Granite care and maintenance...

While marble is considered the most elegant or luxurious of the different types of stones, granite is striking, functional and durable. These traits make granite ideal for kitchen counter tops, accents on islands, bar tops and everyday dining tables.

Granite is highly resistant to scratches due to its hardness, and is resistant to almost all acids making it ideal for high use surfaces. 


What is granite?
Granite is a tough, durable rock composed primarily of three different minerals. These minerals are easy to see due to their different colors. The white mineral grains found in granite are feldspar. It is the most abundant mineral found in granite. The light gray, glass-like grains are quartz, and the black, flake-like grains are biotite or black mica.

Granite and marble. How are they different?
Marble is simply limestone that has been compressed and/or heated deep within the earth's crust. Unlike granite, marble was never molten rock, but it may have been heated and squeezed enough for the limestone grains to bend and flow. Marble is also made up of only one mineral -- calcite -- a relatively soft mineral with a hardness of "3". Calcite is a common mineral -- all limestones and nearly all seashells are made of it, but it does not occur in granite. Because marble is made entirely of calcite, it is much softer than granite.

Granite Countertop Care and Maintenance
Unlike marble, granite is a relatively hard, non- porous, natural stone. It is relatively unaffected by most chemicals. However, I would not recommend harsh, caustic chemicals on it. Instead, I would clean your counters with a neutral, mild, vegetable oil-based cleaner such as "Murphy's Oil Soap®." Synthetic scrubbing pads can be used on these surfaces. If any question arises what to use, TEST CLEANING PRODUCTS ON AN INCONSPICUOUS AREA BEFORE CLEANING VISIBLE AREAS!

Clean as often as needed keep grime and sand removed. Soil acts as an abrasive and damages the floor. Wet mop the solution onto the floor, and allow the solution to remain several minutes. Then mop up the dirt-filled solution, changing rinse water often. This helps to remove all soil and also does away with unsightly "mop lines". Keep the floor wet at all times during the cleaning operation. Otherwise, dissolved soil dries back onto the floor. When the floor is dry, buff with an electric polishing machine, if you have one. Buffing helps restore the natural sheen on the floor.

To remove stubborn soil, periodically use an electric scrubbing machine with a stronger solution of the neutral cleaner. Daily sweeping or dusting will mean easier weekly care and more attractive floors.
 
Granite Sealers
Granite requires some simple maintenance to prevent staining. You need to apply two applications of professional granite sealant within 10 minutes of each other to seal the granite surface. This must be repeated every one to five years depending of the granite surface. Finer granites need more frequent sealing. When properly applied, granite rarely stains.