granite countertops

[sii]

does anyone have any advice for granite countertops? I'm having them put into my kitchen on Tuesday. I'm kinda worried about scratches and water stains.

I know it needs to be treated, but what else can I use to keep it looking good?!?!

[lund0682]

My apartment was renovated just before I moved in and one of the 'improvements' they made was to put in granite counter tops. I don't know if they were treated and I don't have any other experience with granite, but after living with these counter tops for a year my opinion is that granite has no business in the kitchen.

They become stained if any kind of oil gets spilled on them - which is a pretty likely event in a kitchen (at least in my kitchen). Here are some of the outrageous things I've done that have left permanent marks on my counters:

1. While making a salad, I recklessly put a bottle of olive oil on the counter - not noticing that there was a little oil on the bottom of the bottle.

2. I absent-mindedly placed a stick of butter on the counter when I was making popcorn. The butter was still in it's unopened wrapper.

3. I dared to cook bacon, and some droplets of grease found their way on to my counter.

But like I say, I don't know anything about granite and maybe my counters weren't sealed correctly. I'm certainly no expert!

Water stains aren't really a problem. The counters do get dark whenever water gets on them (even just wiping them with a damp cloth). It's like they absorb the water, and get dark for a little while. But after a bit they return to their normal color. So no permanent stains from water. I haven't noticed any trouble with scratches. The counters seem to hold up pretty well, at least to the normal wear-and-tear that I've subjected them to.

[nenella]

Hi you may find this interesting and helpful Marble Institute of America

[JaneEyre]

Interesting. My granite countertops do not stain from oil and grease. My fiancé is a great cook (I'm so lucky) but he does leave butter and oil jars on the counter all the time. I just wipe it with Lysol and there are no stains at all. The only stains I notice are from water sitting to long but once I get rid of water, stains dry up in a day. I guess our granite is treated but I'm not sure as we moved with those. It probably depends on treatment.

[silken]

I've been looking into getting them and many out there recently had to be sealed once a year. Supposedly there are more of them coming pre-sealed and supposedly need no maintenance for their lifetime. I don't have any at the moment but am curious what people think of them. My sister loves hers, but I would be worried about breaking things that slip and fall or knock over on the counter.

[Angurek]

My mom has some really nice granite countertops in her kitchen. I think she uses the Method Granite Cleaner spray to clean them (when she has it), or even just plain old soap and water. I'm usually not in her home for long, though, so I can't attest to the countertops' resistance to oil damage.

The only thing that concerns me is this:

Granite Countertops and Radiation | Radiation Protection | US EPA

Granted, the radiation levels aren't high, but I've heard my share of horror stories. If I had enough money, I'd pay a stone company to have my mom's countertops replaced with marble or something.

[quiltergal]

I've had granite countertops in my kitchen for a good 15 years, and I love it. It's been resealed a couple of times since installation. We have no stains or grease spots. We even roll out pastry dough right on the counter with no ill effects. I'm guessing there are varying degrees of porousness in different kinds of granite. I just replaced the bathroom vanity tops with granite this summer. Again, I've had no issues with staining on those either. Frankly I wouldn't have anything else in my kitchen. I love it. Quartz is nice too and less porous but I don't think it looks as nice as granite. JMO.

[Eyebabe]

With granite countertops, you have to make sure to wipe up citrus as it will deteriorate the counter overtime.
Also, you should not use ammonia cleaners like windex either.

I love my granite countertops. They do not stain, I actually put hot plates and pots on them for short periods of time without incident, I have also rolled dough out on them...

[silken]

My sister was told the same about the citrus juice

[flhiker]

I remodel kitchens and use granite all the time. You should seal your granite once a year. It's a very easy process. Just clean your counter top and wipe the sealer on. let it dry, done. Granite is very durable but can stain or scratch. As long as you clean your spills and use a cutting board you can keep your tops looking new for decades. Usually they out last the style of your cabinets. They also can be professionally polished if needed.