Marble countertops are not only beautiful and give your home a high-end look, but they also can last for a long time when you take good care of them. And the good thing is that you can do several things to ensure that they last for as long as possible. Which are these things you should do? Here they are:

Keep acidic substances away from your countertops

Acidic substances can etch into your countertop surfaces and leave your surfaces dull and lackluster. To be on the safe side, don’t use an abrasive or acidic cleaner such as bleach or vinegar on your surfaces. You also should never use harsh scrubbing pads on the surfaces.

Certain fruits such as tomatoes, citrus, and others have been found to contain high acid levels, so you should keep them off your countertops.

To keep your countertops in top shape for a long time, have specialized bowls to store the acidic fruits.

Don’t cut on the countertops.

Marble looks tough and damage-proof, but it isn’t. This means that when you cut directly on it, you are bound to damage it. To ensure this doesn’t happen, have a cutting board where you cut your vegetables, and chop meat, among many other tasks.

Clean the countertops with a gentle soap

You might have the impression that you need abrasive cleaners to clean your countertops, but this isn’t the case. You should know that marble is one of the easiest materials to clean, and you can achieve almost perfect clean surfaces using gentle soap and warm water.

All you need to do is to wash the surfaces with a solution of soap and water, then wipe them with a wet, hot dish towel. Once done, dry the surfaces with an absorbent towel.

To avoid deep stains that are hard to remove, make it a habit to spot clean any spills immediately. Remember that the longer you leave substances on marble, the more they are likely to stain, so keep them off the countertops as much as possible.

Always thoroughly wipe your counters.

Here you need to spray the counters, then use a cloth dipped in soap and water to wipe down the surfaces, focusing on any dried food or debris.

To ensure that your counters really shine, dry them thoroughly with a clean, dry cloth. Some of the best clothes for this are microfiber clothes. In some cases, you have to repeat the polishing to achieve ideal results.

For perfect-looking countertops, clean the surfaces daily, especially if you have a high-traffic kitchen. For the bathrooms, wipe them once a week.

Buff out impurities

In the event your countertops develop stains, you can try and get rid of them by buffing them out. One of the best products to use for the work is #0000 steel wool.

If the nicks, gouges, or dull spots are large, don’t try to remove them, as you will most likely damage your surfaces. In such a case, hire a professional to sand them out. If you aren’t sure whether you can remove the scratches, check with your manufacturer or the company you bought the countertops from.

Seal the countertops

Like granite, marble is highly porous, meaning that when you go for a long time without sealing it, water and other impurities can easily get into the countertops and stain them.

To prevent the stains from coming about, make it a habit to seal your countertops at the time of installation then once every year.

You can seal the surfaces by yourself or hire a professional to help. Regardless of how you go about it, ensure that you use a high-quality sealer. Using a sealant specially formulated for marble surfaces will be better.

Parting shot

Like granite countertops Raleigh, marble surfaces are porous, so they need to be properly maintained to prevent them from getting damaged. As a rule of thumb, don’t treat your counters as chopping boards. Always have a chopping board in place.

Also, don’t clean the surfaces using abrasive materials regardless of how dirty they look. Remember that marble is one of the easiest materials to clean, so don’t put so much effort into it. Warm water and gentle soap are enough.

Granite countertops don’t come cheap; when you install them, you want them to last for as long as possible. The good news is that it’s possible to have your countertops for a long time—you only need to avoid doing harmful things to your surfaces. Which are these things? Here they are:

Don’t chop on the countertops

Due to their natural and tough nature, cutting your onions, tomatoes, and other items on the surfaces might seem harmless, but you shouldn’t as they aren’t immune to cuts, scratches, and chips.

When you cut on the surfaces, you dull the countertops and the knives, so you have to keep sharpening them, not to mention having to replace the countertops later down the line.

Avoid chopping vegetables and butchering meat directly on your countertops to last for long. Instead, use a large and quality cutting board.

Keep them inside a protective knife block when you aren’t using the knives.

If you live with other family members, teach them how to use and store the knives properly.

Avoid acidic or abrasive cleaners.

If you are like other homeowners, you want your countertops clean and spotless. To achieve this, some homeowners clean their surfaces aggressively, while others use abrasive cleaners.

While there is nothing wrong with keeping your surfaces clean, be cautious of the cleaning agents you use. As a rule of thumb, avoid acidic or abrasive cleaners as they have been shown to cause plenty of problems.

Besides discoloring the surfaces, the abrasive cleaners dissolve the protective sealants and even scratch the countertop surfaces.

To stay safe and keep your countertops in tiptop shape, avoid all cleaners containing bleach, ammonia, acetic acid, and abrasives.

Soap and a soft piece of cloth are usually enough to keep your countertops clean, but if you want to go the extra mile, use cleaning products that have been specially formulated for granite.

Don’t climb on the countertops.

At first glance, granite surfaces look tough and indestructible, but this is not the case. Like other natural materials, granite surfaces have fault lines that can crack when applying too much pressure on them. The situation worsens when you apply pressure on areas without enough support, such as overhangs and kitchen islands.

When preparing the meals, don’t sit on the countertops as you risk damaging them. You also should avoid standing on them to reach the top shelf or replace the bulb.

If you are always tempted to sit on the countertops, have a stool in the kitchen that you can use when the itch comes about.

If you have children or adults living with you, let them know that they can’t sit on the countertops as they can easily damage them.

Don’t place highly-pigmented liquids on the countertops

The most common highly pigmented liquids are juices. If you have children, you will often spill the juices on the countertops where they stain them, giving them an ugly look.

To prevent the discoloration and keep your countertops in top shape, keep the juices and other highly pigmented liquids away from the counters.

If you love wine, juices, and sports drinks and regularly have them in the house, and you aren’t sure that you will be able to keep them off your surfaces, choose dark-colored countertops that will easily disguise any accidental spillages that might come about.

How quickly you get rid of the spills when they happen is vital for preventing the staining. To be on the safe side, make it a habit to remove them as soon as they happen.

Investing in quality and annual professional sealing is also wise to prevent stains from becoming a problem.

Mind the heat

As much as granite is tough and can withstand some heat, it’s not harm proof. This means it’s bound to get damaged when you place extremely hot items on it.

You can get away with placing hot pans and other items on the kitchen countertops NC occasionally, but when you repeatedly do it, the countertops get damaged.

To protect your surfaces, have tablemats, coasters, or other protective items to protect your countertops from damage.

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Best Practices When Living With Marble Countertops