Using a lint-free cloth or paper towel and a specially formulated granite cleaning product, clean the countertop … Apartment Therapy is full of ideas for creating a warm, beautiful, healthy home. You can purchase isopropyl alcohol in any grocery store or pharmacy chain. Spray the … Although the products’ manufacturers will tell you how to clean granite countertops with them, they follow the same basic steps: With a dry paper towel, remove … Keeping countertops clean around the home has always been essential for promoting a healthy environment. To create your cleaning solution, add one drop of dish detergent into your spray bottle for every eight ounces of warm water and four tablespoons of rubbing alcohol. Allow the liquid to sit on the surface of the granite for about one minute to disinfect the counter. Dry the counter thoroughly with a clean microfiber cloth. Cambria was an editor for both Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn for eight years, from 2008 through 2016. Yet any countertop material, including granite, may harbor bacteria when they are kept moist and food debris is allowed to stay for long. Use Windex! It is the same liquid used in first aid kits for small injuries. Spray Granite Gold … Use warm water, a mild or gentle dish soap, and a nubby washcloth or microfiber cloth for daily wipe-downs. Abrasive cleansers can harm the finish of a granite counter. No, you don’t need a special granite-only cleaner! The process of disinfecting a granite countertop is simple and it can be inexpensive if you use a simple and effective cleaning solution that you make yourself. Always use a cutting board when chopping or dicing food so food bacteria do not sit on the granite surfaces. If it beads up, you have a secure seal. Wipe spills and messes when they occur. Make your own inexpensive countertop cleaner that will clean the granite surfaces safely and effectively. If you spill … Avoid bleach or ammonia-based cleaners. Do not shake the mixture too vigorously because the homemade cleaner could lather so much that it won’t spray through the spray nozzle. Combine one teaspoon of … 8855 Cypress Woods Lane | Olive Branch, MS 38654 662-895-4795 Maintain an effective sealant over the granite surface to act as a barrier for bacteria. To disinfect your granite countertop, use a mixture of one part isopropyl alcohol and three parts water. Add Shine. Tip: Make sure your dishwashing liquid doesn’t contain citrus extracts, as they’re too acidic for granite countertops. Hot water and dish soap should be adequate for daily sanitizing. There are usually lots of granite cleaners out there (like this one from Method and this one from Granite Gold). Note: There’s no need or reason to dilute the rubbing alcohol. Granite countertops are a beautiful way to give one's kitchen … For increased disinfecting power, add isopropyl alcohol to the mix. We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. TO ENSURE SAFETY OF YOU FROM COVID-19, WE SERVE YOU BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Do not use chlorine bleach, commercial window cleaners or other all-purpose cleansers on granite countertops. The Center for Disease Control nor the Institute for Occupational Safety Control have found any evidence to show that granite countertops harbor bacteria. Disinfect granite countertops periodically if you cook in the kitchen every day. … So we recommend a bottle of 70% isopropyl alcohol.Related: See all of Apartment Therapy’s stories on disinfecting here. Hot water and dish soap should be adequate for daily sanitizing. Many household products claim to kill viruses and bacteria, but for many of them, the risk may outweigh the reward. To ensure you fully disinfect your countertops, focus on areas no larger than a few square feet at a time. You really don’t need any special cleaners to get those countertops shiny and streak-free. What People Want from a Healer in the Midst of a Pandemic, A Middle School Math Teacher Planning Lessons and Lunch, The Columbus, OH-based Forager Who's Become a TikTok Star, A Food Justice Advocate and Mother Talks Breastfeeding and Herb Gardens, Bryant Terry's Sautéed Cabbage and Roasted Potatoes, Vivian Howard's Baked Pimento Cheese and Sausage, drops sharply when diluted below 50% concentration, See all of Apartment Therapy’s stories on disinfecting here, Clean microfiber cloth or terrycloth towel. All you need is baking soda and water to remove oil-based stains. To check whether your granite is sealed, leave a few drops of water on the surface. Add a few drops of dish soap, and put the solution into a spray bottle. Cleaning and disinfecting granite countertops is easy and something you can do every day to keep your stone surfaces healthy and looking great. Stir a small scoop of baking soda