quartz counters and heat resistance

[kristin0713]

Does anyone have quartz counters and can you tell me about heat resistance? 

They told me at the granite & quartz place that you can't put hot pots and pans directly on quartz. That is fine with me, but in doing some online research, I found info that said you should always use coasters, etc.  Is this something that I would have to worry about? Hot coffee mugs, plates directly from the microwave, the coffee carafe right off the burner?  Quartz *seemed* lower maintain until I read about this and I much prefer the color choices.  But I don't want my family to ruin our counters.  

[Katy]

Quartz is essentially sand in plastic. It’s more durable than laminate, but not much more. It doesn’t have the same feel as stone and it can absolutely be be scorched and melted. I think most stains can be sanded out, but it isn’t granite. You might look at quartzite, which is the natural stone quartz is trying to replicate.

Marble is very trendy, and while I don’t mind etched or stained marble it goes through an awkward teenage stage when it’s new where it’s starting to get etched & stained but not so much that it looks like patina. Soapstone is similarly soft but harder to ruin. 

[Clemsondana]

I grew up with laminate so I'm used to putting something under pots and pans straight from the burner or oven.  We have quartz and have liked it.  We do put a potholder or mitt or folded dishtowel under pots and pans, but definitely not under a mug.  If we can pick it up from the microwave without needing a mitt, then it's fine for the counter. So, something heated until boiling in the microwave would be picked up with a mitt and then put on something.  But, a plate heated for a minute and then gotten out to eat from would be fine.  This isn't an issue often because mostly we put hot pots and pans on the stove, but when I'm doing something like baking cookies I just use a couple of potholders or a trivet under the baking sheet.  

Edited January 6, 2022 by Clemsondana

[Ellie]

I use coasters or potholders or trivets on mine, but mostly because I always think about breakage. I have a large collection of cork thingies of all sizes. 🙂 The installer told us that something out of the microwave would not harm the quartz; something out of the oven would. I just do it for everything.

[kristin0713]

2 hours ago, Katy said:

Quartz is essentially sand in plastic. It’s more durable than laminate, but not much more. It doesn’t have the same feel as stone and it can absolutely be be scorched and melted. I think most stains can be sanded out, but it isn’t granite. You might look at quartzite, which is the natural stone quartz is trying to replicate.

Marble is very trendy, and while I don’t mind etched or stained marble it goes through an awkward teenage stage when it’s new where it’s starting to get etched & stained but not so much that it looks like patina. Soapstone is similarly soft but harder to ruin. 

We are definitely only going with quartz or granite. The company that our builder uses offers quartz, granite, and marble. Choosing another vendor would be too complicated at this point.  I had marble tile in our last house and it was a nightmare even just on the wall so that is definitely out. They really made it seem like granite would be more maintenance with needing to seal it every year.  And I didn't like the color choices and variation in slabs. The quartz was just so...pretty and predictable. And *supposedly* not as easy to stain while cooking etc.  

 

Anyone else have quartz and can share your experience? 

[sgo95]

I have caesarstone counters and I put hot pots and sheet pans directly on the surface. Don't know if I'm supposed to, but the counters are still in great shape. 

[EKS]

4 hours ago, Katy said:

Quartz is essentially sand in plastic.

I honestly don't understand why this is called "quartz."  Real quartz is an extremely hard mineral--no plastic included!

[Carrie12345]

2 hours ago, kristin0713 said:

They really made it seem like granite would be more maintenance with needing to seal it every year

Just for the record, I don’t know anyone who actually seals their granite EVERY year. 

That said, the products I looked at are just spray-sit-wipe-several hour dry. Doesn’t seem all that high maintenance.

[prairiewindmomma]

Three houses ago we put in quartz countertops. Hot mugs, hot plates from the microwave, etc. all did fine directly onto the quartz. I did use cork trivets for baking dishes if I placed onto the countertops. I had quartz again a few of years ago in transitional housing during a relo for a few months. 

I am one who seals my granite regularly. If you don’t and you have dark granite and hard minerals, it gets gross.

Across several kitchens, I have seen the maintenance divide along which pattern you use/choose. Choose something not too dark, fairly busy, and with strategically placed seams.

[Katy]

We had a lighter granite in one house.  I never redid the sealer.  I think we lived there less than 2 years. We had a dinner party and I didn't see that someone spilled red wine in a corner until the next morning.  I panicked, but it wiped right up without a trace.

[Ting Tang]

We had new quartz contertops installed in September.  We were told not to put anything hot on the invisible seams and that it could potentially stain.  I am not sure if it has more to do with the coating?  Anyway, we went through Home Depot. They work with the Countertop Factory, and everything was extra, including the smaller seams and the rounded edges for the sink to prevent chips (we did an undermount sink).  Overall, I love the countertops but try to treat them with care.  Often, they are covered in papers, lol.

