Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. How long have you been using the kitchen? is it possible that after a while, once other things in the kitchen start looking less pristine, this won't bother you as much? That's how I have felt about my marble. At first every little etch and mark killed me, but now I don't mind the "lived-in" look so much. I realize you're talking about a different issue, but maybe???

I have never had polished black granite; I'm assuming it's simply that it shows every little mess?

Does honed AB show less? Might it be possible ----if you find it still bothers you after a while--- to have it honed in place?

Anyway, *hugs* and I hope it starts to grow on you after a while! Enjoy the rest of your new home :)

Sorry you're having a case of the "blues" about the granite. Ironically, we were steered away from absolute black by the guy at the granite yard. He said he had put it in his own kitchen against the advice of everyone at work and same problem-every little thing shows. On the other hand, the granite we did end up with is almost impossible to tell if it needs to be wiped down. Crumbs, etc. blend in with the granite. So to make sure my counters are clean I find myself wiping them down every day anyway!!

I feel your pain big time. i have absolute and i am the queen of Windex, The good news for me is that my kitchen i relatively small. That was why I thought I could live with it. I bet I wipe down the counters three times a day. They look great for about 20 minutes... I am used to it now and can get it done in a couple of minutes.

Thanks for the support. Like i said I would wipe them down daily anyway,, it is just the little drips, the handprints etc. that make me cuckoo.. But for now it is what it is! It looks great when it is clean.. so for the few seconds that exists I savor the moments. LOL.. i thought about getting them honed, but I have heard it is just as bad if not worse?? Not sure about how true that is, but it is always an option for down the road. Thanks again!

HAd AB in my last house. Hated it. Had gorgeous "to the counter" windows overlooking my beautiful French Quarter style pool. Do you know what *I* saw nearly every dang time I looked out those windows? Dust, smudges, water spots, toast crumbs...whatever was on that counter took away from the beautiful view for me. Ugh.

The only thing that worked was Method granite and that was because you could wipe normally (around in circles, back and forth) and at least it didn't add streaks like the other cleaners.

When I was selling the house I would yell at my real estate agent because she was forever leaning on the counters while she waited for the appointment to arrive and I would chase her around with the spray bottle and microfiber until I had to leave.

But when those counters were cleaned. OMG were they spectacular. Ten minutes out of every day I couldn't believe how beautiful. Reflecting the pool and the pretty glass backsplash...sigh.

So sorry to hear that. I was following your progress often because I also loved your cabinet colour with typhoon bordeaux (out of my budget now).
Hope it starts to be part of the beauty of your space instead of a little annoyance.

From another perspective- in my last kitchen I had a patterned laminate that you could not see anything on. I was always bending down looking along the plane of it to see what I (or DH) missed during clean up. And we missed alot....

Would honing it do anything for you? I mean, if you actually brought the fabricators in and sanded it down so it had more of a matt finish?

A cousin has one of them absolute black granite, and it reminds me of the monolith on Space 2010. Totally black, into another dimension! Quite striking. But I guess it doesn't function quite well in real life, specially with children. :(

(((HUGS))) because I know that's what you need.

Get a beautiful, textured vinyl mat for sandwich making. Don't tell the family that it's because they're slobs. Sell them on its non-slip properties.

Next, start the children on "the last thing we do before we leave the kitchen is wipe down the counters." Say it to them, model it, and hand them a sponge so that they can play along. Daddy might even learn it, but don't push him on it. If the kids say, "Daddy didn't!" then explain to them that he has a lot on his mind and it's sometimes hard for adults to remember what they're supposed to do, or something like that. Don't let them tease him, but maybe they'll eventually say, "Wait! We have to wipe down the counters." This should all be done gently and calmly, and not be about the spots that make you crazy, but just forming good habits.

It might work, and would lessen the craziness if it did.

