Make Your Granite Countertops Shine With A Kitchen Staple You Already Own
Granite has been one of the most popular natural stone choices for home builders and remodelers installing countertops since the early 2000s. It's a hard-wearing choice making it great for bathrooms, and its heat resistance is a definite plus for kitchen use. Like other types of natural stone, these surfaces are quite handsome and durable, but they require a bit of caution when it comes to caring for them. Wiping up acidic spills promptly is a must, but what about the best product for overall cleaning to keep them shiny and unscathed? The answer lies in a product you probably already have under your kitchen sink: mild dish soap.
It's true. While there are some fancier cleaners formulated for stone on the market, there are more affordable alternatives to keep your granite countertops in great shape. Simply using ordinary dish soap and water will make your granite gleam without breaking the bank and with minimal fuss. If needed, you can include additional cleaning items to scrub tough spots of grime, but for day-to-day maintenance, dish soap and water work perfectly.
How to safely clean your granite countertops
To clean granite safely, never use acidic cleaners containing vinegar or chemicals like bleach or ammonia. Instead, all you need is a drop or two of dish soap (avoiding those with citrus additives) and a microfiber cloth dampened with warm water. After wiping down your granite, rinse your cleaning cloth, wring it out thoroughly, and wipe the countertops again to remove any soapy residue. Take care not to leave too much water behind, as that can harm granite. If you prefer a spray-on cleaner, an alternate method requires adding 1 quarter cup of isopropyl alcohol, several drops of dish soap, and water to a spray bottle. The isopropyl alcohol evaporates quickly, and some homeowners like the disinfecting properties it imparts to their granite-safe cleaner.
Cleaning stuck-on foods may require a little extra help. Most problems like this can be solved by mixing a half-and-half solution of water and isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle. After spraying the cleaner, rub it with a microfiber cloth. More stubborn spots may require moistening a paper towel with the cleaner, letting it sit atop the mess for five minutes, and then wiping the grime away.
Why dish soap is effective
When used on countertops, dish soap and water does a great job of cleaning up messes while helping to eliminate germs by washing them away. Think about it; if dish soap can effectively remove food gunk from plates, it can do the same on granite. Most dishwashing liquids work for this purpose. In fact, if you look at the make-up of dish soaps available at your local grocery store, they can be very similar. The main reason dish soap is safe for granite, however, is the pH level.
What does pH level mean? Levels of pH essentially mark where something falls on the acidity scale ranging from acidic to alkaline. That means acids like lemon juice and vinegar are lower on the scale, and mild dish detergents (considered neutral-to-alkaline) are higher on the scale. The higher pH level indicates a milder solution. That mildness makes dish soap a safe and gentle choice for cleaning granite countertops.