with a spoonful of water until a paste forms. If you have one or happen to find a bottle, you can try one. Related: How to Choose Between Quartz or Granite Kitchen Countertops Clean the Area For an oil stain, wipe with grease-lifting dishwashing soap , such as Dawn … Spray the cleaning solution onto the granite countertop, covering roughly 2 square feet of counter area. Avoid cleaners that contain vinegar or other acidic ingredients because these ingredients can diminish the shine of granite surfaces. Ready? Basically, the harsher the cleaner, the quicker it will break down the sealant. If after a few minutes the water has soaked into the granite, then it’s time to reseal the stone. Repeat the same process until you clean the entire granite countertop. … Tests by the Institute for Occupational Safety (NIOSH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show granite demonstrates excellent natural resistance to bacteria. Bleach and ammonia will damage granite, but you can safely disinfect granite … This method is an eco-friendly solution and very effective … The best way to clean granite countertops is with a mixture of warm water and liquid dish detergent. However, if a disinfectant is desired, reach for a bottle of 70% isopropyl alcohol. Visit Our Showroom to See Our Full Slab Inventory! Spoon your desired amount of baking soda into a small bowl, this mix in a … Use a special granite-only cleaner! Granite countertops are affordable, elegant, and can add as much as 10% to the value of your home! Frequent use of these chemicals will dull and weaken the sealant over time. Talk to one of our experts and get answers to your questions without obligation. Mix 4 tablespoons of isopropyl alcohol and 4 drops of dishwashing soap in a 1-liter spray bottle. For stains on granite or marble countertops, clean with a paste of baking soda and water (for oil-based stains) or hydrogen peroxide (for water … The best part? For something seemingly so simple, there’s a lot of different advice out there when it comes to the best way to clean and disinfect granite countertops. You can keep beautiful granite counters pristinely clean by disinfecting it with a solution that will not harm the granite or the sealant covering the top. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … To get a complete clean for your granite countertops: WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS. A quick Google search shows that the best way to clean a granite, or marble, countertop is to take a cloth, a … Mist the granite counter and let it sit for ten minutes … Do Protect Your Granite. For disinfecting — we recommend … We stock more than 120 colors of slabs in our Showroom. Using a white cloth prevents possible stains from colored fabric. Most of the time, stained granite countertops can be cleaned with household items so common that you probably already have them in your pantry. Windex; acidic cleaners, like vinegar, lemon, lime; or anything with ammonia or bleach should be avoided. This method is an eco-friendly solution and very effective at removing grease, fingerprints, food and buildup. Fill the bottle almost to the top with warm water and shake the contents gently. Some all-purpose surface cleaners also specify that they’re safe for granite. Bleach, Lysol, vinegar and other popular cleaning solutions may be useful in sterilizing your surfaces, but the chemicals within them can cause lasting damage to natural stone surfaces. Here’s what you need to know about the safest and most effective way to clean your laminate, granite and quartz countertops. The water needs to be warm as this improves the reactivity of the soap to the material that you want to remove. Granite countertops require special care. Mild dishwashing soap has antibacterial properties, which makes it ideal to use for disinfecting granite countertops. To disinfect the surface, make a solution of half water and half isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle. No, never use Windex! But after doing our own research, we think we’ve discovered a consensus among stone experts on how to care for granite. Thoroughly spray the countertop … How to Keep a Kitchen Clean Throughout the Year, How to Remove Stains from your Granite Countertops, How to Remove Scratches from Granite Countertops, How to Remove Stains from Granite Countertops. This can be especially important in seamed areas of the countertop. No matter the … Wearing protective gloves, spray the sealant evenly onto the granite, or rub it in with a clean cloth. In many people’s minds, granite means strength and resilience. To clean your granite countertops, follow the simple steps below: Rotate nozzle to either the “spray” or “stream” setting. Knowing how to clean countertops prevents the spread of food-borne