your kitchen is undoubtedly a place for sharing and maybe the dirtiest room in your home because we all use it for food preparation and where there s food there s bacteria keeping a clean home has always been important but now it s more important than ever when cleaning countertops it s essential to use the right cleaning method to prevent the spread of food borne illnesses while protecting your counters and kitchen space most homes use a dishcloth paper towel or sponge to clean and disinfect their kitchen if your method reuses the same cleaning aids again and again they can become potential breeding farms for bacteria molds and yeasts sponges have the worst reputation but kitchen discharges come in a close second if your method includes reusing the same cleaning aids over and again then be careful because they can become potential breeding spaces for bacteria to grow including molds and yeasts make sure to clean these cost effective aids after every use dry them thoroughly between uses and replace them every couple of weeks clean up spills immediately one way to prevent bacteria is to eliminate spills as soon as they occur if you let stains and food residue linger on your countertop you ll end up having more bacteria around than a simple cleaning can tackle clean spills immediately and you will have less countertop disinfecting to do regularly start by using warm soapy water to clean your countertops and other kitchen surfaces before and after food preparation although this is an effective cleaning measure it does not disinfect granite countertops bacteria mold and fungus thrive in moist environments take extra precaution when cleaning your countertops and be sure to dry them with a clean cloth after washes always have homemade all purpose cleanergood news vinegar is pretty much all you need in a counter cleaner unless you ve been cutting raw chicken the natural acid is tough on bacteria and viruses on counters floors sinks and toilets bad news vinegar totally stinks infuse things like lavender sage and essential oils to help lessen the strong vinegar smell to clean your countertops naturally you need something that kills germs without eating away at the stone never use vinegar lemon windex or bleach on granite because they will weaken the protective seal slowly erode the finish and eat away at the stone and abrasive cleaners or sponges can scratch the sealant turning it into a dull hazy mess diy natural granite cleaner with just 4 ingredients this diy natural granite cleaner spray made without vinegar will clean and disinfect your countertops ingredients 1 cup rubbing alcohol 1 cup filtered water 10 drops castile soap or dish soap 20 drops essential oil of your choice i love lemon and basil for mine 450 grams spray bottle instructionscombine all ingredients in a glass spray bottle and gently shake to combine lightly spray on granite countertops and buff using a microfiber towel the rubbing alcohol acts as a preservative so it stores on the counter or under the kitchen sink indefinitely just give it a gentle shake before each use