Care and Maintenance
Care and maintenance of your Granite and Quartz worktops
Polished granite and quartz worktops make the ideal kitchen work surface. Although granite and quartz is regarded as the most practical and durable work surface available for household kitchens they are not indestructible, care must be taken when using sharp or heavy objects not to scratch or chip the surface.
Always chop food on a chopping board with rubber feet and not directly onto the granite or quartz surface.
Cleaning the Stone
All natural stone surfaces have had two coats of stain stop applied at the factory. The stain stop sealer acts as a protective coating, which reduces the porosity of the natural surface. Quartz is not porous and therefore does not require sealing.
Granite and Quartz worksurfaces should be cleaned using a neutral detergent i.e. mild soapy/fairy liquid and warm water solution, using a clean non abrasive soft cloth and buff dry. Purchase an empty 500ml spray bottle and fill with 8 parts water and 2 parts fairy liquid and use this to clean when required. Do not use bleach or chemicals to clean.
Sealing granite
Some Sealers on the market today can protect natural stone for two to fifteen years depending on which type of sealer and how the Granite or Marble has been maintained over time, keeping the surface clean and dry will help to extend the time before the stone requires re-sealing. We use a commercial sealer so after two to three years it is best to do the water test and if the water is disappearing in certain areas it will be time to reseal your worktops. It wont do any harm if you decide to seal your natural stone after three years anyway, DryTeat sealer when applied as per instructions can last and protect the surface from staining up to fifteen years. Use leading brand names: Lithofin, Dry Treat, LTP and Nu Life.
WATER TEST: You can test your granite worktops by applying a drop of water on the surface, if it starts to
disappear it is no longer protected and will require sealing if it remains on the surface like a water ball it is still protected. Look on our website for information regarding sealers.
Avoid Stains
Please be aware that any acidic products i.e. citrus liquids, fizzy drinks, wine, vinegars, etc... may leave marks on the surface if left for long periods. It is best to wipe surfaces immediately. Do not leave to stand for days otherwise in extreme cases acidic products can etch the shine on the surface.
Strongly coloured foods, i.e. curry, saffron, beetroot, red wine, blackcurrant, etc... can cause staining so should be cleaned immediately.
Do
Do Not
DO NOT: Stand or sit on the worktops as this could lead to cracking or fracture of the surface.
DO NOT: Chop food i.e. Meat and Vegetables, Bread etc.. Directly on the surface, ALWAYS use a chopping board.
NEVER: Place hot pans or trays from the stove or the oven directly onto the surface of the stone, ALWAYS use a Trivet or Pan Stand.
DO NOT : Allow salts or powder detergents to build up on surfaces.
DO NOT: Use any acidic, bleach or chlorine – based products, alkalis (caustic soda) or concentrated disinfectants to clean work surfaces.
DO NOT: Use any abrasive or metal scouring cloths or pads on surfaces
Quartz
Quartz or composite stone is man made, the make up consists of approximately 93% crushed quartz and the rest of the 7% is made up of depending on the look and colour the manufacturers want to achieve: decorative mirror particles, decorative stones, colour pigments and bonded together using resins under immense heat and pressure.
Because the stone is formed by this method it is 0.001% porous virtually non porous, therefore quartz or composite stone will not require sealing. Having said this there are sealers which can be applied to give ultimate protection against staining when worktops are continuously used under extreme conditions where acidic products such as fruit juices and wines are spilt on the surface and left for days before being cleaned.
In a normal kitchen working environment acidic spillages should be wiped away immediately using a mild solution of fairy liquid and water solution and rinsed with clean warm water and not left to dry on the quartz or composite work surface.
Granite
Granite and Marble is a porous stone and what helps the stone when manufactured as a worktop, Vanity top, step, shelf etc…not to be porous and prevent staining is the fact that the surface has been sealed preferably by applying a quality sealer. When Marble and Granite Worktops Ltd produce a worktop or item from marble or granite we apply 2 to 3 coats of sealer and allow between coats to dry.
Every year depending on how much use i.e. cooking, spillages your granite worktops experience will require resealing. You will be able to test this by applying a small drop of water, if the water remains on the surface for a long period as a ball like when you have waxed a car it still is protected. If the water starts to disappear then the granite or marble will require sealing.
If you click the links below for the different granite or marble sealer manufacturers and go through to their websites you will be able to educate your self further. There should be a number to call which will be a general technical helpline number so you can speak to someone regarding the best cleaner and sealer for you to use. You will need to use a cleaner first to remove any build up or residue over the year and to achieve the desired cleaned surface for you to then seal the granite or marble worktop.
Click below on the Sealer manufacturers to visit their website
