No matter what your kitchen countertops are made of--you want them to look good--especially during the holiday season with the higher probability of guests and family showing up at your home. There is no one method that works for every kind of countertop material--and different surfaces need different procedures to keep them looking good and stain-free. Here are steps to keeping various kitchen tops looking their best year-round.

How to Care for Granite

1. Step 1

   Seal granite counters when they are installed and reseal once or twice a year thereafter to keep them stain free. You can tell whether it's time to reseal your granite counter by flicking a few drops of water on it and see if it beads up. If the water beads, the counter is fine; if it doesn't bead, it's time to reseal.

2. Step 2

   Reseal granite counters by first cleaning the countertop with mild soap and warm water, then drying it with a clean towel. Apply a coat of granite sealer to the counter and spread all over; let the sealer dry for 3 or 4 minutes (follow the directions on the package) and apply another coat.

3. Step 3

   After applying at least two coats of sealer to the countertop, allow it to dry totally. Depending on the product, this could take a few hours.

   How to Care for Stainless Steel

4. Step 1

   Maintain stainless steel countertops using primarily warm water, mild soap and cloths, and be sure to dry the counter after cleaning (even stainless steel will corrode if water is left standing).

5. Step 2

   Try to wipe up any food spills quickly, since foods, particularly acidic ones, will mark (stain) stainless steel.

   How to Care for Quartz

6. Step 1

   Maintain quartz countertops primarily with soap and warm water. No sealing or reconditioning is necessary with quartz; however, you need to protect it from hot dishes with trivets, since quartz will crack under high heat.

7. Step 2

   Remove any dried spills on a quartz counter with a dull scraper and finish cleaning with soap and water.

   How to Care for Wood

8. Step 1

   Keep wood countertops looking good by protecting them from hot pans, knives and excess moisture. Hot pans will burn wooden counters; knives can easily nick and mark them and moisture left on them too long will cause the wood grain to expand. Openings and gaps look unattractive and trap unhealthy food particles.

9. Step 2

   Use cutting boards and trivets to protect wooden counters.

10. Step 3

    Clean your wooden countertop with a mixture of salt and lemon juice to help remove any food stains that may appear, then sealing the counter with mineral oil will help keep it looking good and resist stains.

11. Step 4

    Stubborn stains can be removed using light sandpaper (200 grit).