Whether you’ve had your granite countertops or marble kitchen countertops for a while, or you’re still gazing with the eyes of a new love at its lustrous surface while whipping mashed potatoes, you know granite inspires some gratitude. If you’re hosting a big Thanksgiving gathering this year, follow these tips for showing off and taking care of your granite countertops before, during and after the feast!

Before Thanksgiving on Granite Countertops

Seal or Re-Seal— If your countertops are new and have recently been sealed, you should be good to go. But if they haven’t been sealed in a while, take about 20 minutes, a week ahead of Thanksgiving, to re-seal the countertops. Follow this link for a great, quick tutorial on sealing granite countertops. This will better protect your granite from spills and stains.
Marshal the Cutting Boards—To make things easier for you on Turkey Day, make sure all of your cooking equipment is set out in easy-to-reach places ahead of time. Make sure cutting boards are cleaned and ready so you don’t end up prepping foods directly on your granite (more on that below).
Gather the Trivets—Granite can handle the heat, but don’t take any chances on damaging the seal by placing hot pots and pans directly on the granite. Use trivets or hot pads instead. Think ahead to how many hot dishes you’re preparing and make sure you have enough on hand.

Granite or Marble Countertop Protection During the Thanksgiving Festivities

Use Your Cutting Boards for Food Prep—Granite is super tough, but you don’t want to damage the seal, ruin your good knives or get raw turkey juices in any crevices that could possibly cross-contaminate other foods. Salmonella will ruin your Thanksgiving feast quicker than you can say “pumpkin pie.” And granite is so tough that running knives over its surface will dull and damage them after just a few cuts.
Clean up Spills Quickly—To avoid staining or etching in the seal on your granite countertops, be vigilant and up any spills right away. This is especially true of any citrus, vinegar or other acidic foods like tomatoes. A clean granite countertop is a happy granite countertop!
Disinfect after the Bird is in the Oven—Even if you wisely followed the cutting board advice, you more than likely had a few splashes of raw turkey juice or leftover brine end up on the counter. Just make sure to clean them up quickly, before you do any further food prep work. Remember not to use harsh cleansers on your granite countertops, though. We suggest hot, soapy water and a microfiber cloth, or a mixture of half water, half isopropyl alcohol (91 percent). Spray this mixture over the area you want to clean, let it work for 3 to 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with water and dry with a microfiber rag. (see also: Make your own granite cleaner)
Set Coasters out for Drinks—This is a nice touch for guests, and it will also prevent staining on the granite.

After

Remember to proactively wipe up any spills as they happen and store all leftovers in shallow, air-tight containers to allow them to cool quickly for safe storage in the refrigerator. Then sit back and enjoy the time with your friends, family and guests, being grateful for everything wonderful while you admire the sparkle on your granite countertops.

Arch City Granite Staff wishes a Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers and customers.