Natural Stone Care & Maintenance
Cleaning
- Use a neutral cleaner, stone soap, or a mild liquid dishwashing detergent and warm water to clean stone surfaces.
- An excessive concentration of cleaner or soap, like any other object in your home, may leave a film and trigger streaks. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- For best results, clean surfaces with a soft cloth.
- After washing with the soap solution, thoroughly rinse the surface and dry with a soft cloth.
- The rinse water should be changed on a regular basis.
- Soap scum may be reduced in the bath or other wet areas by squeegeeing after each use. Using a non-acidic soap scum remover to get rid of soap scum.
- To extract algae or moss from an outdoor pool, patio, or hot tub, flush with clear water and a mild bleach solution.
Cleaning Products to Use
Stone cleaning materials are available from a variety of vendors. Calcareous stones may be dulled or etched by products containing lemon, vinegar, or other acids. Abrasives are commonly used in scouring powders and creams, which can scratch some stones.
Hydrofluoric (HF) acid is used in many commercially available rust removers (laundry rust stain removers, toilet bowl cleaners). This acid eats away at silicates and other minerals. When exposed to HF, all stones, including granite and quartzite, are susceptible to damage.
Sealing
What do you do if a spill occurs?
Spills will happen no matter how cautious you are. Spills can be prevented from damaging your stone or the sealer with fast action and the right solutions.
Food Spills
Use a plastic spoon to scoop up the spilled food. Blot with dry, white cloth. Spray the area with a cleaner and wipe off excess with a clean cloth.
Liquid Spills
Blot away the excess with a clean, dry, white cloth; turning the cloth frequently. Spray the area with a cleaner.
Mud
Let the mud stain dry completely. Remove dried mud with a soft plastic or nylon brush. Spray the affected area with a cleaner. Wipe dry with a clean cloth. If the stain remains, contact a professional cleaner.
Oily stains
If you identify the stain as having an oil base (from foods like salad and cooking oils, butter, or some cosmetic) you may be able to remove the stain using a poultice. We recommend StoneTech Professional Oil Stain Remover (www.stonetechpro.com). This easy-to-use poultice is designed to slowly remove oily stains from natural stone surfaces.
Choosing Edge
Edge Options
Care
Avoiding Cracks
Do not sit or lean on weaker points in your countertop, such as the narrow area in front of the sink or cooktop. Avoid standing or sitting on suspended tabletops such as breakfast bars or shelves. Granite can withstand very hot temperatures, however, rapid heat changes from cold to hot or vice versa could possibly crack your granite countertop.
Avoiding Chips
Chips in granite are not a common occurrence and are most often caused by banging something into the edge of the countertop. Heavy pots and pans and the bottoms of large bottles do most of the damage. Take care when you handle them around your granite. If a chip does occur and you find the piece that chipped out, save it. Most of the time it can be glued back into place.
Avoiding Scratches
Granite is quartz based material and can therefore be scratched by quartz or anything harder. Knives will not scratch granite, although cutting on your countertops is not recommended as your knives will dull very quickly. Diamonds will scratch granite. Removing diamond rings before cooking is recommended. Certain stoneware dishes contain rough silica sand and pose a risk of scratching. Some pizza-stones will scratch granite if they are spun around while cutting the pizza. If you use a marble cutting board make sure the rubber or plastic feet remain secure. If the marble ends up rubbing on the granite this does pose a scratching risk.
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Engineered Stone Care & Maintenance
Quartz surface requires very little maintenance to retain its color and shine, although certain rules should still be observed. If treated correctly Quartz surface should last you for many years to come.Cleaning
Any multi-purpose cleaner or detergent can be used if diluted. To remove adhered materials like food, gum, nail polish, dried paint, etc, first scrape away the excess with a sharp blade. If there are any grey metal marks on the surface, a regular cleaning agent will remove them. Quartz surface has a high resilience to staining from Tea, soda, wine, vinegar, lemon juice, and strongly colored spices, however these substances should be cleaned off as soon as possible to avoid problems. Just wipe away with a little liquid detergent and a damp cloth, and the surface is like new.Avoiding Cracks
Do not sit or lean on weaker points in your countertop, such as the narrow area in front of the sink or cook top. Avoid standing or sitting on suspended tabletops such as breakfast bars or shelves. Quartz surface can withstand very hot temperatures, however, rapid heat changes from cold to hot or vice versa could possibly crack your countertop. If you have a seam in your countertop it is best to avoid setting hot materials on top of it. The epoxy in the seam is heat resistant, but can be melted if exposed to heat for an extended period.Avoiding Scratches
Quartz surface has a high resistance to scratches but should be cared for in the same way as granite. Do not cut directly on the Quartz surface unless you want to ruin your good knives and possibly scratch your new worktop. Under normal working conditions in a kitchen there will not be a problem. If this is a major concern we will be happy to give you a sample of the Quartz surface color you have chosen for you to test it’s suitability for your everyday use. Always cut and chop on a wooden, glass or plastic cutting board to avoid any damage. Like any solid surface, high impact blows can harm your Quartz surface worktop and it can chip if subjected to sharp hard objects.
