Golden, glamorous, and grainy – sandstone is a unique type of countertop material. But to keep the countertops looking that way for longer, maintenance is a must. But, how do you do that? Is it similar to maintaining granite countertops? Yes. Here is everything you need to know about it.
Caring For Sandstone Countertops
Regular Cleaning
One of the first and most important things you want to know about maintaining sandstone countertops is to keep them clean. Sandstone countertops are made out of a yellowish golden natural stone and natural stones need to be cleaned every now and then to keep them looking spotless.
If you don’t clean your countertops regularly, then it will lead to stains, the surfaces looking dirty, and just overall unkempt. So, when it comes to regular cleaning, you want to use a simple soap and water solution. Yes, it’s as simple as that. You don’t have to go all out and buy specialty cleaners for your sandstone countertops.
This is something you’ll be using every day, so you might as well not spend a lot of money on it. All you need is to mix in some dish soap with water until it turns into a sudsy solution and then use a wet washcloth to clean the surfaces.
Sealing Is A Must
Sandstone, as you already know, is a natural stone countertop material. So, it won’t come as a surprise that it is not resistant to stains, because its surface has a lot of small, microscopic holes that can suck in any liquid and later lead to permanent stains. So, the only solution to this problem is sealing the countertops.
A sealant is a clear and breathable solution applied on the countertops as a top coat. It can be slightly shiny, or it can also be matte, depending on what type you get, and it allows the water or any liquid to bead up on the surface, making it easier to clean.
Opt For Gentle Cleaners
Sandstone is a natural stone, which means that it can react to acids and other abrasive substances. This is why you want to opt for gentle cleaners. Sandstone is also a very soft material, so you want to avoid using anything that is too chemical-based or acidic because it will destroy the stone and you’ll be left with damaged countertops.
Therefore, if you are going down the route of store-bought cleaners, then make sure that you choose something that is not harsh and is gentle on most surfaces. Those will be your best bet.
pH Balanced Cleaners Will Save The Countertops
This kind of ties in with the previous tip but you want to choose cleaners with a higher or at least neutral pH. pH is the measure of acidity or alkalinity in a solution and the lower the pH is, the higher the acid content is, and vice versa. So, when you’re looking for countertop cleaners, you want to check the pH too because you want to choose something that is not acidic.
It should be in the neutral range, which is perfect not only for cleaning but also for taking care of the countertops and not damaging them to any extent.
Use Soft Brushes
Now that cleaning solutions are on the side, let’s talk about cleaning tools. You use a variety of tools on a countertop when you clean it. Whether it be brushes, Sponges, or even a washcloth, you have to choose them wisely, especially for a soft and fragile stone like sandstone.
This is why it’s necessary that you go for soft brushes and sponges and avoid anything that has too hard edges like a metal scraper or even abrasive wire cleaners. You might think that soft brushes and sponges won’t do the trick, but you’ll just have to see it before you jump to conclusions, because these things work just as great.
What To Do With Stains?
Removing stains is a hard task and if it’s on a soft stone like sandstone, then you are walking a very thin line of cleaning the stain or damaging the countertop. Well, if the countertop is sealed, then you won’t have to worry about stains altogether. But, sometimes, that’s not the case and you have to deal with pesky stains.
For that, you’ll need a mixture of baking soda and water. You can also use lemon if you prefer. Mix the two until a fizzy, pasty solution is formed, and then apply it directly on the stains. Use a soft toothbrush and brush the stain back and forth and in the end, wipe everything down with a soft washcloth.
The stain will be history. If you need help in repairing your sandstone countertop or for replacing your kitchen countertop, contact granite installers Rockville.
Do You Really Need To Seal Sandstone Regularly?
This is not a tip, but more like busting a myth that people have about sealing natural stones. They think that they have to seal the countertops every other month or so. Even though sealants are not permanent, they don’t disappear into thin air within a few months either.
If you get your countertops sealed and you take good care of them, then you won’t have to seal them for a year or so. You can usually tell when the seal is wearing off because you’ll be able to see parts of the matte countertops.
Say No To Bleach
Bleach and acids are things that you don’t want your sandstone countertops near at any cost or under any circumstances. Bleach is highly potent and it can ruin your countertops.
If you think that using bleach, even diluted, is going to be beneficial in removing stains or even disinfecting the surfaces, then you’ve got it wrong. You don’t want to use bleach on sandstone countertops ever, that is if you don’t want them to be ruined.
Use What You Have
Maintaining countertops, no matter if it’s sandstone or some other material, shouldn’t be too hard. People make it hard by telling you all of the things you need for spotless cleaning and a hundred tools and equipment that you won’t ever use. The thing is, you don’t need to buy store-bought cleaners or those countertop polishing tools.
Those are overkill. You can simply use things you have in the house, like gentle dish soap, multi-purpose cleaners, and even detergent to get the job done. As for tools, everyone has a spare toothbrush or two lying around that they don’t mind reserving for the countertops. The same goes for washcloths and sponges.
Dry The Countertops
This is something that a lot of people can forget but when you’re done cleaning sandstone countertops, they will be wet to the touch. You used a solution on them which is water-based and then a wet rag. The thing is, you don’t want to leave the countertops wet.
You want to immediately use a dry wash cloth and wipe away the remnants of water. Why? Because if you don’t, then your surfaces will look splotchy.
Conclusion
Maintaining sandstone countertops and surfaces is takes a bit effort but it’s worth it if you like the beauty of these slabs. However, if you need a surface that is less demanding when it comes to maintenance, consider installing quartz kitchen countertops Potomac.
