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foodonastump

Anybody else feel like their new kitchen isn't clean?

foodonastump
10 years ago

Let me start by saying I love the look of my granite. However. It seems like every time I go to give it a quick wipe I feel stuff I didn't know was there. Different colors of "stuff" appear on my paper towel, also indicative of grime I had no idea was there. My prior kitchen was deplorable, but at least when someone spilled or dropped something on the simple tile counter, I saw it and cleaned it. Simple as that.

Different problem with my stainless sink. I've got one of those grids on the bottom to help keep the sink from getting scratched up. From that and other functional aspects it's great. But what it adds is an extra step to lift out when wanting to give the sink a quick wipe. As a result my sink gets wiped less. Not to mention random gunk that gets caught on that grid. Or, the grid by design having a lot of nooks and corners for gunk to build up. Any suggestions on how to clean it without poking a sponge through every hole?

Here's a test: is this granite clean or dirty?

Comments (17)

  • Bunny
    10 years ago

    My Caesarstone felt gritty for weeks after my kitchen was done. Some people say granite and quartz will shed for a bit. Dunno about that, but it wasn't my imagination. I think all the dust and crap from construction takes a long time to shake out and settle.

    I have a grid in my sink and it has its pros and cons. There's chasing food around with your sprayer, food stuck in the grid, and just the general feeling that the bottom of your sink hasn't gotten a good scrub. It's easy to lift the grid and scrub away. The benefits of the grid (elevating what's in the sink *above* the water flow, serving as an out of sight drying rack) far outweigh the negatives.

  • suzanne_sl
    10 years ago

    Yup, I do find crumbs and stuff hiding in the pattern on my granite. It makes me think harder about cleaning the counters regardless of what my eyes are telling me about the situation.

    I've found a way to keep the sink grid clean and sanitary. When I wash out the sink with lots of soap and water, I also attack the grid. Using a sponge with a scrubby on the back side, I run it over all the wires running the short direction (the top ones), then flip it over and run it over the ones running the long direction (the bottom ones). The scrubby not only gets the tops of the grid wires, but depresses enough into the spaces during the over and under passes to get all the nooks and crannies. You can do this with the regular side of the sponge, but the grid welds tend to tear up your sponge.

    An exception to this routine cleaning procedure is when I've had something particularly unsanitary in the sink, the 22 lb. Thanksgiving turkey for instance. In that case, I rinse well, plug up the sink and run hot water, soap, and a dollop of bleach into the sink and let it sit. I generally also turn the grid upside down so all parts of it get a good soak.

  • joaniepoanie
    10 years ago

    Yes, my SIL got granite before me and warned me that it will hide everything. I had plain Formica for years and it was a change that took some getting used to. I sometimes will use a Teflon scrubby first to loosen up any spills...then go back over and wipe down.

    I used the grid for about a year then ditched it....no regrets. It was more trouble than it was worth...always having to lift it up to get stuff down the drain and clean the sink and trying to clean the grime stuck in the squares was a pain...I gave up and don't miss it at all.

  • williamsem
    10 years ago

    Yes, I have the same issue. But I LOVE my granite, and now that I have an undermount sink wiping down is easy. So I just do it more often.

  • KelinMD
    10 years ago

    Yes, same problem. You just have to start going by feel more than sight. It takes time but you will start to adjust. I do the same thing as Suzannesl mentioned. Fill up the sink past the grid and add bleach. Whatever is in there is sanitized. You can also pop it in the dishwasher once a week.

  • firstmmo
    10 years ago

    I used to have to get down at eye level with the counter to see if anything was on my counter...it made me look totally OCD but it worked! I'd walk the counters crouched down at the end of everyday just to make sure that nothing got left on them that would solidify by morning. Granite has its pluses and minuses and hiding dirt is both a plus and a minus!

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    10 years ago

    There is a reason that solid surface is specified for hospital operating room walls and granite is not.

  • akl_vdb
    10 years ago

    And I love the fact that I can't tell if my quartz is messy unless I run my hands over it :)

  • annkh_nd
    10 years ago

    Same here. I was out of town for a week, and cleaned the kitchen when I got home. It didn't look terrible, but every surface had crumbs, spills, or something that needed either wiping or some elbow grease.

    The wonderful thing about our quartz is the elbow grease and a damp rag is all I need to clean it. I had to scrub our laminate counters with Comet to remove stains.

  • Bunny
    10 years ago

    I would rather know by sight if my counter has something on it. As it is, I have to run my hands over it or follow up on something an angled light reveals. I like really clean counters. Before the Caesarstone I had white tile and it seemed so easy to keep the counter pristine. I do not want food mess disguised and hiding from me.

    A couple of weeks ago I made some butternut squash soup. I used an immersion blender and thought I was being careful. I'm still finding little dots of soup on the white doors of my upper cab near my prep area. If I had stained wood, I'd never see half the stuff that lands there.

  • Vertise
    10 years ago

    Hospitals need non-porous materials, without any little pits and crevices no matter how small.

  • ryseryse_2004
    10 years ago

    The countertop for the lazy housekeeper -- granite the color of ants.

  • a2gemini
    10 years ago

    I feel my kitchen is cleaner but I know the feeling with a busy quartz.
    I have sink grids but hate anything in the sink, so I store the grid above the fridge and put in just to clean pots.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    10 years ago

    "Hospitals need non-porous materials, without any little pits and crevices no matter how small."

    snookums:

    If you're anal-retentive about clean, solid surface remains the countertop of choice, especially with integrated sinks (no lips to caulk or hide crud) and coved back splashes make cleaning easy and foolproof.

    AIDS and mildew cannot survive on solid surface.

  • Vertise
    10 years ago

    This is exactly what I meant. Not just patterns that hide the dirt but characteristics of the material itself. Solid surface can not only be plain but is also nonporous. Although I believe it stains so is not completely nonabsorbent.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    10 years ago

    snookums2:

    I have been repairing solid surface for almost 20 years. I have not met a "stain" I could not remove. I removed a battery acid etch once. You won't get any stoners to say the same. The stuff is inert.

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