The best care you can give Natural Stone is preventative care. Preventing stains or scratching before they happen is far easier than getting rid of them after the fact.

Sealing granite and natural stone with penetrating sealers, also called "Sealers and Enhancer impregnators", protects the structure of a natural stone. They protect the stone from inside. When sealing natural stone with this type of sealer, it is applied directly to the surface of the natural stone with a soft cloth. It's simple to do and does not require a stone specialist. This type of sealer is recommended for sealing Granite.

Penetrating Sealer will penetrate below the stone's surface without leaving a coating or film on top of the stone surface. Stone, below the surface will be protected, however penetrating sealer doesn't provide surface protection. This means “calcareous” natural stones such as marble, onyx, limestone, and travertine can still etch or dull if acidic products, such as orange juice or coke, spilled on your natural stone.

In order to provide surface protection, a cleanser made specifically for natural stone or natural vegetable soap cleanser, should be used. Natural Stone cleaners and vegetable soaps, remove dirt and debris from the natural stone's surface, and the same time, it will build up a thin film layer on top of stone surface between cyclic deep cleanings.

Penetrating Sealer will penetrate below the surface of the stone, and become resistant to liquids and keeps contaminants out, but do not stop the interior moisture from escaping. These products are considered “breathable,” meaning they allow for vapor transmission.

Impregnator’s are generally water-repelling (hydrophobic), and may also be oil-repelling. Water-repelling natural stone impregnators are formulated to repel only water and water-based chemicals such as fruit drinks, coffee, tea, soda...

Oil-repelling impregnators (sealers) are designed to repel water and oil-based liquids such as cooking oil, grease, body oils...

An important distinction between oil-repelling and water-repelling impregnators is, that an oil-repelling impregnator is always water-repelling, but a water-repelling impregnator may not be oil-repelling. Be sure to read sealer product labels carefully or contact the Manufacturer to determine if they are water-repelling, oil-repelling, or both.

Some products are also labeled as oil-resistant, but oil-resistant and oil-repellent are entirely different. An oil-resistant impregnator will only slow down the absorption of oil into the stone. An oil-repellent impregnator will prevent oil from entering the stone.

If you are sealing granite or natural stone kitchen counters, look for oil-repellant impregnator. An oil resistant impregnator will only slow the absorption of oil while an oil repellant impregnator will keep the oil from entering the stone.

Water-repelling and oil-repelling, these penetrating sealers require periodic reapplication based on the frequency of your deep cleanings and also, the brand of sealer used. Some manufacturers recommend sealing granite and natural stone yearly, while others recommend every five to ten years. Read the recommendations on your product before applying it.