Taking Care of Your Quartz Worktops

The commercial quartz worktops available today are made this way and are called engineered stone. All manufacturers or engineered stone follow the same process. Introducing the pigment during the manufacturing process gives the stone and even colour and a variety of colour that might not be found in nature.

Quartz worktops are beautiful, highly-polished, durable, non-porous and stronger than granite. They are mould and mildew resistant as well as impervious to water and other liquids. It is more hygienic and food-safe due to its non-porous surface. This property also makes the stone highly polished without the need of a sealant.

Although almost maintenance-free, there are things that need to be considered and observed to keep a quartz worktop looking like new and in tip-top condition. Like all natural stones, quartz worktops still need to be cared for to keep its gloss, colour and shine and be used longer.

Here are some care tips:

• Wipe the quartz worktop with a soft damp cloth or paper towel for routine cleaning. If there is some residue that needs more attention, use a mild cleanser that is chlorine-free and non-abrasive. Continued scrubbing with an abrasive material can eventually wear away and dull the surface of your quartz worktop.
• Quartz worktop will resists moisture and permanent staining but it is a good habit and hygienic practice to wipe off spilled liquids and food immediately. Some highly-acidic fruit juices can discolour the stone.
• Scrub dried and stubborn spills with a none-abrasive cleaning pad and a bit of glass and surface cleanser or a mild dish-washing detergent.
• Even if a quartz worktop is highly polished and do not require a sealant, avoid the use of bleach or cleaning agents containing bleach to preserve the colour of the worktop.
• Quartz worktop can tolerate moderate heat but continued exposure to high heat can damage its surface. Use trivets and hot pads underneath hot pots and pans to protect the beautiful surface of your quartz worktop.
• Use a plastic putty knife to gently scrape dried up food particles, gum, nail polish, grease or paint that have stuck to the surface of your quartz worktop. A used credit card will also do the trick.
• Use a degreasing product to loosen and remove grease build up on worktops. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using such products.
• Avoid the use of and exposing the quartz worktop to harsh chemicals and solvents such as paint and nail polish removers, oven cleaners and furniture strippers that contain methylene chloride or trichlorethane. These chemicals can damage the surface of the worktop and discolour the stone.
• Avoid using products that contain oils and powders that can leave a residue and mar the polish of your quartz worktop.

Take care of your quartz worktop. It will not only preserve the beauty of the worktop, it will also ensure that you will be able to use your quartz worktop for a very long time; perhaps it can even outlast your house.