Dear Heloise: I house-sit and clean for a number of clients, and I wanted to share some observations. The use of granite countertops in kitchens and bathrooms seems to be a high priority for homeowners today. I find that very busy patterns in granite make noticing spills and debris on countertops more difficult.

I find very dirty countertops in kitchens and bathrooms that, from first glance, appear fine, but after passing a bare hand across the counter, you can feel the dried-on food and other spills all over. Also, don’t forgo other more-helpful features when designing your kitchen in favor of granite. I see bare bones cabinetry without any helpful storage features, and an extremely expensive countertop just isn’t really helpful.

Just some thoughts from a retired kitchen and bath design

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