Granite Cleaner and Polish: What's the Difference?

If you're a savvy homeowner and you have natural-stone countertops, floors and other features, you may already have products in your cleaning caddies that you use specifically for your stone. If so — great! That means you're already doing a lot to care for your stone in the best way possible. You might even be using granite sealer and polish.

Today, it seems like there's always a trending TikTok story about a new way to clean grout or stone with a DIY "natural" solution — or, worse, a highly toxic product meant for something else entirely. By ignoring that and using products formulated to be gentle yet effective on stone, you're ensuring that your stone will look good and last for a long time.

Now, we're going to dig a little deeper. We recommend three trusted types of products to round out your stone-care toolkit. What does each do? Do you really need all three? Which one's the most important? And what's the difference between granite cleaner. vs. sealer vs. polish? Let's talk about that!

What Does a Good Natural Stone Cleaner Do?

The first product you will need to take care of your natural stone effectively is a deep cleaner specifically formulated for granite and other natural stone. A good cleaner is something you can use on your stone frequently (even daily, particularly after each food preparation) as life's inevitable messes occur. You're looking for a formula that deep-cleans without leaving streaks and can deal with any type of soil or spill without damaging your stone. Make sure that the cleaner you're considering can be used on the specific type of stone in your home, whether it's slate, travertine, marble or granite or quartz. 

What Does a Good Natural Stone Polish Do?

Maybe you're looking for a streak-free shine on your surfaces to help confer some of the psychological benefits of cleaning after a long day spent scrubbing and mopping. Maybe you're having people over, staging your home or otherwise want to show your stone features off at their highest potential! If so, you're looking for a reliable stone polish. After you've cleaned a stone countertop, a polish will act to enhance luster and shine — and provide protection against fingerprints, water spots and more. In fact, if you regularly apply stone polish to stone features like tub surrounds and shower walls, soap scum and other build-ups will accumulate much less quickly.

Pro-tip, though: Don't use a spray stone polish on floors — that will result in potentially unsafe levels of slipperiness. Instead, seek a pro with the proper tools and training.

What Does a Good Natural Stone Sealer Do?

Although it may seem optional, a trusted stone sealant is anything but! Frequently sealing your natural stone, whether it's granite, travertine or marble or any other natural stone, is the best way to protect your stone against stains, etches and soil build-up. Why? Sealing your stone creates a protective barrier that can prevent oil, moisture and corrosive solutions from damaging your stone.

The barrier forces liquids to bead on the surface to give you time to clean them up quickly. Keep in mind, if acidic substances are left on the stone's surface for too long, they'll eventually break down the protective seal, putting the stone at risk for stains and etches.

We recommend that you seal your stone frequently as part of your stone-care routine. It'll definitely pay off in the long run. It can seem like a lot to invest this much time and attention into your stone features, but a few minutes of regular maintenance can make your natural stone truly shine in your home. The good news? No matter what type of assistance you need to care for your stone, our team of Stone Care Experts is ready to help.

Take Care of Your Natural Stone in the Best Way Possible with Recommendations from our Stone Care Experts

We have three-generations of stone-care expertise to draw on — and we've used it to formulate effective granite sealer and polish that you can use to care for your home. Since we're passionate about what they do, we also offer a countertop stone care protection plan, protecting new installations against the most common, accidental damages. No matter what, when it comes to natural stone, we're proud to have your back.

Call our professional team today at 1-800-475-7866 to learn more about what our premium products can do for you and your natural-stone and quartz surfaces.