Quartz countertops are an excellent addition to your interiors that can brighten up your home. However, it requires proper care and maintenance to keep it looking shiny. If you are wondering how to effortlessly maintain your quartz countertops, you have come to the right place!
It’s the countertop that grabs everyone’s attention as soon as one steps into the kitchen. Now, you must have come across several kitchen countertops and have thought about which one is ideal for your kitchen. Going by the polls, quartz countertops is the best choice for a busy kitchen, and here’s why.
Why Are Quartz Countertops Best to Maintain?
Quartz countertops are highly durable, crack & stain-resistant, possess a glossy sheen, don’t require sealing/resealing, are available in various hues, etc. Most importantly, quartz countertops are easy to maintain and come with lots of other benefits! That’s the reason people are slowly moving towards these countertops.
However, this doesn’t mean that you need not emphasize much on the maintenance of quartz countertops. To upgrade your quartz countertop’s longevity and keep its glossy sheen intact, below are some helpful tips to solve your query on how to maintain quartz countertops.
#1 Clean the Countertop Frequently
Regular cleansing is essential to maintain the shine and longevity of quartz countertops. If cleaned frequently, you’d not require to spend a significant amount of time and energy in maintaining it. As quartz is a non-porous engineered stone, regular stains or dust cannot penetrate deep inside it.
Due to this, you can utilize any commonly available mild soap or washing liquid for wiping off the visible stains or dirt from the countertop. Afterward, wipe off the soap from the surface through a soft cloth or sponge.
Remember, never leave behind any soapy liquid over the surface of a quartz countertop as it may react with the resin.
#2 Deep Clean Once in Every Two Weeks
Though quartz is non-porous, stains of lemon juice, wine, vinegar, or fruits may become hard to remove after drying up. Hence, always try to give a quick wash to your quartz countertop before any of the stains dry up. A mild soapy solution might not work in such a case, and you’ll have to use a glass cleaner.
Arm up yourself with a glass/surface cleaner, sponge, grease, and a plastic knife to eradicate every bit of hardened and heavy stains. So, deep cleaning is another solution to maintain quartz countertops.
#3 Don’t Use Any Abrasive or Acid/Alkaline Cleaner
Most of the owners commit a grave mistake by using an acid/alkaline cleaner for cleaning their quartz countertops. Any abrasive scouring pad can make your countertop lose its sheen and appear dull. Instead, use a soft sponge ideally made for cleaning non-stick cookware and glass.
Another noteworthy point here is that the pH of the surface cleaner you’re using needs to be neutral. This is because if the cleaner is highly acidic or alkaline, it’ll interfere with quartz and resin’s internal bonds, leading to loss of their strength.
While you should always avoid acidic cleaners, alkaline ones are allowed; provided the alkaline cleaner’s pH is normal.
#4 Protect Your Quartz Countertop from High Temperatures
Another helpful tip on how to maintain quartz countertops is always to keep your countertop away from high temperatures. Though quartz in itself is heat resistant, the resin present within it isn’t. Since the resin is mainly plastic, it can melt at temperatures above 300-degree Fahrenheit.
Besides, prolonged exposure of the quartz countertop to heated pans or cookware might even introduce cracks into the stone. Hence, to avoid these situations, always use a trivet or hot pad before placing hot vessels.
#5 Use a Cutting Board
While actions like cutting, chopping, dicing, or slicing are non-harmful on a regular countertop crafted from marble, it’s not with quartz. Quartz is challenging but not hard enough to withstand the impacts of sharp objects like a knife.
While a knife can lead to ugly cracks or scratches over the quartz countertop, its prolonged usage can make the entire piece come apart. Hence, place a chopping board on the countertop on a safer side.
#6 Quartz Countertops Are Not for External Use
If you’re planning to use a quartz countertop outdoors, give it a thought again!! Quartz countertops or any other object made from quartz are not ideal for external use.
This is because long exposures to sunlight, water, dust, and dirt affect the resin’s resilience inside and impart noticeable damage to the outer surface. For example, you’ll notice the color/sheen degrading with time, increased brittleness, etc.
#7 Use Lukewarm Water for Cleaning
Another helpful suggestion towards how to maintain quartz countertops is to refrain from using hot water to remove the hardened stains. Excessive hot water interferes with the resin bonds and loosens them. To avoid this, use water either at room temperature or mildly warm water.
#8 Properly Rinse the Countertop After Cleaning
Properly drying up the quartz countertop is the key to maintain quartz countertops. After cleaning with any soapy solution, if you leave the soapy residue on the surface, it will relapse your efforts. This is where the soapy solution will attract dust and dirt from the surroundings and impede the top layer of quartz’s glossy sheen.
#9 Avoid Utilizing Metallic Cookware on a Quartz Countertop
As said above, though quartz is hard enough due to its internal resin bonds, it can’t withstand regular impacts from metallic cookwares like spoons, dishes, bowls, etc.
Hence, replace your metallic cookware items with glass ones. Glass objects are the perfect companion for your quartz countertops. Therefore, this is another solution to your query on how to maintain quartz countertops.
#10 Don’t Use a Scrub Daily
Make sure not to use a scrub, even if it’s for quartz specifically, daily. Experts suggest that frequent cleaning of quartz countertops with a scrub does more harm than good. Hence, refrain from using a scrub daily.
