Among a good number of natural stones like granite, marble, limestone and sandstone, granite is considered the most beautiful one. When it comes to natural stone kitchen and bathroom countertops and vanity tops, granite is definitely the most popular one. Granite countertops are available in a wide range (as many as three thousand) of patterns and colors. Therefore, you can choose a granite countertop which goes well with home décor. With varied colors, it can contribute an innovative dimension to your rooms. Apart from the texture and attractive look of granite countertops, there are many advantages. The correct installation and the right care and maintenance can ensure that your granite countertops last really long. You will be able to repair the chips and scratches (if there any) easily.

When it comes to kitchen countertops, granite is possibly the perfect material for installation. As this natural stone is resistant to heat and scratches, it can give you long-term service. Care and maintenance for granite countertops is not a different process when compared to cleaning marble countertops.

Following are some tips that will help you while keeping your granite countertops clean and shiny:

For cleaning the surface of your granite countertops regularly, you can use a dust mop which is an untreated one. You can also use a vacuum cleaner (without beater bars) to remove any hard particles or grains. When you need to wipe the surface of your granite countertop, it is best to use a soft microfiber cloth. Although wiping the granite surface daily with plain water is good enough to keep it clean, there are several natural stone cleaners to be found in the market. You require choosing a good quality one which does not contain any harsh ingredients. Check the label for the ingredients and especially, for neutral pH.

You can clean the grease and oil deposits on your granite kitchen countertop by using hydrogen peroxide. If you want, you can make a mixture of ammonia and whiting powder to clean the oil-based stains. In order to remove the organic stains such as tea or coffee, you can add whiting powder to hydrogen peroxide. You can buy whiting powder from any store selling paints.

Using hot pads and coasters- if your granite countertops are installed properly, there is no requirement of using coasters as such. This is because unlike marble countertops, granite ones do not scratch easily. However, you can use them to increase the life of your countertops. Also when you place hot pans on the granite countertop, you should use hot pads.

In case, there are any spills on your granite kitchen countertops or on granite vanity tops, you should not delay in cleaning them. Spillages caused by sodas, tomato sauces and fruit juices damage the surface very badly when they are dry. Do not wipe the spills as this can cause large surface stains. The best way to clean the spills is to use a washcloth or an absorbent paper.

An important part of granite countertop care and maintenance is to reseal it every year to prevent dullness.

Author Bio-

Emily Smith is a freelance architect and a home improvement analyst. She has been writing for many online publications since 2007. In her recent articles on granite natural stone, she shares some useful advices on granite countertop maintenance. 

Emily often visits the website of Gabastone (http://www.gabastone.com)  to collect decoration ideas with natural stones.

If you feel contacting Emily, follow her on Goo