3 Ways to Protect Your Granite Countertops

As there’s nothing that can make a kitchen look quite as good as a gorgeous granite countertop, it’s important to take proactive measures to keep your countertops looking new. To help ensure your kitchen remains stunning for years to come, there are some easy steps you can take to protect your counters. Read on for three strategies to protect your granite countertops, from the home design experts at CMA Flooring.

1. Provide Sufficient Support

As granite is obviously a heavy material, countertops made of granite weight more than other options. For that reason, it’s important to ensure your kitchen cabinets properly support your granite countertops. If the kitchen cabinets aren’t strong enough or are set up incorrectly, they will begin to collapse under the weight of the counter and the granite will begin developing cracks. To make sure your cabinets are providing the proper counter support, have a specialist or contractor take a look at your kitchen.

2. Use a Granite Sealant

Another way to protect your granite countertops is to apply a sealant. Applying a granite sealant to your countertops can help ensure that food and liquids don’t become embedded in the stone or create cracks through everyday use. As there are two varieties of sealants for different types of countertops, it’s important to check with your counter manufacturer to pick the correct option.

3. Clean it Properly

Protecting your granite countertop also means cleaning it properly. For most spills and stains, mild soap and warm water are the best and least harmful way to clean a granite countertop. For an oil stain, however, you should use one cup of flour and one cup hydrogen peroxide and let the mixture sit over night. If wine is spilled on the counter, creating a paste of equal parts bleach and molding plaster and letting it sit on the stained surface for 30 minutes should remove the stain. While it’s tempting to use household spray cleaners, the solutions used in those cleaners are typically too harsh for granite and can damage the counters.

If you’re in the process of selecting materials for a kitchen renovation project, granite is an excellent option for countertops. If you’re also looking for kitchen cabinets, hardwood, laminate, or tile flooring options, the flooring and design experts at Carpet Mills of America in Carrollton can help. Give us a call at (972) 418-6606 for a free estimate or stop by our show room to look at samples.