Care and Maintenance of Your Stone & Tiles
Our experts at Sudbury Granite & Marble recommend StoneTech® sealer to keep your countertops looking beautiful and timeless against everyday wear and tear. StoneTech® is easy-to-use, protects against stains, and preserves your granite, marble, tiles, and more!
Caring for your granite or marble countertops
Congratulations! You have made an excellent investment to your home by purchasing natural stone that will last a lifetime. Because marble and granite are both natural stones and are porous, they require proper care and maintenance, which will enable your counters to continue looking beautiful. The use of a sealer will help prevent staining in most situations.
Even a sealed surface can stain if left in contact with a staining agent for a long period of time. Therefore, all spills should be wiped up as soon as possible, and coasters or napkins should be set when serving food or drinks on a stone bar, table, or countertop. Soft drinks, coffee, tea, and fruit juices contain mild acids and can etch the polished surface of a stone and stain quite rapidly. These should be cleaned off immediately with a mild soap and lukewarm water. If left unsealed, spills and everyday messes can easily penetrate the surface. The liquid eventually evaporates but the stain is left behind.
When your counters are installed, a complementary sealer is applied, but we also recommend that you apply another coat of sealer 24 hours after your counters are installed.
- Clear all items of your countertops and clean the surface thoroughly.
- Pour sealer content into a spray bottle. Spray sealer throughout entire surface; spread it evenly using a small clean paintbrush.
- Let it sit for 30 minutes. If any dry spots appear, apply more sealer to that area. The counters need to be evenly soaked for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, wipe excess with a paper towel or cloth. If the sealer dries out leaving a film, just re-apply the sealer and wipe it clean.
For lighter stones and especially marble, repeat the sealing process 3 times, preferably on the same day, with intervals of 10 minutes. If you are not sure of the amount of sealing your counters need, please contact your stone consultant.
Darker colors are denser, which means they are less porous than lighter colors of granite. Lighter colors are more susceptible to stains because they are light and less dense, making them more porous.
Most popular general-purpose cleaners will etch or damage the stone or degrade the sealer, therefore removing protective properties and becoming susceptible to stains. Cleaning products containing too much acid alkaline, abrasives, ammonia, or bleach can break down sealers damaging the stone surfaces or etch the stone. Scouring powders and abrasives will scratch the surface.
Once natural stones are properly sealed, they are protected from every day spills. Instead of being absorbed by the stone, spills will bead up on the surface. When cleaning up those messes, it’s equally important to use cleaners specially formulated for stone or regular soap and lukewarm water.
Sealers
StoneTech® Professional BulletProof® Stone Sealer
Gives maximum protection against the toughest oils and water-based stains.
Surface location: Interior and exterior
Where to use: Natural stone such as marble, granite, limestone, bluestone, Saltillo, travertine, & sandstone. Best suited for the most porous stone surfaces.
StoneTech® Professional Impregnator Pro® Stone Sealer
Heavy-duty protection against tough oil-and water based stains.
Surface location: interior and exterior
Where to use: Natural stone such as bluestone, granite, limestone, slate & travertine.
Daily Cleaner
StoneTech® Revitalizer®
Easily and safely removes soils while reinforcing protection for easy cleaning.
Recommended surfaces: Natural stone such as granite, slate and sandstone.