[EKS]

5 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

Just for the record, I don’t know anyone who actually seals their granite EVERY year.

We've lived in this house almost 20 years and have never resealed the granite.  It looks fine.

[Miss Tick]

5 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I am one who seals my granite regularly. If you don’t and you have dark granite and hard minerals, it gets gross.

I seal my black/green granite counters, um, irregularly. What is going to happen?? 😯

[KSera]

1 hour ago, EKS said:

We've lived in this house almost 20 years and have never resealed the granite.  It looks fine.

Same. I'm sure we should, but we haven't and 🤷‍♀️.

[prairiewindmomma]

30 minutes ago, SusanC said:

I seal my black/green granite counters, um, irregularly. What is going to happen?? 😯

If you don't seal dark granite and you have a lot of minerals in your water, the water will penetrate the granite and leave water marks---kind of either a filmy haze or if it's bad actual rings or a white buildup.  Beyond water marks, you can get stains that will soak in from other things. I've seen houses with wine and marinara stains, and another with a dark stain that was from...something.

If you have acidic water or you clean with a vinegar mixture, it can cause pitting in the stone. 

[Jann in TX]

We had SileStone counters in our last house.  18 years and still looked like new when we moved last year!  No special cleaners, no sealing.  I would always throw down a towel when taking something out of the oven-- but DH admitted recently that he never did.  No worries with hot plates or mugs.  It NEVER stained.  I even abused it when making colored fondant for cakes... the food dye never stained the SileStone.

We have a dark granite in our current home.  I HATE the color but it will have to do as we have a HUGE-HUGE-HUGE island that would cost a fortune to replace.  I'm not sure I love it enough to spend the time sealing it.  So far it has been easy to clean-- but not as easy as the SileStone!

[Catwoman]

We have Silestone in one of our houses and granite in the other two, and I put hot everything down on both materials, with no issues. 

[Carol in Cal.]

When quartz first came out, they said you could put hot pots right on it.  We got it installed into our church kitchen, and the contractor gave us some square extra pieces of it to use as hot pads because there were scraps available in our same sheets.  Later I heard that those should always be used, just in case, but that quartz is more impervious to heat than other surfaces.

Re. granite, it's technically a sedimentary rather than a metamorphized material, and so it makes sense that it would be more vulnerable than some other types of surfaces.  Also, I've seen a lot of 'rotten granite' while hiking, and I know that it picks up stains, rather badly, and can delaminate at times.  While it's nice and hard, and very dramatic looking, I would not want it for a counter top because I know for sure that I would not maintain it.  Also, just in general, to me the mottled appearance means that you never really know for sure visually that it's clean.  It seems like every open house I've ever been to with granite counters in the kitchen either has crumbs, grease, or a haze on the surface; and the crumbs and grease are detectable only when I put my hand down and felt them, not visually.  That would bother me in a kitchen.  Ikea has lovely granite drawer and cabinet pulls, and that is, IMO, a great use for it.  

[ktgrok]

We had granite at the old house for years and years and never resealed it. Never had a single stain or issue. I would say MAYBE some hazing right behind the sink where water would collect, we do have hard water, but until someone said that upthread I wouldn't have even thought of it. And resealing is SUPER easy - hardest part is remembering to get the stuff to do it, lol. But seriously, it is NOT hard to maintain. And I LOVED being able to put a hot pan on it without worry. 

[Frances]

On 1/6/2022 at 10:49 AM, Carrie12345 said:

Just for the record, I don’t know anyone who actually seals their granite EVERY year. 

That said, the products I looked at are just spray-sit-wipe-several hour dry. Doesn’t seem all that high maintenance.

And I don’t think all types even need sealing. We have black leathered granite in our kitchen, DR, and on a cupboard in the bathroom. The printed instructions we got with each installation say nothing about resealing. But then again this is not the shiny type of granite. We didn’t consider any shiny countertop materials.

Edited January 8, 2022 by Frances

[Frances]

1 hour ago, Carol in Cal. said:

When quartz first came out, they said you could put hot pots right on it.  We got it installed into our church kitchen, and the contractor gave us some square extra pieces of it to use as hot pads because there were scraps available in our same sheets.  Later I heard that those should always be used, just in case, but that quartz is more impervious to heat than other surfaces.

Re. granite, it's technically a sedimentary rather than a metamorphized material, and so it makes sense that it would be more vulnerable than some other types of surfaces.  Also, I've seen a lot of 'rotten granite' while hiking, and I know that it picks up stains, rather badly, and can delaminate at times.  While it's nice and hard, and very dramatic looking, I would not want it for a counter top because I know for sure that I would not maintain it.  Also, just in general, to me the mottled appearance means that you never really know for sure visually that it's clean.  It seems like every open house I've ever been to with granite counters in the kitchen either has crumbs, grease, or a haze on the surface; and the crumbs and grease are detectable only when I put my hand down and felt them, not visually.  That would bother me in a kitchen.  Ikea has lovely granite drawer and cabinet pulls, and that is, IMO, a great use for it.  

