5 Things that Could Result in Staining on Your Quartz Counters

Let's say your household is fortunate to have one or more practitioners of the culinary arts, and you’re looking to install stylish countertops in the kitchen. Quartz is a great option that’s well suited for active kitchens, but you won’t be completely off the hook with regard to stains. Quartz is ideal in the kitchen because you don't have to worry about sealing the surface, and the likelihood of staining is significantly reduced, but there are a handful of situations that may result in stains if you’re not careful. Spilled Wine A spilled glass of red Bordeaux will cause a surface stain on your quartz counter if you leave it to dry, but this isn’t a permanent situation to worry about. Using a specially formulated combination quartz cleaner and polish such as Granite Gold Quartz Brite® will take care of this issue. However, cooking wine that contains balsamic vinegar as a flavor enhancement could be more problematic because of its higher acidity, which could react with the resin. Make sure to wipe away wine spills as soon as possible. Paint Thinner During the quartz fabrication process, synthetic pigments are incorporated to give slabs their intended color. These pigments are basically paint, and you can imagine what can happen when paint thinner gets near them. Another problem is that paint thinner is caustic, which means it could damage the resins used to bond the crushed stone fragments that form 90 percent of quartz slabs. Keep this in mind when you’re using nail polish remover near quartz countertops in the bathroom. Coffee and Tea The natural pigments that give tea and coffee their dark coloration can create surface stains on quartz surfaces. Similar to wine, you shouldn’t leave coffee and tea spills to dry on quartz, but you also don’t have to panic each time there’s a spill. Common Household Cleaners There are two reasons you shouldn’t take a chance with common household cleaners: solvent and abrasive properties. The former may react with the quartz pigments, while the latter may scratch the surface resins, thus making your countertops more likely to stain when they come in contact with tomato sauce or fruit juices. Granite Gold Quartz Brite® is the only product you should use to clean your quartz countertops. Very Hot Items In the kitchen, you have pots, pans, and baking sheets that can cause quartz discoloration if they’re constantly placed on top of countertops. In the bathroom, you have curling irons to worry about. While these situations aren’t stains per se, they look just like them, but they can be avoided by using hot pads and trivets. At Granite Gold®, we offer a wide array of products that are safe to use on quartz as well as granite, marble, slate, and other types of natural stone. Care for your quartz and stone surfaces properly with help from the Stone Care Experts. Give one of our knowledgeable representatives a call today at 1-800-475-STONE (7866). Looking for even more handy tips on caring for natural stone and quartz? Sign up for our monthly newsletter.