The holiday season is finally upon us. And with the holidays come the seasonal baking, cooking, and entertaining. The kitchen becomes the beating heart of the home where everyone spends more time. In order to keep your stone tops looking like new through the holidays, here are some suggestions to prevent staining or other problems from spoiling your celebrations.

Do use a mild soap and water to clean your countertops right after a spill, or after preparing a meal. Cleaning up any spills right away prevents stains from setting in on your countertops and causing a headache later.

Don’t ever clean your countertop with lemon juice, oils, or any acidic substance. Anything that is not specifically recommended for stone countertops could potentially etch, stain, or otherwise damage your countertops.

Do use trivets or potholders for any hot pans or serving platters. While stone countertops are exceptionally durable, sudden exposure to high heat can cause cracks in natural stone, or burn the materials used to make engineered stone.

Don’t keep creams and lotions on your countertop. These items seem innocuous, but they can leak and soak into the stone, staining it. Keep those in baskets or cabinets.

Do use coasters for drink cups, and bottles, especially those containing alcohol and acidic beverages. Granite is tougher than other natural stones and withstands stains and scratches better, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Don’t put too much weight on any one spot of your granite countertop. Although granite is hard and durable, it is not flexible, so sitting or standing on it (to hang a decoration or change a light bulb) could cause a crack.

Do seal (most) stone countertops. Applying a sealer to the stone countertops will considerably slow down the rate at which spills are absorbed. This will give you more time to clean up spills and messes without risk How often you need to reseal depends on the product type and quality (check manufacturer’s instructions) and the color of your countertops. An exception would be quartz countertops. This man-made stone is non-porous and does not require sealer.

Don’t chop or slice directly on stone counters.  Stone is so hard that it can easily dull your knives. Fine granite or marble will also show scratches. It is safer and simpler to use a cutting board on your countertops.

Following these general guidelines will help you keep your stone countertops looking like new through the hectic holiday season.

If you are ready to upgrade your kitchen cabinets or countertops for the upcoming holiday celebrations, please visit us at or call us.