I’ve often heard this argument against granite counter tops and never understood it.  I’m a mediocre housekeeper at best, but every day I wipe all of my kitchen counters, not just visibly dirty areas or areas that I know were used. Do others not do this?

Edited January 7, 2022 by Frances

[Bootsie]

2 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

If you don't seal dark granite and you have a lot of minerals in your water, the water will penetrate the granite and leave water marks---kind of either a filmy haze or if it's bad actual rings or a white buildup.  Beyond water marks, you can get stains that will soak in from other things. I've seen houses with wine and marinara stains, and another with a dark stain that was from...something.

If you have acidic water or you clean with a vinegar mixture, it can cause pitting in the stone. 

The house we are living in now has granite countertops that were put in by a previous owner.  I have no idea of how old they are and what caused all of the damage, but there is a lot of pitting in the stone.  I don't feel like I can ever completely get the oountertops clean, either.  I don't know if it was just cheap granite, not finished properly, or not taken care of properly, but it is not in good condition.  It is dark brown with lots of variation in color; I haven't noticed any staining, but I am not sure how visible it would be with the color.

When we did a kitchen remodel, we put in soapstone counters.  I really liked them.  They are softer so can be damaged, but acid is not a problem on them.  I don't want countertops that I have to worry about lemon juice and other acidic foods coming in contact with them.  I generally put a pot holder under anything hot out of the oven or off the stove (not something like a coffe mug), but it is nice to know that if you are in a hurry and need to set something hot down it shouldn't hurt the countertop.  I would like the look of something lighter in color when we do a kitchen remodel in this house, but I liked the soapstone so much that it will be a difficult decision.

[Catwoman]

43 minutes ago, Frances said:

I’ve often heard this argument against granite counter tops and never understood it.  I’m a mediocre housekeeper at best, but every day I wipe all of my kitchen counters, not just visibly dirty areas or areas that I know were used. Do others not do this?

I agree — and I have found that, because granite has such a smooth finish, it’s incredibly easy to detect any dirt on it and wipe it off.

[Carol in Cal.]

49 minutes ago, Frances said:

I’ve often heard this argument against granite counter tops and never understood it.  I’m a mediocre housekeeper at best, but every day I wipe all of my kitchen counters, not just visibly dirty areas or areas that I know were used. Do others not do this?

I feel like on the really dark, or very mottled granite it is just easy to miss spots.  The visual cues might be more important than I would have thought.  If I had not experienced this over and over, I would not have remarked on it, but these were in open houses, spiffed up to sell, no clutter anywhere, and that’s a really odd time to put your hand down on a counter or island and feel grease or crumbs.

[Clarita]

My granite counter tops are fine. I do next to no maintenance on them. I mean I wipe up stuff I see. That said I put trivets under stuff that comes out of the oven because I don't want to damage my kitchenware. If you put your glass dish straight from the oven onto your granite countertop you risk shattering your dish. Metal sheet pans I'm less concerned. 

[Carrie12345]

4 hours ago, Frances said:

I’ve often heard this argument against granite counter tops and never understood it.  I’m a mediocre housekeeper at best, but every day I wipe all of my kitchen counters, not just visibly dirty areas or areas that I know were used. Do others not do this?

My current kitchen has the cheapest dark, prefab, laminate counters I could get from Lowes, and I fully clean them multiple times a day. My kids (and dh, for that matter) don’t notice their less visible messes though so, yeah, there’s often food smudges or camouflaged crumbs regardless of how well or often I clean it.

(That said, I’d ban them from the kitchen before an open house!)

[TexasProud]

17 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

Just for the record, I don’t know anyone who actually seals their granite EVERY year. 

That said, the products I looked at are just spray-sit-wipe-several hour dry. Doesn’t seem all that high maintenance.

Yep.  We do this maybe every 3 years. We have had our granite counters since 2012.  Looks like new. I LIKE the fact that it hides stains and crumbs since I am not a fastidious housekeeper.   We have granite everywhere in our house and I adore it. 

[Teaching3bears]

I have quartz and I do not put hot pots or casseroles directly on it.  I bought a long thing from ikea that I have right beside my stove.  I do put hot tea mugs and soup bowls and have not had a problem with that.

[Pawz4me]

17 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

Just for the record, I don’t know anyone who actually seals their granite EVERY year. 

That said, the products I looked at are just spray-sit-wipe-several hour dry. Doesn’t seem all that high maintenance.

