Granite countertops are beautiful, but they can they can also get old over time. There are certain things that you can do to make your granite countertops look better. If you want what they are, keep reading.
Clean Every Day
This is probably the most obvious tip you can gather from this guide, but it will change the way your countertops look, and the best part? You don’t need to do anything, spend any money, etc., to make your countertops look clean.
See, you work on these countertops every single day and if you leave them dirty and unkempt, well, then that won’t only be unsanitary, but it will also be very bad for your countertops in the long run. You need to make a habit of cleaning your countertops every day, without fail.
Another thing to remember is that cleaning countertops isn’t that hard, and a lot of people can get fussy over it for nothing. You just need a bowl of lukewarm water, detergent, and a soft microfiber cloth. You can use it to clean your countertops daily and there won’t be anything that will damage these countertops. Sometimes, using store-bought cleaners can add up over time and they can get really expensive to use, so stick to the things you have lying around in your home.
Polish Them
If you want to instantly make your countertops look amazing, then you need to try this tip out. You can polish your countertops to give them a beautiful and shiny look. There is something about polishing countertops, that will make them go from old to new in no time.
This is also very easy and you can either go for a professional or do it by yourself. It just takes a bit of practice and patience, but this little maintenance will take your countertops to the next level and you will be in awe of the look, as it will be amazing.
Countertop Covers To The Rescue
If you want to change your countertops a bit, but don’t exactly want to spend a lot of money doing so, then countertop covers are here to save the day. These are amazing things because you can use things like contact paper, peel-and-stick paper, and even thin veneers of materials to adhere on the countertop surface and they will make your countertops look new and different in no time.
This is inexpensive and you can also change it up as you please. What’s not to love about countertop covers? They’re easy, they’re unique and they’re effortless.
Tint Your Wooden Countertops
If you have wooden countertops, then this revamping tip is for you. Have you ever seen your wooden countertops and wondered if they have gotten a bit worn and light in color? Well, one way to instantly refresh your countertops is by giving them a tint. Tints are different than paints because tints refresh the wood and add just the right amount of color to make it look new, but not overbearing.
Sometimes, paint can be very tedious, and painted wood can look bad, if not done professionally, so this is why you need to resort to tints, because those will leave just a hint of color that will make your countertops go from nay to yay. However, if you don’t want to stay with wood countertops, switch to natural stone by consulting granite countertop installers Durham NC.
Don’t Let Stains Sit
This is another maintenance tip, but it works just as well. If you take care of your countertops, then you won’t need any of the refreshing techniques discussed so far. So, start from the bottom and then work your way up. If you’re cleaning your countertops every day, then that is amazing, but what you don’t want to do is leave the stains be.
Stains can become permanent if you’re not too careful, which is why you need to deal with them as soon as possible. This is going to save you from a lot of work in the future. Moreover, if you want to prevent stains on countertops, then regularly seal your granite countertops.
Keep Countertops Dry
Another thing that can lead to the countertops looking very splotchy and just dirty, even though you’ve already cleaned them, is because of water. Now, most of us use a wet microfiber cloth to wipe away any debris, grime, and dirt from the countertops, but you also want to follow up with a dry washcloth to remove the wet streaks of water.
If you let water sit on the countertops for too long then it can lead to stains and that is not what you want.
Use Gentle Cleaners
This is a tip that is mainly for natural and fragile stones. If you’re going to use store-bought or even homemade cleaners every day, then make sure that you’re not using anything too harsh or abrasive. You don’t want to use bleach, concentrated acids, and any other harsh chemicals directly on the countertops, as this will cause a lot of problems.
You want to use pH-neutral cleaners all the time because they will get the job done without damaging the countertops in any way. So, always check the label of the cleaners, because that can make or break the countertops.
Paint
If you want to give your countertops a completely new look, then painting them can also be an option. When it comes to painting, you first want to prepare your countertops. This means cleaning them and then buffing the surface nicely for the paint to stick on.
If there are any chips and cracks on the surface too, then you want to deal with those too, before you get to painting. When you want to paint the countertops, apply it in thin layers and make sure that it doesn’t get goopy otherwise it will completely ruin the look.
Countertop Overlays
Countertop overlays and covers might sound like the same thing, but they’re not. Countertop overlays are very thin layers of materials that can be applied or set on top of the existing surfaces. This makes the countertops look like they’re new when you haven’t done a lot.
They’re less expensive than getting new slabs entirely and you will also appreciate the fact that countertop overlays protect the surface of the existing countertops, so you can use them to protect your countertops and work on the overlay surface, which is so smart and amazing.
Coat With Concrete
If you love the look of rustic and rough concrete, then you can get that too, without actually changing the material. This calls for a thin skimming layer of concrete. It is not entirely a slab of concrete getting installed in the kitchen. It is more like covering the existing countertops with a thin layer of concrete and letting it set.
This is going to make the concrete look amazing and it won’t be very drastic or dramatic either. So, you can go for this and make your countertops look ten times better.
Conclusion
Sometimes, old countertops can look very dirty and just overall not ideal, but with these tips and tricks, you’ll transform your countertops. If the countertop surface is cracked or seriously worn, then you should consider countertop replacement Raleigh NC. And after that, be sure to maintain the work tops for better longevity.