Granite Sink Care & Maintenance
Daily cleaning may be done with any non-abrasive cleaner (i.e. BLANCOCLEAN Composite Sink Cleaner). After every use, rinse and wipe the sink dry with a clean, soft cloth to eliminate any water spots or soap film build-ups.Removing Stains And Minor Scuff Marks
Normal Stains – For stains, please use BLANCOCLEAN, along with a soft scouring pad. Stubborn Stains – A solution of 50% bleach, 50% water should only be used for tough, stubborn stains. Let the solution sit in the bottom of the sink for one hour; then scrub. Rinse well. Also, the use of Bar Keepers Friend (directions included on bottle) will help remove stubborn stains. Finally, clean with BLANCOCLEAN to put a protective coating back on the sink’s surface.Luster
BLANCOCLEAN can be used to help bring back the luster. Follow the directions on the bottle.Miscellaneus
To remove Calcium Deposits (a white ring around the bottom of your sink): use LIME AWAY To remove Adhesive Labels: use Acetone (nail polish remover) Note: Always test non-Blanco branded stain remover in a small, non-visible locationWhat not to use?
Do not use any abrasive cleaning agents or scrub pads, such as Steel Wool Straight bleach Commercial alkalis, such as ammonia and/or caustic solutions Drain blocking chemicals that involve filling the sink with water Note: Always test non-Blanco branded stain remover in a small, non-visible locationSatinless Stell Sink Care & Maintenance
“The Do’s”
The best form of maintenance is frequent, regular cleanings. A little bit of cleaning on a regular basis is preferable to a major cleaning on a sporadic basis.
The best method of preventative maintenance is to ensure that the sink is clean, dry and exposed to room atmosphere when not in use. Rinse and towel dry the sink after each use in order to minimize major cleanups, keeping it shiny and relatively free of water spots. This is particularly appropriate where water may have a high mineral content.
Should a mineral deposit build up over time, it may be removed with vinegar, Line-Away or CLR, followed by flushing the surface with water. To clean your sink, use the mildest procedure that will do the job effectively. On the mirror finish deck we recommend using either a liquid detergent or metal polish, such as Peek with a soft cloth. DO NOT USE ANY ABRASIVE MATERIALS ON THE MIRROR FINISH.
Inside the sink bowl we recommend using a mild abrasive cleanser such as Old Dutch, Comet or Cameo. Always rinse the sink after using a cleaning agent, and wipe the sink dry to discourage any water spotting. Any cleaning or scrubbing to remove stubborn stains from the inside of the sink bowls, should follow the direction of the grain line. Any scrubbing across the grain will show as a scratch. Scrubbing in the same direction as the grain will blend in any surface scratches.
“The Don’ts”
Steel wools pads should never be used to clean your sink as they will leave a residue of small iron particles. They may not even be readily visible, but they most certainly will lead to rusting and corrosion of the sink. ScotchBrite scouring pads are available for this purpose. For similar reasons do not leave any mild steel or cast iron cookware or implements anywhere on the sink for extended periods of time. The combined presence of iron and moisture with stainless steel can only lead to staining of the sink.
Do not leave rubber dish mats, wet sponges, or cleaning pads in the sink overnight as they will trap water which could lead to staining and discoloration of the sink. The unique properties of stainless steel are dependent upon exposure of the surface to the atmosphere.
Never use abrasive pads or cleaners on the mirror finish deck of the sink. They will scratch the finish. THIS INCLUDES SCOTCHBRITE PADS! THESE PADS SHOULD BE USED ONLY ON THE SIDES AND BOTTOM OF THE SINK BOWLS.
Chlorine bleach will attack the stainless steel and may cause pitting. The risk of damage is proportional to the concentration of the chlorine and the duration of exposure between the sink and the chlorine agent. Note that some bacterial soaps may contain chlorine compounds: Always dilute any antibacterial product used and wipe up any spills. Note: some bacterial soaps may contain chlorine compounds.
Any accidental contact of the sink with photographic chemicals or soldering fluxes should be addressed by an immediate rinsing and cleaning of the sink. Certain foods such as pickles, mayonnaise, mustard, and salt laden foodstuffs can cause pitting of the sink surface if left unattended for prolonged periods.
Any drain cleaning products containing sulphuric or hydrochloric acid will attack the sink. Silver dip cleaners may contain strong acids which will attack the sink.
Do not use your sink as a cutting surface. KINDRED offers hardwood cutting boards for this purpose. Stainless steel bottom grids are available for many KINDRED stainless steel sinks. These bottom grids protect the bottom of the bowl(s) from cutlery scratches, or marking from heavy kitchen utensils.
Faucet Care & Maintenance
To care for your faucet, wipe with a clean, soft, damp cloth and blot dry as often as possible. Occasionally, apply a non-abrasive polish to prevent water deposits and remove build-up of household soaps, creams, and sprays to all finishes.
NEVER use abrasive cleaners or pads, or chemical cleaners of any kind (including window cleaner) on any product with a protective coating or custom finish. Such cleaners will attack the protective coating and use will void the finish warranty.
