I use 50/50 mixture of water and alcohol to clean kitchen counters. Before doing pie crusts I use plain water to wipe counter good, let dry.

Rolling pie crust out on granite counter tops is great, however, you run the risk of scratching the granite if you use a metal utensil to cut pie crust. Gently use a plastic knife.

Cutting food directly on granite counter tops will cause scratches.

I like to use the thin sheet plastic cutting mats, light weight, wash in dishwasher.

Off and on I use a commercial granite cleaner and/or polish to revive luster of the granite, then back to alcohol/water for daily cleanup.

Thanks much, krissie,never thought of alcohol. That would be an easy solution.
Much appreciated.
Anna

Steam. Cleans Stainless really well too. I got a Wagoner Steam Cleaner from Costco awhile back and it does a great job at keeping the kitchen clean without chemicals.

what a super idea, athomesewing, this might go on my Christmas Want List ;)
Thanks much,
anna

Oh dear, please tread lightly if you decide to use "steam" on the granite counter top. There is a lot of difference between stainless and granite when it comes to temperature change.

Granite is very cold and the sudden heat on it might cause the granite to crack, whereas, the stainless would not have this problem.

athomesewing only mentioned stainless and the kitchen, no mention of granite.

Steam is great for many things, I question it on granite.

I like to use the alcohol and water mixture too, and it is great on mirrors and windows. It doesn't streak like Windex does all too well.

Steam is used to clean granite without reservation, and other stones as well. Granite is formed by extreme heat and pressure. It is not affected by heat from a cook top or frying pan. So one might wonder why trivets are recommended by some. It's due to vulnerabilities of some granite sealers, not the granite itself.

Steam may actually be the best way to clean granite because it sanitizes without chemicals, chemicals which may not be good for the sealers either. Besides that, steam leaves a perfect streak free shine! Steam cleaners do wonders on my wood floors and even my GLASS windows too (carefully around seals).

Here is a link that might be useful: Cleaning Granite with Steam

thank you, sheilajoyce. I know, using Windex on mirrors is harmful because of the amonia. I am just wondering if I were to use the alcohol mixture on granite if it would do harm to the granite sealer.