Stone countertops make a beautiful addition to any kitchen or bathroom. If you want that beauty to remain for years to come, then you have to properly clean and maintain your stone. Proper maintenance is essential to having your stone look its best and stand up to the wear and tear that comes with use. In this article, we will look at a few tips and tricks on how to properly care for and maintain your stone countertops.

Cleaning of Your Stone Countertops

It is always a great idea to clean your marble and granite countertops daily. Performing a soft clean on a daily basis will go a far way in preventing surface build-up and even more damaging stains from setting. Use warm water and a microfiber rag to clean away spills and wipe away crumbs  and waste food from your countertops daily

On a weekly basis, you should perform a more thorough cleaning. Remove all items from your counter including appliances, fruit bowls, utensils, etc. Use the granite cleaner over the entire surface to remove dust and debris that collects around appliances. doing this will serve to condition the stone as well as maintain the shine and luster over time.

Monthly Stone Countertop Cleaning

Temporary polishes can be used periodically to enhance the shine in natural stone and granite. These types of polishes are not for maintenance or repair and they are not what make the countertop shiny. Instead, it “enhances” the shine – similar to waxing a car – improves cleaning, and provides a small amount of protection.

If your granite countertop has become dull for some reason you will most likely need to consult a professional as no chemical or product will restore damage to a granite surface.

Yearly Stone Countertop Cleaning

You will likely know when it is time to reseal your granite countertops as you will start to see water around the sink darkens the stone instead of beading. This means that the moisture is absorbing and the surface requires resealing. Sealant is needed for whatever finish you have on your countertop. The most common marble finishes are either polished, for a high-gloss surface, or honed, which produces a softer matte surface.

Applying a penetrating sealant is easy. Simply clean and dry the surface and just wipe the sealant on with a soft cloth. with normal use, your sealant will generally last you a year before it needs to be reapplied. As long as you don’t ill-tread your marble countertop the sealant should last you a year. Once you start to notice that water no longer beads off the surface its time to re-apply the sealant.

If you find that your stone has become stained beyond what your at-home methods can handle, then consider using the service if a professional stone restoration and cleaning company such as Marble & Granite Connection

If you are looking to remodel your home, then you’ve probably come across ads for quartz kitchen or bathroom countertops during your google searches. But have you ever wondered where quartz comes from and how it’s turned into the gorgeous countertops in kitchens across the globe? If your curiosity has been peaked then read on to find out just how do they do that. In this blog, we will examine how quartz is made and try to provide and show why it has become a popular choice for home renovations and new construction

What is Quartz?

Unlike many artificial compounds, quartz is a naturally occurring mineral – among the most common minerals on earth. According to geologists, you can find quartz in a wide variety of rocks, in different shapes and sizes. It even makes up much of the composition of those gorgeous white sand beaches that we all love so much. It comes in crystalline form or small masses of globe-shaped stone.

Where Does Quartz Come From?

Quartz is generally mined from veins. In its purest form, it’s transparent in color – but the mineral itself can come in many different colors. Large deposits are routinely found in the United States, Brazil, and other countries around the globe.

How is Quartz Manufactured?

Quartz is a hard mineral, but it’s almost useless for manufacturing unless bonded with another mineral or some other substance. Typically, manufacturers mix quartz with a small amount of chemicals, stone, or glass to improve appearance, blend them together in special mixers, and then pour the composite substance into a mold to create the slabs used for kitchen countertops and other home features. Those slabs are then baked at extreme temperatures to create the durable, non-porous material we find in many homes.

The great advantage of quartz is the consistent color and pattern which you can’t get from a piece of granite. If taken care of, a quartz countertop can last you a lifetime without ever breaking. Stay away from harsh chemicals as they may cause the color to fade and reduce the bond between the resins and quartz.

Is Quartz Environmentally-Friendly?

When you think of sourcing materials such as quartz from the earth, you’ll immediately think of the environmental impact. Thankfully, quartz is in ample supply all across the world, and it’s blended with waste by-products of other manufacturing processes to form the end product. There is no natural stone explicitly quarried for the manufacturing of quartz kitchen countertops.

You can rest assured in the fact that selecting quartz for your countertops and surfaces for your home has a lesser impact on the environmental impact than choosing natural stone, a limited and non-renewable resource.

Although it’s not entirely stone, quartz a great substitute and can be used in various places around the home apart from the kitchen. It is an affordable method of experiencing the aesthetics of natural stone. And is a wise investment in your home and kitchen as the material is designed to last a long time.

