Many people would enjoy granite countertops in their new or remodeled kitchen, but worry about the negative things they’ve heard about this beautiful natural material.

In an effort to put their minds at ease, we’re going to debunk 5 of the negative myths about granite.

Granite will lose its shine

Marble may lose its sheen over time, but granite is much denser and resistant to normal household activities that would abrade softer stones like marble. In fact, granite is so hard that it’s polished with diamond-impregnated pads!

Hot pans will crack granite countertops

Granite is a very dense and hard natural material that is heat-resistant. You probably shouldn’t repeatedly set hot pans in the same place, but under normal use you don’t have to worry about your granite countertops cracking. You can always just use a trivet or hot pad like you would for any other countertop if you want an extra layer of protection.

Granite harbors bacteria

Because some granites are porous and require the use of sealers, there is a myth that granite harbors dangerous bacteria. However, according to this study by the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management, granite harbored fewer bacteria than any other surface tested when cleaned with soap and water. When vinegar was used as a sanitizing rinse after cleaning, stainless steel edged past granite into the top spot. However, both granite and stainless steel were head and shoulders above the other surfaces, particularly after the vinegar rinse.

Additionally, the Center for Disease Control and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health both give granite a clean bill of health. Neither have any records of illness traced back to properly cleaned granite countertops.

All granite is high maintenance & must be sealed

Not all granite needs to be sealed. Sealers work by soaking into the surface and filling in the pores and voids so stains won’t. If the pores of the stone are small enough, there is no way for liquids to penetrate – whether stains or sealers! In that case, the sealer will just sit on the surface instead of being absorbed.

In order to tell if your granite needs a sealer or not, do the water test. If your granite countertops do need a sealer, choose a quality sealer that only requires reapplication every 5 – 10 years. That’s hardly high maintenance!

Routine maintenance consists of wiping it down with soap and water just like you would any other countertop.

Granite is the costliest countertop material

People often perceive granite as being extremely expensive. That may have been true years ago, but with its continued popularity the price of granite has come down dramatically. Today, granite is often priced lower than comparable engineered stone or man-made alternatives.