Black Granite worktops

[horster]

Hi,

Has anyone got any tips or can recommend any products for cleaning granite worktops. I've just had these installed and I don't think they have been stain sealed. Cleaning them at the moment makes them streak if not dried with a soft cloth afterwards.
Are you supposed to stain seal them then polish them? I have the same problem with the floor. Apparently you have to polish them before regular cleaning.

Any advice would be great. Thanks

[Busamav]

to avoid the streaks you have to dry the top.

The streaks are there on all colours , you just cannot see them on anything but black .

[Phooey]

We have honed black granite worktops - a real pita to clean 'streak-free'. Only thing we do is to use speed and *LOTS* of kitchen roll. Wash the top down with clean water and as the previous poster said - you *have* to dry the top, using kitchen roll preferably.

[The Nur]

Car polishing cloth may do the trick?

Being a PH'er I would imagine you would have one knocking around perhaps?

[dickymint]

The Missus works for a major stone importer. They reccomend this stuff.........

http://www.tilegranite.com/orderscleanerssealers.h...

[netherfield]

Windolene or it's equivalent and a microfibre cloth shines up wonderful.

[Simpo Two]

Can't help thinking how impractical most 'worktops' are these days...

You have a granite worktop and if you wipe it it smears

My neighbours have a Corian worktop and are terrified to put anything on it

I have a cherry worktop and it dents if you tap it

[OldSkoolRS]

Just had black granite worktops fitted on Friday and the guy installing recommended an organic product available in Sainsburys (and other supermarkets I guess) called 'Method'. I used this afterwards as there was a sort of film on the surface after installation and it lifed it straight off using one of those blue and white strippy 'jay' (sp?) cloth things. It has wax in it so gradually builds a covering on the surface. It smells quite nice too, if such things bother you.

Still spent half the weekend wiping off sticky finger prints though so I have to agree with Simpo...our old beech effect laminate worktops were much easier to look after, they just didn't look as good.

Not quite finished yet, but here's a preview:

[aceparts]

Thanks for the reminder as to why we went with Corian

[d50cyx]

I found that these work absolutely brilliantly:

http://www.e-cloth.com/products/kitchen/

Soap free cleaning leaving a surface you could shave in... you need both a general purpose and polishing cloth for perfect results.

[Silver993tt]

I've had a black granite worktop in one of my kitchens for the last 10 years. It still looks like new. I use white wine vinegar evry few weeks which removes any dirt and also dissolves any limescale deposits.

Granite is the best work surface available for a kitchen, temperature resistant, scratch resistant and the classiest looking.

[miniman]

OldSkoolRS said:

Just had black granite worktops fitted on Friday and the guy installing recommended an organic product available in Sainsburys (and other supermarkets I guess) called 'Method'. I used this afterwards as there was a sort of film on the surface after installation and it lifed it straight off using one of those blue and white strippy 'jay' (sp?) cloth things. It has wax in it so gradually builds a covering on the surface. It smells quite nice too, if such things bother you.

Still spent half the weekend wiping off sticky finger prints though so I have to agree with Simpo...our old beech effect laminate worktops were much easier to look after, they just didn't look as good.

This, with a couple of good microfibre cloths.

[Simpo Two]

Silver993tt said:

Granite is the best work surface available for a kitchen, temperature resistant, scratch resistant and the classiest looking.

With the exception of 'classy-looking', boggo formica over 40mm chipboard is probably the best in terms of functionality, price, and everything-proofness. But we ignore it because we wish to impress our friends

Edited by Simpo Two on Sunday 6th June 17:40

[miniman]

Our last kitchen had gloss Formica and the surface was fine, but after a few years the area around the sink swelled up and started falling apart. I'm fairly confident that our current granite tops will give a few more years service.

[Silver993tt]

Simpo Two said:

Silver993tt said:

Granite is the best work surface available for a kitchen, temperature resistant, scratch resistant and the classiest looking.

With the exception of 'classy-looking', boggo formica over 40mm chipboard is probably the best in terms of functionality, price, and everything-proofness. But we ignore it because we wish to impress our friends

I installed in in an apartment that I own which rarely sees visitors. It's basically maintenance free and will last a lifetime, and pays for itself just when selling a property with one fitted

Edited by Silver993tt on Sunday 6th June 17:58

[poo at Paul's]

I have black galaxy granite tops very sparkly. Dont have a trouble with streaks, but did get a ring from a hot pan when brand new, which interestingly came off perfectly using "lime lite" limescale cleaner! (A tip from the 'net!),

I then polished them all with car cleaning stuff, polishes and sealers and 3 years on they are mint still.

The streaking is not noticeable on ours, but we do clean then polish with microfibre cloths after (costco ones).

[falkster]

netherfield said:

Windolene or it's equivalent and a microfibre cloth shines up wonderful.

Yup!!!

Ive had the same granite fitted in my bathroom too and I cant believe I did that!! The work surfaces can be sorted with a bit of buffing but try it on your bathroom floor too!

Windolene turns it into a 5 minute job everytime you have a shower. Very easy with very shiny stain free results!

[horster]

Great, thanks for the tips. I've been to a couple of tile shops etc who sell granite but most just recommend products within their store (obviously) so it's good to get peoples opinions who actually have these tops.

[falkster]

horster said:

Great, thanks for the tips. I've been to a couple of tile shops etc who sell granite but most just recommend products within their store (obviously) so it's good to get peoples opinions who actually have these tops.

I have a friend that has his own company that deals with external cleaning, health spa shower rooms and that sort of thing. I asked him about sealing both my work surface and bathroom floor but because its not pourous there is nothing to seal, its not staining its just water marks and even though he could have sold me very expensive cleaning products windolene was the suggestion he gave me.

[B17NNS]

I used to have Star Galaxy (disco granite). Spray windowlene buffed up with a microfibre cloth worked a treat.

Should have been sealed on installation. The installers left us a maintenance pack consisting of deep cleaner and stain stop to be used once a year or so.