Get Quart Countertops in South Florida

Marble and Granite connection is the premier supplier of quartz countertops in South Florida. When you are ready to remodel your kitchen or build one from scratch, contact us to speak with a knowledgeable quartz expert. Call us at 954-783-2118 or contact us here.

Is Marble Hard to Clean?

So, you’ve decided to remodel your kitchen. You’ve looked at cupboards, sifted through Pinterest, and decided on appliances. The next big question is what kind of countertop will you choose? After much thought you select marble. Installation day comes and your brand new custom marble countertops are ready to become the focal part of your kitchen and the envy of your neighbors.

Now that you have these stunning marble counters how do you keep them clean? Florida homeowners are often times scared at the prospect of how to clean their marble countertops. In this blog, we will look at how to clean your marble counter and keep them looking shiny and new.

How Do You Clean Marble Counters?

Cleaning marble countertops and backsplashes is actually simpler than you’d think, but, as with maintaining any surface (especially ones that get as much traffic as a countertop), you need to know what you’re dealing with. Daily marble cleaning should be part of your kitchen cleaning routine but there are some special Jedi Cleaning tactics you need to summon when your neighbor “accidentally” pours too much wine into her glass and spills an entire bottle of Malbec across the length of your beautiful, white marble island. Then there are the times when your little bundle of joy wants to feed themselves and end up feeding spaghetti sauce to your marble counter. Not to worry, after reading this blog you will become a marble cleaning pro—here’s how to clean marble and make it stay that way.

Marble is more porous than most other countertop materials such as soapstone, quartz, and even wood. As a result, it can be more susceptible to etching (tiny surface scratches), staining, and even changes to the stone itself. Because of this, you will want to perform regular cleaning and sealing on your marble counters.

Sealing Your Pompano Beach Marble Countertops

Regardless of what type of marble you select it is super important that you have it sealed once every few months. While sealants do not make the stone impervious to stain, they do ad a defensive layer and help to make the stone stain-resistant. This layer will give you a bit more time to grab a rag or towel and clean up that spill before it has the opportunity to stain the stone. It is always a good idea to invest in some coasters and placemats for those high traffic areas like breakfast bars and coffee counters.

Daily Cleaning of Your Marble Countertops

For routine daily cleaning, and to pick up occasional spills it is best to use warm soapy water and a non-abrasive sponge or cloth. Note that marble does not like acid so stay away from cleaning agents that contain acids, also stay away from citrus (lemons) and vinegar-based cleaners.

How to Clean Stains On Marble Counters

For those times that you don’t catch those pesky spills and they are allowed to settle on your marble surface, not to worry, all hope is not lost. For most food stains it’s recommended that you use a solution of a few drops of ammonia and 12% hydrogen peroxide. For oil-based foods such as salad dressings and vinaigrettes, a mixture of detergent and acetone can be used to gently dissolve the oils.

How To Correct Etching

Scratches are inevitable, after all, it’s a home and not a museum, so your marble countertops will be used.  For light scratches, you can try buffing the area with a dry #0000 steel wool, however, if the scratches are any deeper than surface level we recommend that you call in a professional to assess the area and perform maintenance. Marble & Granite Connection not only sells marble countertops we also provide professional re-sealing and maintenance services in South Florida.

The etching issue also gives marble the reputation of being finicky and hard to clean. Yes, you don’t want to use some common and acidic natural cleaners like vinegar and lemon juice. But other than that, marble is just like other natural stones: durable, easy-wearing, and really easy to clean.

Get Marble Countertops In Pompano Beach

When you’re ready to get a quality marble countertop installed on your kitchen, contact the professional team at Marble & Granite Connection today! Marble & Granite Connection has been providing quality countertops for many years, making us one of the most experienced and established marble, granite, and quartz countertops providers in all of South Florida. We are confident that when you choose Marble & Granite Connection for your marble countertops, you’ll be absolutely happy with our work. To get a quote contact us today at 954-783-2118 or click here to drop us a line.

Quartz countertops are nonporous, making it a popular choice for homeowners looking to remodel their kitchens. Most homeowners believe that quartz countertops do not stain and are maintenance-free. The truth is while quartz is not porous, red wine can still stain the surface. White countertops are the most affected as the red stains are likely to show.

How Does Red Wine Stain Quartz Countertops?

