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Quartz Countertop Stain

by Joseph
(Dublin, Ireland)

Quartz Countertop Stain

Quartz Countertop Stain

QUESTION:

I have a HanStone quartz counter top. Tea stains it. The manufacturer has told me to leave a soap/water solution to seep in and then clean it. But I thought quartz is non porous and should not stain. Is there a sealer I should use for quartz? Some of the stains are not coming out. I bought quartz to avoid this very problem. Please advise?

ANSWER:

Well, makers of quartz like to tout their product as "non-porous," but they all hedge and claim stain-resistant and not stain-proof.

Straight from HanStone website:

HanStone™ is a non-porous material that is highly resistant to stain, scratches and heat. However, it is not stain, scratch, or heat proof.

How they can legally get away with these contradictory statements is beyond me. It's unfortunate that they feel the need to be misleading, but they have to try to gain an edge somehow since granite has a long-established and better reputation.

You probably wish you knew this sooner, but there are some varieties of granite that are truly stain-proof. They are so dense that nothing gets absorbed, unless maybe a liquid was able to sit a few days without evaporating, which of course is near impossible.

If you are setting tea cup on the countertop and spills are staining, then the surface is obviously porous.

HanStone warns not to use any solvent on their countertop. This may damage the resin and color pigments. Solvents are used all the time to clean granite and marble.

Because of this, I'm a bit hesitant on making a recommendation about what you should do to clean it.

Cleaning The Stain

Typically in this situation with marble or granite I'd suggest using a poultice made with 12% hydrogen peroxide and talc to draw the stain out.

In your case, stick to 3% hydrogen peroxide (the kind you buy at the drug store) and talc powder.

Mix the talc and hp into a paste like peanut butter. Apply the poultice to the stain about 1/2 inch thick. Use plastic wrap to cover the poultice and tape down the edges with masking tape. Let the poultice sit for 24 hour and then remove the plastic, but not the poultice. Let it dry until hard.

Remove the poultice and clean with hot water. Hopefully, the stain will be gone or you'll notice improvement. Repeat if necessary.

Sealing

I would call HanStone and ask them if a sealer will damage the surface. I doubt it will, but I'm not certain. If not, then yes I'd apply MB-4 Impregnating Sealer . Follow the directions carefully and wipe the excess sealer off the surface before it dries.

Good Luck,
Ryan

granite countertop cleanerI highly recommend MB Stone Care Products to maintain all your marble, stone and granite countertops and floors in optimal condition. I've used other good products (Stone Tech, Miracle) but found MB Stone Care is the most reliable and effective.

Comments for
Quartz Countertop Stain

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Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		stain removal
by: Anonymous

Just tried the 409 and pad suggestion. Worked perfectly. Had a ring from tea pitcher. Used all different things with no luck. This suggestion was great. Thanks!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		quartz stains
by: Anonymous

it stains that is the bottom line. I have tried the solutions given here (hydrogen peroxide, etc. they don't work . Get granite
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Tomco & Don't do Quartz
by: Ryan

Yes, the lighter colored and especially white colors of quartz are the most problematic and I can understand people with these colors thinking quartz is crappy.

However, the vast majority of people who install quartz are very satisfied with it. All in all it is one of the best surfaces you can install in a kitchen.

Tomco states that it is nearly impossible to stain. True, quartz does not stain easy. The problem is that when it does stain, you really can't get it out. Surface stains can be removed as Tomco suggests, but those aren't really stains, just substances tough to clean.

You don't have to seal quartz, but many granites you don't have to seal either despite what you read that all granite must be sealed.

And as Tomco states:

"The most common household items that stain natural stone e.g. vegetable oil, water, food coloring, balsamic vinegar, red wine will not permanently stain quartz."

Well pure clean water won't stain anything and the others won't permanently stain natural stone either. But when they do stain natural stone you can remove the stain, which is not possible with most stains in quartz and that is the benefit of granite especially over quartz when there is a maintenance problem.

Otherwise quartz provides an excellent surface on par with granite.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Dont go quartz
by: Anonymous

Quartz stains. With everything. I've hd a quartz countertop for the last year and everything stains it. A small drop from cups and bangs from pots has left my Quartz countertop with chips everywhere. If you pay for white be prepared for the, as the manufacturers say "natural back marks that cant be sanded out"

Biggest and most expensive mistake I've made was installing a quartz countertop. I also, used the most expensive and reputable company, and am very delicate with things myself.

As for cleaning, be careful. As you clean even with what the manufactures say you can use, the luster of the quartz goes and sometimes stains.

If you need to fix a chip. Don't bother, it'll never look the same.

My advice, purchase Granite. Even if it comes with marks on the stone, or get stained, chipped and repaired, the surface of the granite it's look etc. is at least more forgiving.

As for calling about warranties for quartz countertop. Don't bother. They just send out contracted losers who do a chop job and make things look worse. Then the guy with his big buddy will stand there telling you how it doesn't look bad at all and bully you into being convinced.

Quartz sucks no matter what company you buy it from.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Quartz and stain resistance
by: Tomco

Quartz surfacing is 99.9% solid and nearly impossible to stain, residue on the surface
appearing as a stains is most often going to be topical. Topical stains are removed easily with a white 3m scotch brite nonabrasive scrub pad and typical household cleaners like 409 or non abrasive cleansers like bar keepers friend (available at Home Depot) We do say "stain resistant" not stain proof because there are few things (like black magic markers, bleach)that will permanently stain certain lighter quartz colors (pure white being the most vulnerable)
Quartz never needs to be sealed. Most granite does.The most common household items that stain natural stone e.g. vegetable oil, water, food coloring, balsamic vinegar, red wine will not permanently stain quartz.

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