheap, all purpose cleaner that can be used for many household cleaning tasks.

With proper maintenance and cleaning, your granite countertops may last a lifetime. Follow the tips above to keep your granite looking new and enjoy your beautiful countertops.