While quartz countertops are more stain-resistant than marble or granite, this does not mean that homeowners should take quartz to be stain-proof and not take care of their counters. In fact, it is recommended that you treat all spills immediately to avoid any possibility of stain build-up. Red wine stains on quartz countertops are rare than on granite and marble countertops.

How Are Quartz Countertops Made

Quartz countertops are engineered stones so, in essence, you can say they are manmade. Quartz is made by blending ground quartz stone with resins, polymers, and pigments. This allows manufacturers to make Quartz countertops in a variety of colors. The result is a tightly bonded and strong material. While the ground quartz material is nonporous, the resins and polymers are not. Therefore, after long exposure to red wine, the resins might get discolored. Discoloration occurs when the resins react with the red wine to form a chemical that stains the surface. In most cases, however, red wine will discolor the resins without any reactions. The good thing with quartz countertops is that the stain does not absorb and is only formed on the surface of the countertop. This way, it is easier to remove, unlike natural stone countertops.

How to Remove Red Wine Stain from Quartz Countertop

When a stain forms, you will need to know how to remove a red wine stain from a quartz countertop. So, how do you remove a red wine stain from a quartz countertop?

Elbow grease – Scrub It Off

Scrubbing the stain works perfectly to remove a red wine stain from quartz countertops since the stain only forms on the surface of the countertop. All you need is a nylon pad or a brush that will not introduce scratch marks on the surface of the countertop. When scrubbing, ensure that you do not use a harsh abrasive as it will lead to further damage on the countertop surface.

Wax On Wax Off – Clean With a Glass Cleaner or Magic Eraser

This is another simple method on how to get red wine out of a quartz countertop. A glass cleaner and a non-abrasive nylon scrub pad are used to scrub off the stain. Glass cleaners work perfectly in instances where the stain is mild and only on the surface of the counter.

You can also use a magic eraser to remove a red wine stain from a quartz countertop. However, before you use a magic eraser, test it on a small section of the countertop to ensure that it does not cause further damage such as making the surface dull.

Bleach the Surface

Mild bleach works perfectly on white countertops to remove red wine stain on a quartz countertop. Start by mixing eight parts of water with one part bleach. Spray the bleach on the stain and then wipe it off. Be sure not to leave the bleach on the surface of the countertop as it may cause further damage.

Unlike stains from chemicals, red wine on a quartz countertop does not cause permanent staining. The stain will be dark or the same color as the wine and will only be on the surface. Using the methods outlined above, therefore, you should be able to remove the stain completely.

How to Avoid Wine Stain on Quartz Countertop

Because quartz countertops are nonporous, the wine stain will not absorb and will therefore not cause permanent staining. However, it is also not advisable to let wine stains sit on the surface of your countertop as frequent cleaning might dull the surface of the countertop. Again, if the stain is spread over a large area, scrubbing it might cause the countertop to develop scratches. You need to care for your countertop now that you know the answer to the question, does red wine stain quartz countertops?

Wipe Off Spills Immediately

Because quartz countertops do not absorb liquids, a stain will only be formed if wine spills sit on the surface of the countertop for long. As such, if you were popping a bottle of wine and it spilled on the surface, wipe it off with a wet cloth and dry with a soft dry fabric.

Use the Right Cleaning Products

The cleaning products you use determine whether stains develop on your countertop. You need to use products formulated especially for quartz, granite, or marble. Other cleaners may remove fresh stains but end up bleaching the resins in your quartz countertop. If you do not know the products to use, you can call the manufacturer and confirm the most appropriate cleaning products. At all times, avoid acidic cleaners and instead use alkaline cleaners. For bleach, only use a mild one and avoid leaving it on the surface for long.

Does Sealing Help Prevent Formation of Red Wine Stain on Quartz Countertop?

Unlike natural stone countertops granite and marble, quartz countertops are nonporous. As such, they do not need sealing as liquids do not absorb. Whether sealed or unsealed wine stains will still form on the surface if spills are left to sit on the surface for a long time. Again, some sealing compounds might discolor the surface of your countertop or create a haze.

Get Quartz Countertops In South Florida

When you’re ready to get a quality quartz countertop installed on your kitchen, contact the professional team at Marble & Granite Connection today! Marble & Granite Connection has been providing quality countertops for many years, making us one of the most experienced and established marble, granite, and quartz countertops providers in all of South Florida. We are confident that when you choose Marble & Granite Connection for your quartz countertops, you’ll be absolutely happy with our work. To get a quote contact us today at 954-783-2118 or click here to drop us a line.