How To Clean and Disinfect Granite Countertops

What’s the best way to clean granite counter tops? Bryan Akner, president of Clean Extreme Pros housekeeping and maid service of Palm Beach Gardens Florida says he hears a lot of varying views on this — use Windex! No, never use Windex! Use a special granite-only cleaner! No, you don’t need a special granite-only cleaner! — but after doing our research, we think we’ve discovered a consensus among stone experts on how to care for granite. The best part? You really don’t need any special cleaners to get those counter tops shiny and streak-free.

The Dos and Don’ts of Cleaning Granite

DO: Make sure your granite counter top is sealed. While granite is a very hard surface and less porous than marble, unsealed or weakly sealed granite will soak up oils, spills, and stains. To check whether your granite is sealed, leave a few drops of water on the surface. If it beads up, you have a secure seal. If after a few minutes the water has soaked into the granite, then it’s time to reseal the stone.

DON’T: Use harsh or abrasive cleaners and sponges, Windex, acidic cleaners like vinegar, lemon, lime, or anything with ammonia or bleach. Frequent use of these chemicals will dull and weaken the sealant over time. Basically, the harsher the cleaner, the quicker it will break down the sealant.

DO: Wipe up spills as soon as you notice them.

DO: Use warm water, a mild or gentle dish soap, and a nubby washcloth or microfiber cloth for daily wipe downs.

What About Disinfecting?

A well-sealed granite counter top is relatively impervious to bacteria. Hot water and dish soap should be adequate for daily sanitizing. However, if a stronger disinfectant is desired, mix together a 50:50 solution of water and 91% isopropyl alcohol. Spray onto the granite, allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, then rinse with water and dry with a clean microfiber cloth. Avoid bleach or ammonia-based cleaners.

And then there is the Clean Extreme Pro’s favorite method of using a commercial grade steam cleaner. Super-heating the granite counter top with nothing but pure steam and a clean micro-fiber cloth is not only safe for the granite, its also a great way to clean if there is anyone that is chemically sensitive in the home according to Mr. Akner.

What About Special Granite-Safe Cleaners?

There are granite cleaners out there, like this one from Method and this one from Granite Gold. Some all-purpose surface cleaners also specify that they’re safe for granite. Use these cleaners if you want — just know that you don’t have to buy them if you don’t want to. The cleaning tutorial below will work just fine!

All you need to clean granite counter tops are warm water, mild or gentle dish soap, a dish cloth, clean microfiber cloth or terrycloth towel, and 91% Isopropyl alcohol (optional).
How To Clean and Disinfect Granite Countertops

What You Need

Materials
Warm water
Mild or gentle dish soap
Dish cloth
Clean microfiber cloth or terrycloth towel
Isopropyl alcohol (optional)

Instructions

Wet your dish cloth with warm, soapy water. Fill the sink with warm water and a mild dish soap, then thoroughly wet a clean dish cloth.
Wipe down the granite counter tops. You don’t need us to tell you how to do this part. Just wipe away any spills or crumbs on your counter top!
Dry with a microfiber cloth to avoid streaking. Dry and buff your granite counter top thoroughly with a microfiber cloth or soft terry cloth towel to avoid streaking.
Shine and disinfect with a water and isopropyl alcohol solution. To periodically disinfect your granite counter tops, remove soap residue, and restore shine, mix together a 50:50 solution of water and 91% isopropyl alcohol. Spray onto the granite, allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, then rinse with water and dry with a clean microfiber cloth.
Enjoy your nice, shiny, clean granite counter tops!
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO CLEAN ANYTHING, CONTACT BRYAN AKNER OF CLEAN EXTREME PRO OF PALM BEACH GARDENS FLORIDA AT (561) 891-1300