How Often Should Natural Stone Be Polished?

How Frequently Does Natural Stone Need to Be Polished?

Polishing natural-stone countertops, backsplashes, and shower walls maintains the stone's brilliant luster and helps the surface resist soap buildup, fingerprints, and mildew. While you don't necessarily need to polish your stone every time you clean it, it's still a good idea to polish natural stone like granite, marble, and slate often to maintain its gorgeous appearance. Here's what you should know about polishing natural stone and how often it should be done.

Weekly Polishing Is Recommended

A stone-safe granite polish like Granite Gold Polish® should be used every week to maintain the natural shine and luster of your natural-stone surfaces. This non-toxic polish is perfectly safe to use on your countertops or any surface used for food preparation. Though waiting longer thana weekto polishwon’t harm your stone, you shouldn’t skip it for so long that your countertops begin to look dull. If you think you'll have difficulty staying on top of polishing your stone on a regular schedule, consider using a two-in-one stone cleaner and polish like Granite Gold Clean & Shine®.

How to Polish Natural Stone

No matter what type of stone you have, polishing the surface is easy and requires just a few steps. Always start by cleaning the stone surface thoroughly with a clean cloth and a stone-safe cleaner like Granite Gold Daily Cleaner®. The cleaner will remove soap film, food crumbs, and anybuildup on the surface you can't see that masks its luster. If you applypolish to dirty stone, it could leave a noticeable patina that will need to be scrubbed away. Once the stone is clean, dry it with a paper towel or lint-free cloth.

If your stone needs to be sealed, make sure to do this step in between cleaning and polishing. Always let the seal cure for at least 24 hours before polishing the surface.

Next, spray the stone polish directly on the stone. Using a dry paper towel or lint-free cloth,buff the polish into the stone in a circular motion until dry.

You can safely polish any type of natural stone. Countertops, shower walls, backsplashes, and stone accents can all benefit from regular polishing, but you should never polish natural-stone flooring with a product off the shelf. Polishing stone tile flooring or a stone shower floor can make the surface dangerously slippery and risk injury. Only use a stone-safe cleaner on your stone flooring, then seal the surface. If you want a polished stone floor, you’ll need to consult with a professional stone restoration specialist.

Benefits of Regular Polishing

Polishing natural stone may not seem as important as cleaning and sealing, but it plays an important role in maintaining the value and beauty of your stone countertops and showers. Polishing is a simple way to give stone a brilliant shine while bringing out the natural beauty in marble, granite, travertine, slate, and other types of natural stone. Regular polishing also helps natural stone resist soap film, water spots, fingerprints, and other grime that could otherwise mar the surface.

To learn more about polishing, cleaning, and sealing natural-stone surfaces, reach out to the Stone Care Experts at Granite Gold®. Give us a call at 1-800-475-STONE (7866), and sign up for our newsletter if you’d like to receive monthly tips on how to care for the natural stone and quartz in your home.