Essential Care Instructions for Engineered Stone.

Maintenance

Cleaning engineered stone on a daily basis with a moist cloth and neutral cleaning product such as a dishwashing liquid or some vinegar with water will maintain the original surface. Specialized cleaners such as Lithofin Easy Clean for quartz composites are also available. Should more intensive cleaning be required, a mixture of warm water and CIF cream (white, neutral) is recommended; rub forcefully on the stain and remove with sufficient amounts of clean, warm water.

In a lot of cases we’ve experienced the most of the stains are formed in a kind of greasy layer on top of the stone, instead of in the surface. Material that have hardened after drying such as gum, mustard, grease, etc., should be first scrapped off with a blunt plastic scraper. The surface should then be cleaned with a solution of vinegar and water then rinsed with water. Users may also try to clean such layer by soaps or detergents.

Spilled drinks or foods should be cleaned off as quickly as possible, certainly coffee and tea because of their aggressive characteristics.

Caution:

  • Avoid using abrasive cleaners as they can damage the polished layer and cause dull surface stains
  • Avoid using abrasive sponges or steel wool as the quartz can extract the material from such items making it then difficult to clean
  • Avoid using cleaning materials that contain bleach or ammonia, or a material that has a PH value that’s greater than 10
  • Avoid using aggressive chemicals such as oven cleaners, or caustic sodas used for clearing drains, as they can potentially cause damage to the surface
  • Avoid using any silicone-based products
  • Avoid contact with marking inks or printing inks although some ink stains can be removed
  • Avoid direct contact with hot pans; quartz is highly heat resistant. However, it’s best to use a trivet in order to avoid marking the quartz.
  • Avoid direct contact with cutting knives as the quartz is harder than steel, it can extract the material from the knife and attach metal pieces to itself; also, it can dull the knife quite quickly.
  • Avoid sharp object in direct contact with quartz surface, although it is highly resistant but still possible to scratch.
  • Avoid sitting and standing directly on the slab as a large amount of extreme tension in one small area can cause cracks.
  • All under mounted sinks have to be supported by specially designed support arms. Well known in the kitchen top manufacturers market.

Possible Solutions

The following reagents show no permanent affect on sheets when left in contact for periods of 12 hours.

The chemical residues can be removed with for example a wet light duty Scotch-Brite sponge, VIM with bleach and a nonabrasive cleaner like glass & surface cleaner.

Acetic Acid
Acetic Acid (5%)
Acetone
Ammonia Washer
Benzene
Blue Berries
Butter
Citric Acid (5%)
Coke-Beverages

Coffee
Concentrated Milk
Disinfectants
Ethyl-Butyl-Acetate
Hand Cream
Household Soaps
Hydrogen-Super-Oxides (3%)
Ink
Lemon Juice

Lipstick
Mustard
Nail Polish
Nail Polish Remover
Olive Oil
Salt
Salt-Acidity (max. 3%)
Sanitary Cleaner
Shoe Polish

Soapiness Detergents
Sodium Carbonate
Sodium Hydroxide
Tea
Toothpaste
Vinegar
Water
Wine (All varieties)

The following residues may require more cleaning for complete removal (with Methanol for example):

Ball-Point Pen

Black/Paste Ink

Iodine

Soda-Lye (10%)

Attention! Stains from these materials which are completely dried out are very hard to remove.

  • In case of stubborn stains one can also try remove them with Lithofin Wax (leave the product on for 20 minutes and afterwards rinse well with clear water)
  • Damage caused by too high PH-value, bleach or some aggressive chemicals, such as oven cleaners or caustic soda for clearing drains, can be permanent and irremovable.
  • Damage caused by too hot pans, cooking pots or equipment can be permanent and irremovable.