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HanStone Quartz is easy to maintain. It is a non-porous material that is highly resistant to stain, scratches and heat. However, it is not stain, scratch, or heat proof. Following the proper care and maintenance recommended by your professional HanStone Quartz distributor or installer, to keep the HanStone Quartz surface beautiful for many years.
Routine Care & Maintenance
Simply clean with soap and water on a regular basis to keep the lustrous gloss and radiant sheen. Use warm water and a damp cloth with a small amount of non-abrasive cleaner that does not contain bleach.
Although HanStone Quartz is resistant to stain, spills should be cleaned as soon as possible. Liquid spills and stains from fruits, vegetables, or other foods should be wiped up and cleaned with soap and water.
Preventing Damages
Heat
HanStone Quartz is designed to be resistant to heat and can withstand exposure to normal cooking environment for brief periods of time without being damaged. Although HanStone Quartz withstands heat better than most surfacing materials on the market, all surfacing materials, including stone, can be damaged by extreme temperature changes, whether prolonged or sudden. Trivets and hot pads should be used when placing hot skillets, pans, crock-pots or other heat generating kitchenware on the surface.
Scratches
HanStone Quartz's durable surface is designed to withstand normal use. While it is resistant to scratches, cuts, and chipping, cutting directly on the quartz surface should be avoided. Using cutting boards and taking care not to drop or move heavy objects on the surface will help to ensure long-lasting beauty.
Chemical
Avoid exposing HanStone Quartz to any strong chemicals and solvents. It is important to note that some of these chemicals and solvents can be found in household items like paint removers, paint and stain strippers that contain trichlorethane or methylene chloride, nail polish removers, bleach, furniture cleaners, oil soaps, permanent markers or inks, and chemicals with high alkaline/PH levels (oven cleaners, drain openers, etc.). Avoid using cleaning products that contain oils, powders or abrasives.
Although long-term or frequent exposure must be avoided at all times, the following products may be used with short-term exposure (removing and rinsing immediately after application with water) to clean difficult stains or residues. Always handle such cleaning agents with care and rinse the applied surface with water completely afterwards.
**All products must have all excess removed immediately after application with water and cloth. Prolonged exposure may ruin the surface of the slab.**
Chemicals to Avoid
The below list of chemicals should be avoided with HanStone Quartz; however, the below list is not a complete list, and there may be other chemicals not listed here that may damage HanStone Quartz. The effect of any chemical usage on HanStone Quartz is ultimately dependent on the type of chemical, the length of exposure, and the degree of concentration.
- Oil soaps, bluing agents, dyes, stains, paint thinner or strippers.
- Solvents such as acetone, nail polish, lacquer thinner, or bleach (short-term exposure is acceptable for purpose of cleaning difficult stains-based on removing and rinsing applied area within 5 minutes).
- Chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethylene or methylene chloride
- Benzene, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone
- Concentrated acids such as hydrocyanic acid, hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid.
- Chemicals with high alkaline/PH levels (pH > 10)
**If any of the substance listed come into contact with HanStone Quartz, rinse with plenty of water and follow routine cleaning procedures immediately.
Removing Difficult Spills
On stubborn or dried spills where routine cleaning procedures do not work, use a non-abrasive cleaning pad along with the following recommended cleaners:
Recommended cleaners:
- Simple Green
- 10x Stone Polish
- Magic Eraser by Mr. Clean
- Soap and Water
- Denatured Alcohol
- Hopes Surface cleaner
- Rock Doctor cleaner
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Vetrazzo® Care and Maintenance
The Basics
Vetrazzo is an extremely durable and easy-to-maintain surface. It’s comparable to
granite in strength, scratch resistance, heat resistance, durability, and care and
maintenance.
Will it stain? Vetrazzo is less likely to stain than marble and concrete and
equivalent to some granite. But you do have to care for it.
85% of the surface is glass, which is impervious to stain. However, acids (like red
wine, lemon juice and vinegar) will etch the matrix of the surface (the concrete
area between glass) if not cleaned up right away. And staining agents (like coffee
and tea) will leave a trace if allowed to remain on the surface for a prolonged
period.
Luckily, like aged butcher block, marble, and concrete, signs of living can actually
enhance the character of the surface. If you clean messes up quickly, your
Vetrazzo will remain unchanged. If you are more carefree, you may appreciate the
natural patina that develops as you live with and enjoy your Vetrazzo. Also, dark
mixes and those with patina hide the signs of a carefree lifestyle remarkably well.
Need a lot of maintenance? No. It’s mostly glass. Keep it clean with soap and
water, (avoiding harsh abrasives). When the mood strikes you, buff it with a wax a
few times a year and reseal it once every year or two. Pretty simple.
Can you cut on it? Sure, but you’ll dull your knife.
Can you put a hot pot on it? Yep. It’s glass and concrete. As with any sealed
surface, prolonged excessive heat could compromise the sealant. So if you do this
often, be sure to reseal periodically.
Durable? You bet. Vetrazzo installations are in buildings that have seen millions of
visitors since they’ve been installed and show no signs of wear.
