Cleaning and Resealing Granite
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Seal your granite countertop to prevent stains from seeping into the porous stone. Sealing your granite countertop every couple of years is a good way of making sure that you don't have to clean very much. A granite countertop is properly sealed when water splashed on the surface beads up. When water no longer beads up on the surface of the countertop, it's time to give it a good seal.
First, Clean and Buff the Countertop
Clean your granite countertop thoroughly with a granite cleaning formula. You can make one of your own, or you can buy one from a specialty store.
Create your own homemade granite countertop cleaning formula. Be sure you use cleaners that are pH balanced and include no acid or acidic type chemicals.
- Fill a bucket or your sink with warm clean water. If you can use filtered water, even better.
- Combine mild dish detergent with rubbing alcohol. Mix three parts dish detergent with one part standard rubbing alcohol. Alcohol works well because it has antiseptic and cleaning properties but contains a pH level of 7.0--the same pH level in water. Keep in mind that using too much alcohol can break down sealers, as it is a strong solvent.
- Mix well and allow water to cool slightly. You want water to be very warm, but not scalding or extremely hot. Make sure your soap and alcohol are well mixed for a nice balance.
Do not use any ammonia, vinegar, or lemon cleaners on granite. Although granite is an extremely tough surface, it is susceptible to acidic formulas, which eat away at its surface. Vinegar, and lemon all contain more acid than is safe for granite
Wash counters using a clean white cloth. For best results, use a white cloth, free of excess fibers that could become loose and be left behind on the counter. One possible solution is to use a clean cloth diaper or microfiber cloth. Also, make sure you avoid any abrasive cloths, which could damage the surface.
- Immerse the cloth in the cleaning solution and wipe counters thoroughly. Soak your cloth in the solution, allowing the cleaning fluid to permeate the cloth. Before cleaning the counter wring cloth out to remove excess fluid.
- Run hand over the counter to ensure you’ve removed all debris. Due to the nature of granite counter designs, some stains or leftover debris and stains may not be apparent to the naked eye. However, if you run a clean hand over the countertop surface you may be able to pick up stuck on debris that your cloth may have missed.
Buff and dry counters thoroughly. Although your counters will be clean, most cleaners may leave streaks if not dried immediately.
- Use a microfiber cloth to dry and buff counters. This will not only remove streaks, but enhance the countertop finish and shine. Try to find a luster cleaner to use if possible.
- Use a new dry microfiber cloth if the other cloth becomes soggy or wet. A wet cloth won’t allow you to dry the counter so exchange the original cloth for something new.
Let the granite dry completely after cleaning before sealing. Give the granite a good 10 to 15 minutes to make sure all moisture has evaporated before moving on to the next step.
Apply the Sealant
Spray the sealant evenly over the entire surface of the granite. Make sure the sealant covers each area of the granite. In order to ensure this, it's best to use a sealant that has been transferred to a spray bottle.
- Do not wipe the sealant into the granite. Wiping the sealant with a cloth or paper towel absorbs the sealant into the cloth, not into the stone. For best results, resist the urge to wipe the sealant. Let it do its own thing.
- Check around sinks or edges to make sure the silicone is in good shape.
Wipe away any excess sealant after 15 minutes. If you see a haze effect on the surface of the granite, be aware that it cleans off — it won't be permanent. Your granite countertop is now expertly sealed!
Select a penetrating sealer for natural stone.
Only use products specifically designed for natural stone, and ideally for granite specifically. A penetrating or "impregnating" sealer will soak into the counter top to slow stain absorption, without causing the structural or aesthetic issues caused by top sealers in this application. These guidelines are enough to prevent harm to your counter top, but you can dive into the fine print if you're interested:
- For best results, choose a carbon resin sealer. Look for one that mentions "fluorocarbon aliphatic resin" on the label. These can provide years of good protection, but are also the most expensive.
- The next best options use "siloxane" or "silane," which tend to be a little worse at repelling oil.
- Avoid silicone-based sealers or linseed-based sealers. They are the least durable and will need to be resealed every eight months or so, and can sometimes even cause color deterioration.
- Some sealant chemicals can be either water-based or solvent-based. Experts disagree on which is best; both are adequate, but water-based sealer is easier to apply and better for the environment.
Read the instructions on the label. There are many varieties of sealer, and it's best to follow the specific instructions if available. The method below provides more detail than most labels will give you, but always go with the label if the two sets of instructions contradict each other.
