Kitchen Re-Do Aftermath: Granite Countertop Cleaning

We finished up redoing the kitchen several months ago.

For countertops, our choices were:
--Laminate. Best function/cleanability, but suggested as inapt above a certain value of house (which ours is). Except for that, would have been my first choice.
--Solid Surface aka Corian. Sustains burn marks above 400F, although easily repaired. Easily cleaned. Somewhat synthetic looking. Elimated from consideration.
--Silestone. A composite of granite dust (93%) and glue. Really like the looks of this. But it too sustains burn marks above 400F--and unlike solid surfaces is not repairable.
--Tile. Can't stand uneven work surfaces, and grease buildup in the grout joints. Eliminated from consideration.
--Granite.

So we went with granite. Its beautiful. We're happy.

The problem with living with it turned out to be how to clean it. The fabricator, who I've known for 25 years, warned me to prevent ANY petroleum based substance such as caulk or other from contacting the granite either on top or below, as the surface dulling stain would migrate through the granite.

He said to use soap and water ONLY, which btw works fine. Problem is you have to do a LOT of wiping--soap, rinse a few times to be sure to get off ALL the soap, then wipe dry so you don't get water stains.

My wife, to whom the counter cleanup part of meal prep falls, wanted something she could 'wipe on wipe off' ala Fantastik.

She did some web searching then bought a few aerosol cans of Rock Doctor http://rockdoctor.net/ for $10 each plus shipping. Rock Doctor did the job insofar as wipe on wipe off went, but it turned out to be god awful expensive on a per use basis--about ten bucks a month for daily use.

So I started doing some searching. I stumbled on Stone Tech Pro http://www.stonetechpro.com

The thing I liked right away was that all Stone Tech Pro products have MSDS sheets. These are required of all chemical manufacturers to obtain various federal approvals. It costs some money to get. Not a lot, but some. (Let's be fair--Rock Doctor has MSDS sheets available too).

Stone Tech Pro is available pre-mixed in a refillable spray container, and pre-mixed by the gallon. No aerosol of which I'm aware. It had some good recommendations here and there.

Then I found two things that sealed the deal. Dupont recently acquired Stone Tech Pro from its founder. When it comes to chemicals, Dupont flat out knows its stuff.

Second, very good prices and free shipping for Stone Tech Pro products at...drumbeat...Amazon.

Monthly cost, daily use, now around $2.00 per month, which I can live with.

Wipe on wipe performance is fine. Granite is happy. Wife is happy (and well-fed!).

StoneTech APCR12-22S All-Purpose Stone & Tile Cleaner - 24 oz. Spray
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 8&v=glance

StoneTech APCC4-1G All-Purpose Stone & Tile Cleaner - Gallon
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 8&v=glance

Thanks to Cathy2 who, after hearing my granite dweeb rave suggested I post a granite info dump here.

Steve,

Is this stuff meant to be used on kitchen counters? That is, if I wipe it on and then wipe it off, do I need to rinse off the counter before putting food down?

There is a great aerosol marble/granite cleaner sold at Cost Plus World Markets for $5.99. Really cleans, shines, and protects my black granite counters. But I'm not sure I want any of it inside me or my family. I end up rinsing off the counter well just in case.

I'd like to give the product you recommend a try. Thanks.

Bill/SFNM

A kitchen designer I used to work for also does granite refinishing. Rick Glickman owns Dream Kitchens, give him a call and he will take care of you.

I have no financial or other ties to him, I used to work for him and he is good people. He will also sell you the products if you want to do it yourself.

Bill/SFNM wrote:Steve,

Is this stuff meant to be used on kitchen counters? That is, if I wipe it on and then wipe it off, do I need to rinse off the counter before putting food down?
Bill/SFNM

Yup--food prep surfaces.

Its the daily cleaning IMHO that's the bear with granite. Soap, rinse then wipe dry--that's three steps minimum, four or more if you do more than one rinse. Each step requires a virgin clean soft cloth or fresh paper towel.

Neither product entails rinsing. Both are wipe on / wipe off.

That said, during and immediately following prep and cooking the counters are hit with a simple damp rinse and clean wipe. Then after dinner, during the real cleanup, we use one of these wipe on/wipe off products for the final cleaning. Exc results, and a real advance over the 'soap and water' method.

Steve,

At your recommendation, I ordered some and received it yesterday. You are defintely right. This is the easiest method yet! Thanks for the post.

Bill/SFNM

Steve,

Have you ever heard of HydroShield? My wife had the local franchisee in to seal our shower doors, sinks, and toilets with this stuff at the recommendation of some friends who are very pleased with how it protects and eases cleaning.

Anyway, the installer comes into the kitchen and starts with his spiel about how HydroShield can protect my granite counters. He must have sensed that my snake oil defenses were on high-alert so he offerred to do a portion of the counter at no charge to see if I liked it. The portion he cleaned and sealed is next to the range, right were I put down spoons and spatulas while cooking. I must say that area, while it looks no different, is much slicker, like a teflon coating than the adjacent area. So far, a paper towel has been all that I have needed to remove drips and grease. It remains to be seen how well it holds it up.

He has quoted me $350 for sealing all 70 sq. feet of granite. Not something I'm going to rush into.

HI,

I looked briefly at the website and don't have a clue what they are offering. I will guess it might be some polyurethane-type material.

Here is the question I would ask, which they are likely not to answer, but the answer would be very revealing: Is it reversible? If you don't like it, can it be removed? If it requires chemicals akin to paint remover, then I suggest not doing it.

Here is my gripe about polyurethane. It is oversold as the final coating you will ever need though it does wear out. Of course, it wears out in high traffic areas, but to apply a new coat it means removing all of it. If we are talking floors, then we are talking about using paint remover which is a nasty job or sanding floors, which reduces their life.

Regards,

I looked at Hydro Shield's care tips page, which raised more questions than it answered. The only things it will seal are vitreous or glazed ceramics, glass or polished granite. Since it won't seal but won't harm wood (along with most other materials), I doubt that it is polyurethane. The exclusions for effectiveness imply that it seals ceramic tiles but not the grout. I have some difficulty understanding why one would want to seal glass. I can understand using something like Rain-X to fill microscopic pits on a car windshield with resultant slickness of the glass, but that isn't sealing the glass.

Acidic cleaners including vinegar, are forbidden. They forbid lye but not ammonia diluted to 15%, so there seems to be a problem with strongly basic but not moderately basic cleaners.

The Web site is a bit peculiar in several ways including that the home page URL is all that shows, at least in Firefox, regardless of which page you are on.