Sanitize your kitchen countertops during COVID-19 pandemic

Some of the most touched ares in everyone’s house are the kitchen countertops. During the Covid-19 pandemic we need to be even more mindful about keeping our hard surface countertops clean and sanitized. Here are a couple of tips about what products you should use to disinfect your counters.

Step 1 : Clean

Try and clean every spill as it happens. Of course, we understand this might be impossible for busy families. Do not panic if you see hardened food, juice stains from last night or a missed wine drop  on your beautiful quartz or granite countertops- it can be cleaned!

Make sure you use gloves during the process.

Wipe your kitchen countertops with warm water and soap mixture, using a soft sponge or cloth. Insist on the hardened food or stain until it goes away. For more stubborn stains use a baking soda and water paste. Apply the paste with a soft sponge or cloth on the stain only and rub it gently . One other cleaning product recommended by our supplier is Bar Keepers Friend. This product is specially formulated for use on smooth, polished stone, including granite, marble, and quartz. Its pH-balanced formula won’t scratch or mar stone finishes, and it’s gentle enough to use every day. Make sure you also clean you sink and faucet along with the counters. 

According to CDC guidelines water and soap will not kill the virus but helps wiping away most of it. If you used a cloth or sponge to clean the counters then put them in a bag and disinfect later (see here how to disinfect a sponge) if it was a paper towel, throw it away. Now let’s rinse!

Use clean water to rinse the kitchen sink , wipe the faucet and your entire countertop with water and soft cloth. Dry with another cloth. Dispose your gloves or wash them with water and soap.

And we are done right? Wrong, now it comes the disinfecting process.

Step 2: Disinfect

You should avoid using bleach or acidic products on your stone countertops. Acidic products like vinegar is prone to damage quartz countertops and reduce the shiny effect of granite countertops Also there is no proven study that vinegar actually disinfects. Bleach will most likely lead to discoloration or even staining of your quartz and granite countertops , damage metal sinks and faucets. Remember , kitchen countertops are costly investments , let’s keep them in good shape . 

So what can we use?

Disinfecting wipes and products without chloride and acid. There are plenty of choices, just read the labels. If you can’t find any, stick to the water and soap daily cleaning, it will help!

After you spray or wipe with disinfectant just let it air dry. Remove gloves and wash your hands.

Yes is a long and exhausting process but if this protects you and your family one time only from this terrible virus then is all worth it!