17

Jan

Do You Need Trivets On Granite?

If you are asking, do you need trivets on granite, you must have installed granite countertops in your kitchen, and you are wondering whether you should protect them using a trivet, right?

You place trivets between the countertop and the hot pan to protect the surfaces from getting burned. And yes, you need trivets on granite.

The cool thing is that trivets do more than protect the counters from burn marks—they also protect you from having broken baking dishes or a cracked countertop due to thermal shock.

Overall, having a trivet in place reduces the chances of damaging your valuable items, so it’s wise always to have them in place.

But aren’t granite countertops heat resistant?

Yes, granite countertops are heat resistant, and this is one of the primary reasons they are heavily used in the kitchen, but they aren’t heatproof.

This means that while you might not experience any damage on the countertops when you place hot pans on them for the first few times, when you repeatedly do it, you risk causing permanent damage to the surfaces.

What are other granite best practices?

Besides having a trivet or hot pad on your countertops to protect them from damage, there are plenty of other best practices that ensure your countertops retain their good looks for a long time. Some of these best practices include:

Clean the countertops regularly

There is no way your countertops will look good if you don’t clean them regularly, is there? Make it a habit to clean your surfaces at least once every day.

The cool thing is that cleaning the countertops is easy as all you need is soap and water. Spray some soapy water on your countertops, then wipe it with a clean piece of cloth, and you are good to go.

Regardless of how dirty your countertops are, don’t clean them with ammonia, bleach, degreasers, glass cleaner, and other abrasive products as they reduce the effectiveness of the granite sealer, leaving your countertops vulnerable to stains. To avoid damage and keep your countertops looking good for a long time, stick to cleaning them with soap and water.

When choosing the soap type, avoid dish soap as its repeated use causes a soapy build-up that dulls the shine of your surfaces, leaving them ugly and uninviting. For the best outcome, use soap designed to clean granite surfaces.

Seal the countertops regularly

As much as they are tough, granite counters are porous. This means they have pores on them that increase their chances of staining should spills happen. You should seal the countertops with countertop sealing products to seal these pores.

There are plenty of products in the market, but not all are right for your countertops. Research and find one designed for your countertops.

You should do the sealing at the time of installation then once a year thereafter. You can do the sealing work yourself or hire a professional to help you out.

For the best outcome, it’s always wise to have a professional do it.

Clean spills as soon as they happen

As you are preparing the meals, accidents are bound to happen. For example, coffee, soda, citrus juice, tomato sauce, or even water will spill on your surfaces. Even if you have sealed the countertops, the liquids can find their way under your countertops and cause hard-to-remove stains, when you allow them to stand there for a long time.

To avoid this, make it a habit to clean spills from your countertops as soon as they happen.

Use cutting boards

When you are chopping meat, fruits, or vegetables, it’s tempting to want to chop directly on your countertops due to how tough they look, but don’t. This is because you will scratch the countertops, which gives the surfaces a cheap, dull look.

To keep your countertops scratch-free, always use a chopping/cutting board to protect both your countertops and knives.

Granite installers Rockville also recommend you keep off hard objects such as rings and bottles as they can scratch or even dent the countertops, and you don’t want this, do you?

 Yes, you need trivets on your countertops.

To keep your countertops in pristine shape, you need trivets. There are no right or wrong trivets. As long as the units provide you with the protection you need, you are good to go.

07

Jan

How Do You Make Granite Countertops Look Good?

Granite countertops look magnificent in any home, and this is one of the primary reasons many homeowners go for them. If you have had your countertops for a long time and they have started losing their original exquisite look, you must be wondering, how do you make granite countertops look good, right?

Well, there are plenty of ways you can do it. Some of these ways include:

Shine the countertops

When you installed the countertops for the first time, you must have noticed an inviting natural shine. The shine is largely due to the high quartz content in granite.

While the shine is inviting when new, over time, it fades off, giving your countertops an old, cheap look.

To make your countertops look good, you need to maintain this shine. Besides cleaning the countertops regularly, you also should regularly polish the surfaces.

Thankfully, there are plenty of polishing products in the market you can use. All you need to do is find those that match your countertops and give your surfaces a perfect look you are looking for.

When polishing the countertops, take care not to use rough cleaning tools that scratch the surface. As a rule of thumb, use a soft cloth, precisely a microfiber cloth, that won’t cause any harm to the surface.

Use the same soft cloth to buff the surfaces and buff in a circular motion to don’t cause any harm and reach the entire surface.

Other ways to keep your granite looking good

Besides polishing the countertops, there are many other ways to keep your granite looking good. Some of these other ways include:

Take good care of the countertops

Like your car, clothes, appliances, or any other thing, if you want your countertops to look good, you have to take good care of them.

The beauty is there are plenty of ways to take care of them. Some of these ways include:

Clean spills immediately: As soon as spills happen, you should clean them to avoid hard-to-remove stains from forming.

Use coasters: Coasters come in handy at preventing the hot pots placed on the countertops from coming into direct contact with the countertops. As a rule of thumb, use high-quality coasters that will provide the countertops with maximum protection and last for a long time.

Use cutting boards: The same way you should use coasters and hot pads is the same way you should use cutting boards when cutting meat, vegetables, and other food items. As a rule of thumb, never cut directly on granite surfaces.

Don’t sit on the countertops: It’s normal for most homeowners to sit on the countertops as they wait for food to cook. Others will come to the kitchen and sit there as they chat. This is wrong.

To avoid cracking your countertops, avoid sitting on them, especially on the edges. You also should avoid standing on them to reach the top shelves or replace a burnt bulb.

Clean the countertops regularly

As mentioned above, cleaning the countertops goes a long way towards keeping them looking good. When doing the cleaning, use the right cleaning products.

In most cases, water and soap are enough to keep the surfaces in top shape, but you can use commercial cleaning products when looking for that extra shine. When buying the cleaner, use one specifically designed for granite surfaces.

Never use ammonia, citrus, or vinegar to clean the surfaces as they are highly acidic cleaners, and using them will dull the surfaces.

The right way to clean the countertops is to spray or mist the cleaner across the entire surface, then let it sit for a minute, after which you wipe it with a soft microfiber cloth until it’s dry.

Seal the countertop

The final thing you should do is seal the countertops to lock out any materials that might try to find their way into the countertops. You can seal the countertops or hire granite countertop installers Rockville to help.

When sealing the surfaces, work in small sections to don’t spray the same area more than once. After applying the sealant, wipe the surfaces with a soft cotton cloth until completely dry.