Deluxe Granite Countertop Maintenance Kit – Without Buffer

Granite maintenance kit – the deluxe set without a buffer, to clean, seal, polish and protect granite countertops and other granite surfaces by hand.

What a granite maintenance kit is actually for

Granite has a reputation for being indestructible, and that reputation costs people money. It is hard, which is why it resists scratching, but it is also porous, which is why oil, wine, coffee and cooking splatter soak in and become stains rather than sitting on the surface waiting to be wiped. And the polish on a granite counter is a finish, not a permanent property of the rock – it dulls with wear and with the wrong cleaners.

A granite maintenance kit bundles the four jobs that keep that from happening: clean, seal, polish and protect. Doing them together, in order, is what produces the result. Doing one of them in isolation usually does not.

Working through the granite maintenance kit by hand

Order matters more than technique. Cleaning comes first, because sealing a dirty counter locks the soil in permanently. Sealing comes next, and the surface has to be completely dry before you start – trapped moisture is the most common reason a sealer fails. Polishing follows, restoring the reflectivity that wear has taken off. Protecting is the last step, and it is what buys you reaction time on the next spill.

Everything here is designed to be done by hand. It takes longer than working with a buffer and it takes more elbow grease, but the result on a normal domestic countertop is the same. If you would rather have the machine do the work, the same kit is available with a Porter-Cable buffer.

How to tell when your granite needs it

Run the water test: put a few drops on the counter and leave them for a few minutes. If the stone darkens underneath, it is absorbing, the sealer has worn through and it is time. Separately, look along the counter at a low angle towards a window – dull patches and a general loss of crispness in the reflection mean the polish has gone, which sealing alone will not fix.

Most kitchens want this treatment once a year. A heavily used island, or a counter beside a cooktop, may want it more often. The Natural Stone Institute has general stone care guidance worth reading first.

Between treatments

Use a pH neutral cleaner for everyday work rather than a general purpose spray – NeutraSheen for Granite is what we make for that. Avoid anything acidic or bleach based, which strips sealer and dulls the finish. Use coasters and trivets, cut on a board, and wipe up oil and wine before they soak in. If something does stain, a cleaner will not lift it – that needs our Granite Poultice.

Granite maintenance kit questions we get asked

Do I need any experience? No. The instructional DVD walks through each stage, and the process is closer to washing and waxing a car than to stonemasonry.

Will it work on other stone? This kit is formulated for granite. Marble, limestone and travertine are softer and acid sensitive, so they need our marble range.

Can I use it on shower walls and vanities? Yes – vanities, tabletops and granite shower walls as well as kitchen counters.

How long does the whole job take? Allow an afternoon for a typical kitchen, and work in sections rather than doing everything at once.