Beautiful and mesmerizing, travertine countertops are a sight to be seen in the kitchen. However, to maintain their beauty, they need care just like any other material like marble or granite countertops. Here is everything you need to know about maintaining and cleaning travertine countertops.

Daily Cleaning Tips

Here are some daily cleaning tips for travertine countertops.

Wipe Them Everyday

This one is going to make a huge difference in how your countertops look. If you don’t clean your countertops daily, whether they’re travertine or not, then you will see stains, blotches, and dried-up food dotting the surface of the countertops and it doesn’t look good at all.

If you want travertine countertops to look flawless at all times, then you need to make it a habit to clean the surfaces daily. You don’t need any specialty cleaners either. Some water and a mild detergent work wonders and you’ll be blown away by the results.

Manage Spills

When you’re cooking in the kitchen, things are going to fall and there are going to be splashes and stains all over. What you don’t want to do is leave them be.

Travertine, by nature, is a very porous rock and if you haven’t sealed them for some reason, then they’re going to stain like there’s no tomorrow. So, as soon as you see a spill, clean it up. Some edible things that can lead to bad stains on travertine countertops include orange juice, red wine, citrus fruits, beetroots, etc.

If you want to play it extra safe, then try to use a cutting board to cut the fruits and vegetables on and keep paper towels nearby to clean up any spills or pooled liquid on the countertops. You will thank yourself in the future for taking care of travertine countertops now, by preventing stains from getting permanent.

Protect From Heat

Travertine is also a material that doesn’t do well with heat. It has a very light colored surface and it can be blistered by piping hot pots and pans. Heat stains are black and they’re very much permanent, so they can be a nightmare to remove. If you don’t want your travertine countertops getting ruined then it’s best that you protect them from heat at all costs.

Try to use trivets if you need to put something on the countertop surface. This is going to create a barrier between the countertop and the hot pan and the surfaces will be safe from all kinds of heat damage.

Annual Cleaning & Maintenance

These things aren’t necessary to implement daily, but they give that extra layer of protection to your travertine countertops. Doing them once or twice a year will suffice.

Seal Them

Travertine, since it’s a natural stone, is porous. It’s a sponge in rock form that will absorb almost all kinds of moisture and liquid in its vicinity or on the surface. Stains pretty much happen because of this characteristic and if you don’t want your travertine countertops to look like an ugly mosaic of stains, then you need to seal the surface.

You can use a store-bought sealant and apply it on the countertop surface, as per the directions. Depending on how vigorous the use of the countertops is, you might have to reseal the countertops once or twice a year. This will not only ensure that the countertops are waterproof, but stains will also be history.

In case your travertine countertop is already old and you want to consider a countertop material that doesn’t need sealing, look for quartz kitchen countertops Potomac. Moreover, the quartz colors and patterns are so many that you might get overwhelmed by the options.

Have Them Polished

Travertine, by nature, is a glossy material and it’s part of the reason why people adore it in the kitchen. It’s lustrous and it reflects shine in the best way. However, there can be times when this very quality of travertine can dull out.

For this, you’ll need to have the surfaces polished or varnished after every 6 to 8 months, just to keep them looking fresh and beautiful for longer. If you’re a die-hard fan of shiny countertops, then you’ll need to make it an annual maintenance thing to polish your kitchen countertops.

Trick For Permanent Stains

No matter how much you try to avoid food stains, there will still be some, and removing them might seem impossible, but there is a trick by which you can remove the stain like it was never even there. To do this, you’ll need some rubbing alcohol.

First, locate the stain and put an alcohol-saturated cotton pad on the stain. After 10-15 minutes, remove the cotton pad and use a wet toothbrush with a bit of detergent on it to gently scrape the stain away. It will disappear and your countertops will be spotless.

General Care For Travertine Countertops

Here are some basic things that you need to keep in mind when cleaning and maintaining travertine countertops.

Avoid Abrasive Cleaning Tools

Travertine may be durable, but it can’t stand scratches, so you need to avoid using metal scrapers and wires to clean the surfaces. You’ll only end up doing more bad than good.

If you want, use a plastic and bendable scraper to remove food stains, and for scrubbing, use a soft toothbrush that you don’t mind ruining.

Use pH Neutral Cleaning Solutions

For everyday cleaning, you can use a mixture of detergent and water, but sometimes, you need something heavy duty and a detergent isn’t going to cut it. When buying stain-removing cleaners and solutions, always go for ones that have a basic or neutral pH. You don’t want to go for off-brand cleaners because those usually contain a lot of harsh ingredients that could damage your countertops rather than solving the problem at hand.

So, always read the labels to avoid harsh cleaners and get something that is going to get the job done while being gentle on the material.

Don’t Use Sharp Knives

Travertine doesn’t possess granite-like hardness or durability, so you need to remember the fact that sharp and pointy things can cause the material to scratch and chip. If you’re someone who habitually uses knives directly on the countertops, then it might be time to change things up.

You need to use a cutting board instead because travertine can get scratched very easily by direct contact with sharp knives. Scratched-up surfaces are not in trend, so instead, cut travertine some slack.

Use Soft Cloths

The type of cloth you use for everyday and regular cleaning of travertine countertops matters a lot too. You don’t want to use just any cloth for cleaning, because some can shed and leave fibers all over the countertops and some might even scratch the delicate travertine. Instead, use a soft microfiber cloth that won’t shed or leave scratches.

It’s a soft material that will also absorb all of the liquid and will lead to spotless surfaces. They’re available almost everywhere so you can get your hands on them and clean the countertops.

Conclusion

Travertine is a pretty easy material to maintain and if you want your travertine kitchen countertops to look spotless for longer, then these tips will be your savior. For carrying out repairs or replacing countertops, consult granite installers Rockville.