I have choosen black pearl granite for my kitchen countertops; however, when I was going to pick out slabs the sales rep said that it would be a real chore to keep looking clean and that it would show every smudge and fingerprint. Is that true. She said clean it with soap and water but to me that would show water spots. Help! Do you seal black pearl granite. Should I go with something else perhaps uba tuba or verde butterfly?

 

Dear Rika:

Isn't it ama z ing finding out how much some salespeople involved in stone know about what they sell?!... J

So black granite shows fingerprints and all that, but then they suggest you to use only water and dish soap to clean it with… No wonder it will show fingerprints and all that!! Not only water and dish soap will do a lousy job at cleaning, but did you ever try to wash your hands with dish soap? Have you noticed how long you have to keep them under running water before they rinse properly?

Well, to rinse your countertop in that way – which is the only acceptable way – you'd need a garden hose all the time!!

Sure, darker stones do show finger-marks and smudges a bit more readily than other light colored surfaces, but aren't you glad about that?

I mean, do you want your stone surface really clean, or just make believe due to the fact that you can't see the soil?...

Besides, the proper cleaning product in conjunction with a weekly or so treatment with specific products like MB-13 will keep fingerprints at bay rather effectively.

And, finally, Black Pearl (which, BTW, is one of the best stones that money can buy for a kitchen countertop if the slab is a good-grade) can't be technically sealed: it is just too dense. So make sure that your fabricator won't even show a bottle of impregnator (a.k.a. sealer) to it! The application of an impregnator to a stone like that anyway could cause problems.

May I ask you now to please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm? J

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

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