1. While mustard and ketchup are delicious condiments to add to your burger, they do etch marble, travertine, and limestone surfaces. Mustard contains vinegar, which is very acidic and etches natural stone. Ketchup contains tomatoes, which are also acidic and etch stone as well.
2. Sealing you stone helps prevent grease, butter, and oil stains. You always hear us encouraging you to seal your kitchen countertops, but don’t forget your outdoor kitchen surfaces as well. If you plan on grilling up the traditional Fourth of July fare such as burgers and sausages, we recommend sealing (or re-sealing) your stone with an impregnator sealer like Seal & Go® S to help prevent staining. Please keep in mind that sealers do not stop acids, ammonia, or alcohol.
3. Want to clean your stone outdoor patio before your guests arrive? We recommend Lavenet neutral stone cleaner. It is neutral stone cleaner that cleans granite, slate, flagstone, quartzite, limestone, travertine and marble. If you have areas with a little mildew, you can use Algae and Mildew Remover as well.
4. If you plan on grilling some chicken there is a way to disinfect your marble and limestone countertops without etching the stone. We sell a product called Sani-Tyze, which is a non-acid disinfecting cleaner for natural stone. This product is also sold at certain retail locations.
5. Most importantly, have fun this weekend! If you happen to spill some lemonade or mustard on your marble, don’t freak out. Etch marks and light stains can be fixed. International Stoneworks would be happy to re-polish or re-hone your stone surface.
