How to clean your stone benchtop
Stone benchtops are common in homes of various types. It looks and feels luxurious, and is durable for a variety of activities. However, stone can be a difficult material to clean, as it can be quite porous. It's also difficult as stone is hard to restore if it were to become discoloured or break. In order to clean stone benchtops in a way that is gentle for the material, but also so that you prevent further problems down the road, there are a few things you should think about.
Wiping
You should wipe your stone benchtop with ordinary hot water. Make sure that the water isn't boiling, as this might injure the surface of the stone. You can boil the water and then let it cool to get hot water if your faucet can't provide you with it. You should also wipe your benchtop with a soft cloth. Avoid rough sponges and rags, as this can cause scratches on the surface of the stone. If the tap water in your home contains a lot of minerals, then you should opt for using bottled water to boil, as the minerals can create a build up on the stone that looks unappealing and can make it look worse than before you cleaned it.
Detergent
If you have heavy spots or dirt on your stone benchtop, you need to use some kind of detergent. In order to be kind to the stone that your benchtop is made out of, you should use a detergent that contains as little artificially made substances as possible. If you can, you should use a mix of white vinegar and water, as this is a natural solution to dissolve dirt that doesn't act abrasive on the material. Make sure that you rinse the detergent off the surface as much as you can, as it can create a build up and weaken the material otherwise.
Prevention
You should also be careful with how you handle the surface also when you're not cleaning it. Always use some type of coaster when you need to put hot items on the stone surface on your benchtop. You should also put coasters under any glasses that you're placing on the surface. To further protect the material, you should also make sure that you wipe up any spillage on the surface as soon as it happens. Spillage that is left on the stone can eat through the protective layers on the stone and cause permanent staining on the material.
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