How to take care of your new quartz countertops
Quartz countertops are the perfect mix of style and function. Besides their look, one of the main advantages of quartz countertops is that they are extremely low maintenance and easy to care for. But like all types of countertop, they do need cleaning daily. This blog explains how to maintain and clean your new quartz countertops so they last for years to come.
Over 90% of a quartz countertops is made of quartz. The rest is made of a resin binder that holds the quartz together. Coloring is also added to achieve the desired color. Some of the main industry suppliers of quartz include MSI, Silestone, Hanstone, Daltile and Cambria.
Quartz countertops are stain and bacteria resistant, the ideal surface for kitchen countertops. Even though they will resist spills from wine, coffee / tea, soda and fruit/vegetable, it’s a good idea to wipe a spill before it has a chance to dry up. For daily cleaning purpose, the Complete Kitchen and Bath Design Studio recommends you use a mild dishwashing soap with a damp, non-abrasive sponge or cloth to clean messes off your countertops. Simply rinse and wipe your counter top surface after using the dishwashing soap.
If you have missed a spill and it is now dried up, you can use a glass or surface cleaner and a non-abrasive sponge to clean up the mess. You can also use a plastic putty knife to scrap and remove dried up spills that have become hard such as paint, nail polish, food and sticky residue. Leaving a warm damp towel for 30 minutes or more over a dried spill will work well to loosen and soften the spill.
After cooking a big meal, your pots and dishes may be greasy. Since grease can be difficult to remove, using a kitchen degreaser will make it easier to clean up the mess and leave your quartz countertops spotless.
A kitchen is usually the “nerve” center of a home where the family hangs out. A kitchen island can quickly turn into a desk for doing homework, working on projects, etc…. If you find permanent marker stains on your quartz countertops, we recommend you use Goo Gone with a moist cloth to clean the stain. Rinse with warm water and the mess is gone!
As part of your countertop cleaning routine, we recommend to periodically clear out your quartz countertops and doing a deep cleaning with a non-abrasive surface cleaner. Let the soapy mixture set atop your countertops for a few minutes before rinsing. Make sure to use a non-scratch, non-abrasive sponge to wipe your countertops clean.
Even tough quartz countertops are tough, using cleaning products that are too alkaline or acidic can damage the bonding agent used to hold quartz and resin together. As a precaution, keep silver polish, oven cleaners, paint removers, oil based soaps, nail polish remover, bleach and anything that contains trichloroethane or methylene chloride away from your countertops. Using a brillow pad or other abrasive pad / sponge with dull the surface of your countertops.
In the market for new quartz countertops? Call the Complete Kitchen and Bath Design Studio today to receive a no-obligation free quote.
