Everyday cleaning, what to avoid and how to shift common stains — surface by surface — so your worktops still look new in ten years.
Quartz is the easiest of the lot. For everyday cleaning, wipe with warm soapy water or a mild household spray and buff dry with a soft cloth. Avoid anything strongly alkaline or acidic and steer clear of abrasive scourers, which can dull the polish. The one real rule: never put a hot pan straight onto quartz — the resin can scorch or discolour under high heat, so always use a trivet. Quartz is non-porous, so it never needs sealing.
Clean granite with warm water and a little washing-up liquid, or a cleaner made for natural stone, then dry to avoid water marks. Avoid acidic cleaners like neat lemon juice or vinegar, which can etch and dull the surface over time. Granite is sealed on installation; a quick water test — does a drop bead on top or slowly soak in? — tells you when it’s due a re-seal, typically every year or two depending on use.
Marble is the most characterful surface and the most demanding. It’s softer than granite and reacts to acids — wine, citrus, tomato and vinegar can etch it if left, leaving dull marks. Wipe spills promptly, use boards and coasters, clean only with a pH-neutral stone cleaner, and keep it sealed. Many people grow to love the lived-in patina marble develops; if you want it pristine forever, quartz is the safer choice.
Quartzite is a hard natural stone — treat it like granite: mild soapy water, no harsh acids, and a periodic seal. Dekton is ultra-compact and virtually bomb-proof: non-porous, heat- and UV-stable, needing nothing more than a wipe. Neither needs special products for day-to-day cleaning.
For most marks, a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water left on for a few minutes, then wiped away, lifts everyday staining without scratching. Grease responds to a mild degreasing spray; limescale around taps to a stone-safe cleaner rather than a harsh descaler. For a stubborn stain on granite or marble, a specialist stone poultice draws it out — ask us and we’ll point you to the right product.
Quartz and Dekton never need sealing. Granite and quartzite are sealed on installation and benefit from re-sealing every one to two years, or whenever the water test shows the drop soaking in rather than beading. Marble is more porous and is worth sealing more often. It’s a five-minute job with a wipe-on sealer.
Wipe with warm soapy water or a mild household spray and buff dry. Avoid abrasive scourers and strong acids or alkalis, and never put a hot pan straight on quartz — always use a trivet. Quartz never needs sealing.
No — bleach, ammonia and abrasive powders dull polished stone over time. Stick to warm soapy water or a cleaner made for natural stone.
Granite is sealed on installation and benefits from re-sealing every one to two years. A quick water test tells you when: if a drop soaks in rather than beading on top, it’s due.
A paste of bicarbonate of soda and water left on for a few minutes lifts most everyday marks. For a stubborn stain, a specialist stone poultice draws it out — and always blot acidic spills like wine or citrus quickly, as they can etch marble.
Thinking about new worktops? We supply and fit quartz, granite and marble from our Sheffield workshop, across South Yorkshire and UK-wide. See our worktop cost guide, get a free quote or call 0114 278 8525.
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