Having a clean house and clean counters says a lot about your home. Nothing feels better than looking at that counter and it just shines. When you have a beautiful natural stone as a countertop you want the shine to last. Doing a few things can harm that shine and make the natural stone countertops look dull. To help keep that shine lasting longer follow these few tips from Silver State Floor Restoration.
Effective Way to Clean Counters
Cleaners that you use to clean the rest of your house or once cleaned your laminate or linoleum countertops cannot be used on natural stone. If you use any cleaners that are acid base like vinegar, lemon juice, or citrus acid, can start to eat away the protective seal that you put on your countertop. It will start to dull, chemically etch the surface, or even cause permanent physical damage to your stone. Something as simple as dish soap can leave your stone looking streaky or cloudy, because of what is in the cleaner.
Wipe Countertops the Right Way
When you have natural stone, it is very important that you wipe away any spills right away. Any wine, coffee, soda, citrus, or even other fruits that are left sitting on the counter can cause problems to the natural stone. It is very important that you use coasters and placemats because glass can leave the ring on your natural stone causing stains. Even oils from cooking can be difficult to remove. Natural stone is very porous so even water that gets on your natural stone, if not sealed properly, can start to cause problems.
Avoid Scratches on Countertops
Natural stone can get scratched easily. To help prevent scratching or chipping from happening on your natural stone do not drag things across the counter and make sure that you use cutting boards when cutting food. Also, do not use abrasive cleaning materials, such as steel wool or brillo pads. If you are trying to get off a tough stain or grime on your counter with these pads it will cause micro scratches, which will then lead to dulling and stripping away the seal on the stone.
Seal Natural Stone Counters
Natural stone is very porous. When they install your countertop, they will put a sealant over the stone to help prevent any damage from happening to the stone. While this does help protect the stone, the sealant can start to wear off. If it starts to wear off and liquid gets on the countertop, it will start to leave stains and start to seep through into the pores of the stone. You need to re-seal the stone on your countertop so that it can protect your countertop and help preserve it’s shine and protection.
How Do You Know when to Reseal Counters?
The last thing you want to do is ruin your countertop. You can test to see if your counter needs to be resealed. You can do this by a water test. Get a small amount of water and pour it on the counter in different locations. Let it sit for 30 minutes then wipe it away. If a dark mark or ring is left in these locations, it means it needs to be resealed. You should reseal every 6 to 12 months depending on the stone.
Natural Stone Cleaning, Sealing & More in Aliante, Centennial, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Enterprise, Green Valley Ranch, Henderson, Lone Mountain Village, North LV, Peccole Ranch, Paradise, Silverado Ranch, Spring Valley, Summerlin, Sunrise Manor, Tuscany Village, Whitney, Winchester & Las Vegas Nevada
When you have natural stone countertops you need to be careful and take proper care of them. Following these few things can help you keep your counters shining. If it is time to reseal your counter, then give Silver State Floor Restoration a call.
