Will your quartz countertop stain? Most homeowners prefer quartz to granite thanks to its nonporous nature.
However, even though quartz is nonporous will not stain easily, stains still do occur.
According to most homeowners, quartz countertops are stain-resistant which is why they may neglect to care for their countertops.
The earlier you learn to protect your quartz countertop and understand quartz countertop stain removal, the more appealing your countertops will appear.
Why Does A Quartz Countertop Stain?
Unlike granite, quartz is a manmade stone referred to as an engineered stone.
The countertop material is a product of crushed quartz, resins, polymers, and pigments.
The resulting countertop material is nonporous which means it does not allow water and other liquids to seep through.
However, even with its nonporous nature, quartz can still stain.
The resins used in the manufacture of quartz countertop material bind everything together. These resins also make the material nonporous.
However, it is the same resins that are affected by cleaning agents, chemicals, and heat.
Unlike other countertops that stain when the material absorbs a liquid or the stain, quartz countertops stain when a chemical reacts with the resins used in the manufacture or quartz material. Some foods, cleaners, and drinks can discolor your quartz countertop.
On quartz countertops, the stain appears as a light white spot – something that looks as if someone tried to bleach out.
The advantage is that the stain is not absorbed as the countertop stays nonporous. Some foods and drinks such as tea might result in a dark looking stain.
Again, even in the instance of a dark tea stain, nothing absorbs – it is a reaction between the tea and the resins and the stain is on the surface only.
After the reaction, the resins are discolored leaving a white stain.
White quartz countertops are more susceptible to stains, which is why you need to understand white quartz countertop stain removal.
But white is not the only one affected as all other quartz colors are affected by food, cleaners, or chemicals.
You can learn more here about white quartz countertops.
Quartz Countertop Stain Removal: Simple Tips to Try at Home
It is easy to remove a granite stain, apply a poultice and the stain is removed. However, a poultice doesn’t work for stains on quartz countertops.
With a quartz countertop stain, nothing absorbs and so there is nothing to draw out.
Instead, the stain is chemical damage that appears as bleach on a surface.
Below are simple ways to remove stains on a quartz countertop.
- Scrubbing is one way of removing the stain. Use a nylon pad or a brush to scrub the stain off. However, sometimes the discoloration is permanent and scrubbing only dulls your countertop. Again, quartz is scratch-resistant and using an abrasive might not help. You need to try the abrasive on a hidden corner of the countertop before scrubbing the stain – this way, you are sure that the abrasive will not dull the surface.
- Use a Glass Cleaner: When the stain is mild, a glass cleaner and a non-abrasive nylon scrub pad will work just perfectly.
- Magic Eraser: A magic eraser works the same way as scrubbing the stain off. As such, it might dull the surface of your countertop or even cause damage to it. Before applying it on the stain, test on a hidden corner of the countertop.
- Dilute bleach: If you dilute bleach wit7h water in the ratio 1:8 (8 parts water), you can remove some mild stains from the countertop.
- Acetone: This only works for ink stains and gummy substances that stick on the surface of your countertop.
Most of the above methods will work for mild stains.
However, when bleached out stains that form from a chemical reaction between the resin and the stain might be permanent.
As such, the above quartz countertop stain removal methods might not work.
Surface stains as a result of food, water, and drinks are easy to remove with the above methods.
However, darker spots that result when the resin is damaged challenging to scrub off.
Removing water stains requires a different approach. The stains result in a dull gray film.
When cleaning water stains, avoid using acidic cleaners, lime-away or CLR.
To remove water stains, use hard water cleaners that are safe for your quartz countertop to remove the stain.
To remove soap scum, use a simple shower cleaner.
How to Avoid Quartz Countertop Stain: Simple Countertop Care Tips
The cleaner you use every day might be causing quartz countertop stains.
Since we have established that white countertop stain removal is challenging, you need to care for your countertop enough to avoid the formation of stains.
Choose only cleaners formulated for granite or quartz countertops seeing as many of the common cleaners in the market will cause the formation of stains.
Any cleaner formulated for granite or natural stone counters will not damage the resins as quartz countertops are made of 93 percent natural quartz.
When caring for your quartz countertops, avoid:
- Caustic soda, degreasers, oven cleaners, paint strippers, and any other alkaline product
- Acidic cleaners such as hydrofluoric acid, Lime-Away, CLR, or any other acidic product
- Harsh abrasives or pads: Harsh abrasives might dull the surface of the countertop, especially some brands of quartz. As such, always test before scratching.
- Bleach should be used with caution – it should not be applied during normal cleaning. Even when you dilute it to clean a specific spot, do not leave it on the surface for long. Just like bleach, acetone should not be left to stand on the countertop surface for long.
Conclusion
Does quartz countertop stain?
It stains especially when you leave chemicals standing on its surface for longer than a few minutes.
However, with all factors considered, quartz is a great kitchen countertop.
While the stains are rare, they still do happen.
Even with the formation of stains, quartz is still the most durable kitchen and bathroom countertop.
Note that, with good care, the resins in your countertop will not react with chemicals and your countertop will not stain.
However, if the stain still develops, try the different quartz countertop stain removal methods to remove it.