There are many types of countertops to choose from and out of all of them, one that stands out the most is marble. Marble countertops are known for many things but the one word they are synonymous with is “quality.” While expensive, a ton of homeowners never regret getting a marble countertop for their kitchen or bathroom.
Marble is a natural stone that is sourced directly from quarries in Italy. Due to the rarity and quality of the material, it is currently one of the most expensive countertops out there with a price that ranges from $150-$250 per square foot. Due to its pricing, the material has been synonymous with luxury as well but in this day and age, it’s also seen in simpler modern homes.
There are many reasons as to why you’d get a marble countertop. One is that it’s easily the most beautiful countertop material out there currently. Marble’s colors are light and breezy making them a perfect match for various homes and designs. It’s great whether or not you have a luxury home so you can get it whatever type of house you have.
Another reason why you’d want a marble countertop is that it’s easily one of the most durable countertops on the market currently. Its price does come with its own merits so you should consider getting marble as a countertop material especially if you have the budget for it. One problem with marble though is in its naturality as well.
Natural stone countertops are commonly a bother to deal with because they require more maintenance than most countertops. Since marble is the start of the show this time, we’ll be showing you some amazing tips and tricks on how you can protect and care for this countertop material.
What You Can And Can’t Do With Marble
As a countertop material should be able to handle many duties in the kitchen. However, that doesn’t mean that you should do all of them. Keep in mind that marble is stone, as such it can get scratches, chips, and even broken pieces if you aren’t careful. It’s very important that you carefully choose the tasks you want to be done when using any stone countertops.
For starters, you wouldn’t want to do what you would do with a butcher’s knife on a natural stone countertop. While chopping ingredients is okay, smashing down with a butcher’s knife to get through rough cuts of meat is definitely not suggested. If you want to do this, get a butcher’s knife for your kitchen as it can protect it from harm.
You wouldn’t want to do anything directly on the marble’s surface as the material can be very sensitive. Ideally, you’d want to invest in a good chopping board if you want to chop on the surface of your countertop. Even if sealed, you can risk giving your countertop some scratches by directly chopping on it.
Tasks such as kneading dough are pretty much okay on the surface of the countertop but you need to be sure that it’s clean before and after you do it. Marble countertops are actually great for baking as they can retain the temperature on the surface which in turn allows you to create a better quality dough.
Since marble countertops are durable, they can pretty much handle any heavy appliance that you place on top of them. However, if the appliance has pointy or hard legs to stand on, it would be better to place them on top of a cloth first. This can prevent scratches from happening on the surface of the countertop.
Last but not the least, try not to spill any colored liquids on top of the countertop. These include sodas, wines, soy sauce, and many others. While water is generally okay, colored liquids can actually leave a permanent stain on your countertop which is one of the last things you’d want happening on the surface.
While durable, you need to be very careful with what you do on your marble countertop. Once a scratch goes beyond the seal, then there’s no remediating the problem. So long as you have the right chopping board or butcher’s block, you shouldn’t have to worry about such problems ever again though.
Cleaning The Surface
Countertops such as marble have delicate surfaces. Whenever some colored liquid spills on the material, we highly suggest wiping it down as soon as possible. Being unable to do so can result in permanent stains. As such, make sure that there’s a cloth nearby the countertop at all times so that you can quickly get rid of those spills.
The reason for this is that marble countertops are porous materials. This means there are tiny holes that liquids can seep into once they reach the surface. While the sealing process turns the countertop into a non-porous surface, there’s still a risk of getting permanent stains when things like coffee or wine spill on the countertop.
As with most countertop surfaces for your kitchen, you wouldn’t want to have any spills linger on the surface in any way. Aside from ruining the quality of the material, it can also result in the development of molds and bacteria on the surface which can compromise your health first and foremost.
When hard and rough objects such as salt, tiny pieces of bones, and others fall on the countertop surface, try not to wipe them down. The problem is that the resulting friction from the foreign materials can actually result in scratches on the surface of the countertop too. If you have a mini vacuum, use that to get the spill instead.
What To Clean Your Marble With
As we’ve said, a piece of cloth will be more than good enough to absorb any spills on the surface of your kitchen countertop. Still, you have to keep in mind that you also have to regularly wipe down your kitchen countertop so that you can clean and sanitize it. You need to be very careful during this process as marble can be a sensitive material to clean.
Ideally, you wouldn’t want to clean the surface with any strong chemicals such as bleach or hard detergents. These cleaning agents can actually do more harm than good for your countertop surface. Aside from causing discoloration, what could happen is that they can actually ruin the seal that’s placed on your countertop surface.
You’d also want to avoid cleaning with acidic cleaning agents such as lemon and vinegar. Like hard chemicals, these can cause serious damage to your countertop surface. The damage you can get from these can also result in the countertop surface getting damage that’s irreparable.
Now, the cleaning agents you’d want to use on your countertop are mild liquid detergents and mild dish soaps. Dilute these in water and then use a smooth cloth to wipe them on the surface of the countertop. Do this every time you use your kitchen countertop for sanitary and aesthetic purposes.
If you spill oil on your countertop or if grease splatters on it, try to clean the residue off using a sponge first. Have the sponge or a piece of cloth absorb the oil and grease. Once done, pour a small amount of hot water on the surface and then let it cool off for a bit. Once you can, wipe down the countertop with a piece of cloth.
When shopping at your local grocery store, try looking for cleaning agents for your countertop. There are some specific cleaning agents which are completely safe to use on various surfaces – including the surface of a natural stone countertop. This will make the cleaning process easier as it can also completely disinfect your countertop as well.
One of the reasons why you should protect your marble kitchen countertops is that their value increases over time. This means that the better care you give it, the more value a marble countertop will have in the future. Avoid giving it stains, scratches, and other visible issues, and watch how it can increase the value of your home effectively over time.
By taking care of your marble, you are basically nurturing your investment even further. It will be good for you in the long run as that means being able to accommodate the needs of your future home’s resale value just in case you plan on selling your house. Let’s just say that the time and effort you put into taking care of your marble countertop will be worth it.
These tips can effectively help you protect your countertop from the problems that could ruin its integrity. The key to a good countertop is being able to understand why safekeeping and cleaning are both essential aspects of being a countertop owner. Hopefully, you can become the best countertop owner out there with these tips we’ve given you.
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