The kitchen and bathroom are the most important rooms in the house when it comes to maintaining hygiene. These are also the two rooms where you’re most likely to have natural stone countertops. So, it’s important that you know how to properly disinfect your bathroom and kitchen countertops to kill germs and bacteria before they get a chance to spread.
Luckily, granite is a fairly non-porous type of natural stone, meaning that it won’t readily absorb bacteria that builds up on your countertops. If you have your countertops properly sealed, then they’ll be even more impervious to spills and bacteria absorbing into the stone. This means that you only really have to worry about disinfecting the top surface of your countertops (but make sure you have them resealed when needed, too).
Disinfecting cleaners you shouldn’t use on your countertops
There are lots of great products, like wipes and sprays, that make disinfecting surfaces a really easy task. However, ingredients commonly used in these shop-bought cleaners can be damaging to natural stone, so they are not recommended for use on your granite countertops. Citric acid is commonly used in disinfecting wipes, and the acidity of this ingredient will wear away the sealant and finish of your countertops.
A lot of all-purpose cleaners also contain bleach or ammonia, both of which are damaging for your stone countertops. Before you use any household cleaners on your granite countertops, make sure you check the ingredients to make sure they’re safe to use.
How to disinfect granite countertops
With a lot of cleaners crossed off the list, how exactly are you supposed to disinfect your granite countertops? For everyday cleaning, a simple mixture of warm water and a mild dish soap is enough to keep your countertops clean. This should help to kill most of the bacteria on your surfaces.
When you want to disinfect your surfaces more deeply, you can dilute rubbing alcohol with water (in a 50:50 solution) and use this as a cleaner. Spray the homemade solution onto your countertops and leave it to soak for a few minutes. Then simply wipe the solution off your countertops with a soft cloth soaked in water, and then rub the surface dry with a clean, soft cloth.
If you need any more advice about keeping your granite clean and in good condition, then contact Amanzi Granite. We can also provide granite maintenance services for households around High Point, Greensboro, and Winston Salem.
