Written by the Stone Restore Solutions team in Grove, Oklahoma. Published · last reviewed for accuracy .
Everyday cleaning
Warm water with a soft cloth handles most days. For anything greasy, use a cleaner made for natural stone — we stock the one we recommend.
Skip abrasive powders and scouring pads, and skip acidic or bleach-based household sprays. They attack the sealer first and the polish afterwards.
Sealing
Sealing slows absorption so spills sit on the surface long enough to be wiped up. Frequency depends on the stone and how hard the surface is used rather than a fixed calendar.
A simple check: leave a small puddle of water on the counter for several minutes, then wipe it away. If the stone darkens where the water sat and takes a while to return to colour, it is ready for sealer.
Spills, heat and knives
Wipe oil, wine, coffee and citrus promptly. Most granite staining is a spill that sat, not a material failure.
Granite tolerates heat well, but a trivet is still cheap insurance under a pan straight off the burner. Use a cutting board — not to protect the granite, but to protect your knives.
If something goes wrong
Bring us a photo. Dullness, a stain and an etch are different problems with different fixes, and guessing at a repair product can make the surface worse.