While enjoying a lovely dinner party at a neighbors home I noticed that the homeowner prepared a salad and cut a tomato directly on the counter top. I questioned him about the practice. Smiling widely, he proudly told me that he had personally chosen this granite counter top in his new home so he would no longer need to use a cutting board. He then grabbed a piece of raw chicken, placed it on the counter top and cut it into smaller pieces. Needless to say I started to feel a bit ill and excused myself from the party.
There are some basic do’s and don’ts when you have granite countertops that we all need to remember. Yes, granite is an extremely hard rock but remember that it is so hard that it can dull your sharp and expensive knives. A dull knife is more dangerous so use a wooded or plastic cutting board to keep your knives sharp.
Granite is heat resistant so hot pans can be placed on the surface. However, impact from a heavy pot can chip granite easily. Also, most stains such as water and oil can be removed from granite but I suggest calling a professional for difficult ones.
Though granite is an impregnable rock, germs still live on the surface. Granite also has tiny holes on top where germs can hide. Clean your granite with basic soap and water or specialty granite cleaner for daily use. Do remember to seal your granite yearly to keep the shine and protect it from stains.
Julie