How to Maintain the Natural Beauty of Marble & Granite

With the proper care, your marble and granite products will stay looking new year after year. Stone is one of the most permanent and easiest to maintain of all surfacing materials. It is so easy, in fact, that routinely all you have to do is to give it a quick wipe with a cloth and clean water or methylated spirits.

This is your guide to preserving the beauty of your installation. Follow these simple pointers and maintain the beauty of your marble and granite with a minimum of care.

Occasional Cleaning

Periodic wiping with clean water or methylated spirits and a cloth is generally sufficient to keep your marble and granite installation looking like new. Do not use detergents acids or caustic for cleaning.

Caution:
All marble and granite products from Accent on Stone have already been sealed prior to leaving our factory. But some care has to be taken with natural stone. Juices containing acidic products, strong detergents, corrosive liquids or scouring powders can react on the surface leaving residues and dull the polished marble and granite surface.

Wine, ink or oil still can penetrate into the marble or granite surface if left over time.
So in order to avoid permanent stains, wipe it immediately and do not leave it overnight.

Sealers:

Sealers can be applied periodically depending on the wear and tear of the material and the porosity of the material, such as marble, granite or limestones.

Engineered Stone Care & Maintenance Manual

Engineered stone is a 91%-95% quartz based product that has outstanding properties to ensure ease of maintenance and longevity of your surfaces. It will withstand exposure to tea, soda, wine, vinegar, lemon juice and strong spices. It does not require sealing.
With the proper care, your engineered stone products will stay looking new, year after year. Engineered stone is one of the most permanent and easiest to maintain of all surfacing materials. It is so easy, in fact, that routinely all you have to do is to give it a quick wipe with a cloth and clean water.

This is your guide to preserving the beauty of your installation. Follow these simple pointers and maintain the beauty of your engineered stone with a minimum of care.


Stubborn stains or dried spills
To clean we recommend water and a mild detergent. If however, you wish to give a more thorough clean, Jif or Ajax powder with a plastic scourer can be used without damaging the stone. Bleach and acetone can also be used if required to remove stubborn marks. To remove adhered materials like food, gum, nail polish, first scrape away the excess with a sharp blade. If there are any grey metal marks on the surface, one of the regular cleaning agents will remove it.

Heat resistance
Engineered stone and marble can tolerate moderately hot temperatures for brief periods of time without warping, discolouring, or otherwise being damaged. Care should be taken to avoid direct contact for a prolonged time.

Polishing
Engineered stone and marble is non-porous and will keep its lustrous gloss and ultra smooth surface without polishing.

Tough, but not indestructible
As with any surface, engineered stone and marble can be permanently damaged by exposure to strong chemicals and solvents that undermine its physical properties. Do not use products that contain trichlorethane or methylene chloride, such as paint removers or strippers. Avoid any highly aggressive cleaning agents like oven cleaners that have a high alkaline/PH levels. Should the surface be accidentally exposed to any of these damaging products, rinse immediately with water to neutralise the effect.

Preventing Damage

Avoid exposing stone counters to strong chemicals such as oven cleaners, oil, paint removers, fruit juices, or any other acidic liquid. If spills do occur, wash quickly with clear water.
Do not use your counter top as a cutting board. This can cause permanent deep scratching.
Avoid dropping heavy or sharp objects on the counter as chips and cracks cannot be easily repaired.
Do not use oil-based cleaners, i.e. turpentine, kerosene, etc.
Avoid placing excessively hot items on counter tops.
Cleaning Recommendations
As with any other product, clean regularly. Once your stone counter has been sealed it is relatively easy to keep clean. Most common household cleaning products will help retain the natural beauty of stone.

Do not use abrasive cleaners.
A cleaning suggestion – Wash with clean hot water and Methylated Spirits
(10 parts water to 1 part Methylated Spirits). Wipe surface dry with soft clean
cloth after cleaning