Now that you have beautiful natural stone installed, a few basic habits will keep it looking great and performing well for years to come.
Natural stone can react with the wrong cleaning products. Granite is durable and fairly resistant to common acids like vinegar and lemon juice, but caution is still warranted — only use cleaners made for natural stone.
Use an all-purpose cleaner. If the label doesn't say it's safe for granite or quartz, skip it.
Follow the care recommendations specific to your type of stone.
Acidic spills — lemonade, orange juice, wine, tomato sauce, vinegar — can etch some polished stone surfaces if left too long. Granite generally resists this well, but it's still best to clean spills promptly.
Let a spill sit unattended.
Blot spills promptly — never rub, which can increase the chance of etching.
Granite is porous, so most granite countertops benefit from periodic sealing to help resist stains and moisture. A simple water test tells you when it's time: sprinkle a few drops of water on the surface. If it beads up, your seal is still doing its job. If it soaks in and darkens the stone within a few minutes, it's time to reseal.
Assume granite never needs sealing — most types benefit from resealing roughly once a year, depending on the stone.
Ask us during your consultation whether your specific slab needs sealing, and how often.
Granite and quartz are both hard, durable surfaces, but neither is completely indestructible. Granite handles direct heat well; quartz is more heat-sensitive because of its resin content.
Place hot pots or pans directly on quartz — sudden heat can cause discoloration or cracking.
Use a trivet or hot pad on any stone surface, and always cut on a cutting board rather than directly on the counter.
Quartz is engineered and non-porous, so it never needs sealing and resists staining better than most natural stone. That said, it still deserves the right care to stay looking new.
Use bleach, oven cleaners, or highly alkaline/acidic chemicals — they can damage the resin binding the quartz together over time.
Clean with mild soap and warm water, or a cleaner made specifically for quartz.
You don't need a complicated regimen — just consistency:
Have a specific stain, scratch, or care question we haven't covered here? Reach out and we're happy to help.
Reach out and we'll help you keep your countertops looking new.
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