illnesses while protecting your counters. When you hire us to install your custom granite countertops, we don’t leave until we go over all the care instructions in detail. It is good to know that granite countertops are not a breeding ground for bacterial growth. To clean your counter, simply mix the water and … A well-sealed granite countertop is relatively impervious to bacteria. For everyday cleaning, use mild dish soap and water on your granite countertops. Here are some tips on how to care for granite countertops: 1. Granite countertops make an impressive addition to any home — and a healthy one too. Cleaning stains off of granite countertops is not difficult. The best way to clean granite countertops is with a mixture of warm water and liquid dish detergent. … Wipe off the cleaner with a clean, dry, white cloth to finish cleaning the area. Dip the microfiber towel in the soapy … Get Stone Selection Help From Our Stone Experts. With the right cleaning and care, you can keep yours looking brilliant for years to come. Step 1: Use a Cleaner Suitable for Granite While you can use soap and warm water, there are many cleaners available on the market that are designed for … Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol provides an excellent solution for killing bacteria and viruses like COVID-19 while preserving the finish and shine of your countertops. While granite is known for its distinct character and its antibacterial properties, regrettably, granite is also understood for being a more difficult surface area to clean. |, MON - FRI: 8 AM to 5 PM | SAT: 9 AM to 3 PM. In fact, the CDC says that alcohol’s effectiveness at killing germs “drops sharply when diluted below 50% concentration,” and the optimal concentration for killing bacteria is between 60 to 90 percent. These cleaners may harm the sealant or the granite itself. Got a tip, kitchen tour, or other story our readers should see? These countertops come in a wide variety of colors and natural patterns to complement virtually any decor. Of course, with the current coronavirus pandemic, these cleaners are harder and harder to find. Soap and water are gentle on granite and you can use them on your countertops as often as you like without risking damage. But if you want to know how to clean granite countertops successfully, the watchword is caution. When you buy rubbing alcohol, it’s already diluted with water in a concentration that’s usually either 70 or 91 percent. To put a shine on your granite, pour a little cooking oil on a soft … With the onset of COVID-19, cleanliness takes on a whole new level of importance. Use of improper methods could lead to the spread of germs or countertop damage. PLEASE CALL, Copyright © 2019 Arch City Granite & Marble Inc, - All Rights Reserved Check cleaner labels and do not use products containing hydrofluoric acid. First, clean and dry the countertop thoroughly. Granite slabs are proven to be very safe countertops material for kitchens, baths and other areas of homes and commercial establishments. Perform Light Daily Cleaning. The cleaning tutorial below will work just fine! There are plenty of cleaners especially made for cleaning granite, but save yourself some money and mix up your own. However, don’t anguish– that does not imply you can’t have granite in the kitchen; you just need to understand how to look after your granite countertops. There are a few things to avoid when it comes to choosing a cleaner for your granite countertops. While granite is a very hard surface and less porous than marble, unsealed or weakly sealed granite will soak up oils, spills, and stains. Spray it onto the granite, allow to sit for three to five minutes, and then rinse with water and dry with a clean microfiber cloth. Cleaning your New Granite Countertop. A hot, soapy microfiber cloth will remove dried on food particles … Have Cleaning Aids Handy. Dealing with Spills and Stains Blot spills up with a paper towel. Granite’s got a reputation as a tough guy, particularly … Let’s take a look at the steps! Leaving moisture on the granite surface could breed bacteria. But you don’t need one of these cleaners in order to tackle your granite. Kill Germs with an EPA approved disinfectant. Spray it onto the granite, allow to sit for three to five minutes, and then rinse with water and dry with a clean microfiber cloth. However, if a disinfectant is desired, reach for a bottle of 70% isopropyl alcohol. Mix them together gently to reduce pressure and lather in the bottle. If you want to disinfect your granite, simply mix equal parts isopropyl alcohol and distilled water in a spray bottle. Visit our Showroom we independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we SERVE you APPOINTMENT. 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