The Importance of Countertop Cleanliness

By: Ann Kent

Since we prepare so many meals every day, our kitchens are breeding zones for food borne bacteria, and, consequently, it is important to properly clean your granite and marble countertops to ensure that they are not going to get you sick. Whether you select natural stone countertops or engineered stone countertops, you can achieve the same level of cleanliness.

Golden Butterfly Granite

Mr. Stone’s AGM Granite and Marble Countertop Cleaner is a terrific product because it seals your granite and marble countertops as you clean. The solution effectively cleans all germs, and adds a little bit of sealant to the counters to seal them and prevent the future penetration of germs. This natural stone cleaner is safe enough for everyday use. You can also clean with a mixture of mild soap and water, but the spray bottle that the AGM Granite and Marble Countertop Cleaner comes in makes it virtually effortless to clean up after cooking. It is important to spend extra time cleaning the higher traffic areas of a kitchen like around the sink or if your family eats on a peninsula or center island. Pay particular attention to your seams when using the AGM cleaner as water often splashes from the sink to the back seam of a kitchen countertop.- That is the area that Marble.com hides theirs seems. It’s the best place to hide the. - Over time, this can result in a leak within the seam and create much larger water damage and mold issues.

It is vital to seal your countertops 1-2 times a year for granite and quartzite and up to 4 times a year for the marble to keep your kitchen countertops properly maintained. If you do not seal your countertops, natural stone is porous and bacteria will be able to seep into the stone itself. Mr. Stone’s Superior Zero Ultimate Stone Sealer can seal marble, granite or quartzite countertops and can easily be applied at home.

Today’s contemporary kitchens often embrace clean lines and surfaces and are characteristically devoid of clutter. The good news is that surface that starts clean, is inherently easier to clean than kitchens of the past that were filled with knick-knacks that often made it more difficult to quickly and efficiently clean a surface.

While it is important to clean after each meal, it is also necessary to clean before cooking to make sure that your surfaces haven’t been exposed to any contaminants. Surfaces like marble and granite are excellent as a baking surface, but you need to sanitize before rolling out cookie dough or pastry dough. Everyday dirt and dust can accumulate overnight. Cleaning often and thoroughly is the best approach when keeping your kitchen free of bacteria.

Many people claim that granite countertops are strong enough to cut on, but in the interest in keeping your family healthy, it is much safer to cut raw meats, poultry, and fish on a cutting board that can be cleaned in the sink or dishwasher than to cut directly on the granite countertops. Even after you clean your cutting board, you should clean the countertops around your cutting board. It is not uncommon for food to splash and reach surfaces beyond the cutting board.

When cleaning a kitchen, particular focus should also be on cleaning your kitchen sink. Mr. Stone sells a DuPont StoneTech Stainless Steel Pro Cleaner that works great to clean your stainless-steel sink. Porcelain sinks will need to be cleaned with a mild mixture of soap and water. Many homeowners favor the look of stainless because it hides dirt much more than a white sink, but a white farmhouse sink can be a dramatic focal point within a kitchen with white granite, quartzite or marble countertops.

You will undoubtedly be spending a lot of time in your kitchen once you design the kitchen of your dreams. It is important to keep it clean and bacteria free with the products mentioned above, and, in the process, you will make your countertops gleam.

And If you are a natural stone fabricator and haven’t seen or joined Slab Market yet, join them here. They sell and buy slabs. With their vast amount of natural stone colors from many suppliers from all around the world, you are sure to stock up your inventory with nothing but the best!