Do you think your granite countertops need sealing?  Has it been six months to a year since they were last treated with a sealer?  If so, you’re probably right, unless you have a kind of granite that never needs sealing.  In that case, you don’t want to do it.

You can perform a quick test to tell whether you need to seal your countertops.  Take a piece of plain paper toweling, one that hasn’t been decorated with any printing.  Soak the towel in water and lay it on the counter for no more than five minutes. 

Now remove the towel.  Do you see a dark stain?  If so, don’t worry.  It will go away as the water dries.  But you do need to seal your countertop.  The water soaked into the stone, and so can other liquids, some of which could stain it or do other damage.

It is possible to make your own sealer, but there are excellent products on the market.  One of these products is Granite Sealer from Rock Doctor, available at www.rockdoctor.net.  Be sure to read the directions carefully.

To show how easy it is to seal your granite countertops, here’s the process:

First, use a clean white cloth (cotton or microfiber) or a clean brush to apply the sealer evenly over the entire surface of the countertop.  Go away for 20 minutes to a half-hour to let the stone absorb the sealer.  By then the sealer should be just about dry.

Put another light coat of sealer on a section of the countertop.  Using another soft clean cloth, rub the sealer in.  Repeat the process on another section of countertop and another until you’ve done the entire surface.  Go away again for about two hours.

When you get back, do another light coat, section by section, rubbing the sealer in as you go.  Be sure to check the actual length of time between each step because it can vary from sealer brand to sealer brand.

Sealing your granite countertops will help prevent problems such as staining, but it’s not foolproof.  Cleaning granite countertops regularly is still very important.  Polishing granite countertops regularly also helps to bring out their full beauty.  Commercial granite cleaner and granite polish are available and make maintaining your countertops much easier and more convenient.

Granite should never be exposed to highly acidic or alkaline compounds, so you should avoid exposing it to most common household cleaners.  Anti-bacterial sprays are not harmful to granite.  If you use the right products on your granite countertops, they should be easy to maintain and give you many years of beautiful service.