I have Absolute Black countertops and feel your pain. Have you tried the Dupont granite wipes? I really love them and they have allowed me to live in harmony with my AB granite. They dry streak-free and are a breeze to use. I can also wipe in circles like I have my entire life! :o)

Hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dupont granite wipes

I'm so sorry you don't like your counters. We also have polished AB granite...but we love it! Yes, when there are masses of crumbs, etc. we see them (especially when my DD makes toast...where do so many crumbs come from???), but they don't really bother me now...plus they're pretty close to bullet-proof...no sealing needed, no worries about staining or etching, etc.

At first, I also wanted everything pristine, but now I'm over that...maybe you will be after a few months as well? I've found over the years that pristine + children (and often + DH) just isn't possible. As to seeing dust in front of my west-facing, to-the-counter window, that only happens if I don't wipe down the counters once a day... (Maybe you could ask your DH & kids to put a paper towel down when they makes their sandwich/toast/bagels.)

I remember a poem my grandmother had hanging in her kitchen: The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

- Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

(I found the full poem here: Dust Bunny Hostage)

I try to remember this when I sometimes get frustrated about not having a perfectly clean/decorated house...

Buehl, that piece is lovely!! Thanks for posting it.

Thank you all for the hugs and support. I couldn't dare vent to my husband b/c he would probably flip his lid with the amount of extras we put into the kitchen above the allowed budgets via the builder.. I know in time it won't matter. My children are only 4 & 6 so I am trying REALLY hard not to let myself get crazy..

LOVE your poem Buehl- Funny enough I just received this email from a friend today..

LADIES!!! Remember...a layer of dust protects the Wood beneath it.

'A house becomes a home when you can write 'I love you' on the furniture .'

I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect - 'in case someone came over'
Finally I realized one day that no-one came over; they were all out living life and having fun!
NOW, when people visit, I don't have to explain the 'condition' of my home
They are more interested in hearing about the things I've been doing while I was away living life and having fun.
If you haven't figured this out yet, please heed this advice.

Life is short. Enjoy it!
Dust if you must .......
but wouldn't it be better to paint a picture or write a letter, bake cookies or a cake and lick the spoon or plant a seed,
ponder the difference between want and need?
Dust if you must, but there's not much time . . . .
with beer to drink , rivers to swim and mountains to climb , music to hear and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must,
but the world's out there with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come around, again.

Dust if you must , but bear in mind, old age will come and it's not kind. . .

And when you go - and go you must - you, yourself will make more dust!


Share this with all the wonderful women in your life.
I JUST DID.
It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.

That's a great message Elissa!

So.. my 4 year old daughter put everything into perspective for me today. As I was writing my previous follow up my girls were begging to go outside.. (we live south of boston and it has rained for days here)..
So i put the computer down and went outside.

She was riding her bike with training wheels and since we have no grass yet, no loom, we could not put up a fence yet. We have a steep backyard facing the woods, but their is a stone wall which the fence will be in front of once we can install it.. As she was riding down the driveway, she couldn't stop went thru the backyard and over the stone wall!!! HEr life flashed before me!! Amazingly, although terrified and probably will not get on a bike anytime soon, she is FINE... THANK GOD. But now that my heart has stopped (and several glasses of wine later).. i have come to just NOT CARE about the issues I mentioned above.. b/c there are so many more important things to vent and worry about!!!

Ok. despite the previous post and putting things into perspective.. I am getting REALLY frustrated with the granite now..

We had some company over yesterday and nothing crazy was placed on the countertops, other than a beverage or two.. I did a quick clean last night and didn't see anything unusual, however this am, I noticed 2 ring marks that would not go away..

This is the 2nd time this is happening. the first time it happened the fabricator came out sanded it down and resealed.. but I thought absolute black did not need to be sealed and this keeps happening.. UGH!!! sorry to vent yet again!
They have to come out to replace our fireplace stone b/c a black substance is showing through the travertine every time our GAS fp is in use.. so frustrating........ :(

Perhaps there is some sort of protective coating that u can put on wo distracting from its intended look?

Kids! now and then there is the brat and thanks Lord s/he is not mine, then there is the absolutely cute, well-behaved, totally comfortable with adults around them that u can't wait to hug. :)