Can you dance on it? We’ll leave that up to you. (Careful not to slip!).
Dwell magazine referred to it as ‘‘‘‘a superhero of the countertop world. ‘‘‘‘a superhero of the countertop world.’’’’ ’’’’
Need we say more?
Vetrazzo® Care and Maintenance
The Details
Caring for Vetrazzo surfaces is easy and comparable to caring for natural stone. The following
are suggestions for keeping your Vetrazzo as gorgeous as when it was first installed.
Sealing
Sealants are used on a variety of surfaces such as granite, concrete and Vetrazzo to create a
barrier to common household staining agents like red wine and coffee. When your Vetrazzo
is fabricated and installed by a Vetrazzo Fabricator, this sealant will be applied during
installation in your home.
We recommend you re-apply the sealant every year or two, depending on the color of the
Vetrazzo mix you choose and just how carefree you prefer to be. It’s as easy as wiping it on,
letting it sit for 20 minutes or so, and wiping it off.
Good sealants are also available VOC-free if you’re concerned about off-gassing.
Maintenance
Of course, the best way to maintain any surface is to wipe up regularly and not let the
common household offenders - such as coffee, tea, red wine, vinegar and citrus - sit too long.
Dark Vetrazzo mixes, such as any patina mixes, show little sign of wear and hide nearly
anything you may throw their way.
To keep the ‘‘just like new’’ finish, apply a protective wax to the surface after installation, and
a couple times a year thereafter. We recommend Goddard's Marble Wax or a comparable
product. These products are inexpensive and readily available at your local hardware store.
The wax barrier provides additional reaction time for wiping up staining agents before they
can do damage.
A simple test can help determine the state of the wax layer --- if a bead of water is absorbed
by the surface, it’s time to apply a coat. Follow the product manufacturer’s
recommendations.
Some common household chemicals and solvents can damage the surface. The worst
offenders are:
• Abrasive cleaners (like Comet and Spic and Span)
• Rust/paint removers
• Lacquer thinner
• Fingernail polish remover
• Other Solvents
• Oven/metal/toilet/tile and drain cleaners
If contact with any of these materials should occur, wipe up immediately and wash the area
thoroughly with a mild soap solution. Rinse with water. Vetrazzo® Care and Maintenance
Vetrazzo is resistant to common household stains but, like granite, it can be damaged or
stained by prolonged exposure to foods with high acidic content or strong staining
properties such as lemon juice, other citrus juices, wine and coffee. These acids may etch the
surface causing a dull appearance. This can be easily repaired by an authorized fabricator.
If stain removal is necessary, you may either engage a professional fabricator, or you may
want to try and remove the stain yourself using a poultice. The following is a common,
effective poultice recipe. More than one application may be necessary.
• Non-scented, non-oiled Talcum powder, which can be found at most large
supermarkets or pharmacies
• Hydrogen Peroxide (full strength)
Mix the Talcum powder and Hydrogen Peroxide together creating a thick paste, apply to
stain and cover with cling film, e.g. Saran Wrap. Tape edges of film to surface, this slows the
drying time allowing the poultice to draw out the staining agent. Be sure to use a low tack
tape that will not leave a residue.
It may take 2-3 days to allow the poultice to dry completely. Once dry, scrape off the poultice
with a razor blade; be careful not to scratch the surface, inspect the area and repeat if
necessary.
Important! Re-apply sealant and wax after stain removal
Be sure to re-apply sealant after stain removal according to the manufacturer’s instructions;
as mentioned above, we recommend StoneTech’s Impregnator Pro. After the re-sealant
process is completed and the sealant has dried, apply and buff a protective wax; as
mentioned above, we recommend Goddard's Marble wax.
Repairs
Vetrazzo is extremely durable, and may never need repair. However, should it become
damaged and you need it repaired, contact your Vetrazzo Fabricator.
Just like if an edge of granite was damaged, if a piece of glass chips out of the edge, keep the
glass if you can. The fabricator can re-adhere it. If the glass is not available, don’t worry. The
fabricator can still repair it. |
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SILESTONE MAINTENANCE
For Silestone Quartz with a polished finish, we recommend you use a mild household cleaner, such as 409®, Fantastik®, Lysol®, or Windex®. In case of stubborn spills or stains, soak the area for up to 10 minutes with one of the above cleaners and vigorously wipe away with a non scratch Scotch Brite® pad.
Silestone® Leather™ does show daily living more frequently and therefore requires more daily maintenance than other Silestone Quartz products. For your daily cleaning routine we recommend Countertop Magic™ follow instructions on bottle of cleaner.
The natural quartz in Silestone makes it the toughest interior surface available on the market. It resists scratching, staining and scorching better than any other natural stone or solid surface. Do avoid excessive force or pressure because that may mar or chip the surface. Don't worry about spills from coffee, wine, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, makeup, and many other common household products; just avoid harsh chemicals. And don't worry about dropping a lit match onto your Silestone countertop; it won't scorch. But, use trivets when placing any hot items to avoid thermal shock.
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