I try to remember to do it every spring. It's so super easy--not much more than wiping down the counters--that it would require some tremendous brain gymnastics to come up with an excuse not to do it. The stuff I have doesn't even require drying time. Spray, wipe, buff. Use as normal, except you're not supposed to use any kind of polish or cleaner for a few hours afterwards. Before we bought a house with granite counters I had it in my mind that sealing them annually was some hugely big and inconvenient thing, but the reality is it's probably the easiest, quickest home maintenance task ever.

[ktgrok]

8 hours ago, Bootsie said:

The house we are living in now has granite countertops that were put in by a previous owner.  I have no idea of how old they are and what caused all of the damage, but there is a lot of pitting in the stone.  I don't feel like I can ever completely get the oountertops clean, either.  I don't know if it was just cheap granite, not finished properly, or not taken care of properly, but it is not in good condition.  

That is really weird!!!! I've never seen any granite like that - I'm thinking yeah, people did something really weird to it. Were they making meth in there, lol?

I've gotten vinegar on the counter plenty of times, I've cleaned the sink with bleach and gotten some on the granite, I've had wine spill and sit there for a day, etc etc and nothing EVER pitted it. I truly cannot imagine how my family of 6 - including my clueless self - could keep it like new if it were easy to damage, lol. I break EVERYTHING. We joke that companies should hire me to do their testing to see how easy stuff is to break. 

7 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I feel like on the really dark, or very mottled granite it is just easy to miss spots.  The visual cues might be more important than I would have thought.  If I had not experienced this over and over, I would not have remarked on it, but these were in open houses, spiffed up to sell, no clutter anywhere, and that’s a really odd time to put your hand down on a counter or island and feel grease or crumbs.

Ok, that is weird! I just used my hand to feel to make sure it as fully clean. Spray with cleaner, wipe/scrub with right hand and a cloth, swipe with left hand to be sure I got it all. That said, a lighter or less mottled color would be easier to visually spot stuff.

1 hour ago, TexasProud said:

Yep.  We do this maybe every 3 years. We have had our granite counters since 2012.  Looks like new. I LIKE the fact that it hides stains and crumbs since I am not a fastidious housekeeper.   We have granite everywhere in our house and I adore it. 

Same! I was thinking, that's a feature, not a bug! It's nice that if it gets a bit messy in between cleaning it isn't instantly visible to anyone that walks by. I already wipe them down 3 times a day, and to be honest, I'm not going to do it more than that even if I can see crumbs! So might as well have them look nice in between, lol. 

16 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

I try to remember to do it every spring. It's so super easy--not much more than wiping down the counters--that it would require some tremendous brain gymnastics to come up with an excuse not to do it. The stuff I have doesn't even require drying time. Spray, wipe, buff. Use as normal, except you're not supposed to use any kind of polish or cleaner for a few hours afterwards. Before we bought a house with granite counters I had it in my mind that sealing them annually was some hugely big and inconvenient thing, but the reality is it's probably the easiest, quickest home maintenance task ever.

Yup, like I said, the hardest part is remembering to buy the sealer to do it, lol. We did it once...it was stupid easy. No different really than just. cleaning the counters. I just kept forgetting to order/buy more after that. 

No one mentioned the best part of granite - the Method brand daily granite cleaner smells SOOOOOO good. I'm trying to figure out if I can use it on my laminate counters here at the new house since I still have some left and I love the smell - if not I have a stone coffee table my parents gave me that I can probably use it on. 

[Bootsie]

11 hours ago, Frances said:

I’ve often heard this argument against granite counter tops and never understood it.  I’m a mediocre housekeeper at best, but every day I wipe all of my kitchen counters, not just visibly dirty areas or areas that I know were used. Do others not do this?

I have had this problem with the granite countertops in this house.  Last night I did a thorough cleaning of the kitchen counters--not just a daily cleaning.  About 15 minutes later I was in the kitchen and touched the counter (no one else had been in the kitchen) and the counter felt dirty--not just in one spot that I perhaps missed.  I cleaned again, just to make sure, this morning I went in and the countertops feel dirty and if you look from an angle it looks is if there are hazy places where things have spilled.  I have repeatedly had this in this kitchen no matter what I use to clean. I don't know if it is something particular about this granite or if some coating was put on it at one point that is causing it.  I have not had this in other houses, so it isn't just my housekeeping skills.  Before this we lived in a rental with granite and I didn't notice this problem.  

[Miss Tick]

12 hours ago, Frances said:

I’ve often heard this argument against granite counter tops and never understood it.  I’m a mediocre housekeeper at best, but every day I wipe all of my kitchen counters, not just visibly dirty areas or areas that I know were used. Do others not do this?

Others inside my house do not do this ever. Apparently only *I* can see the crumbs and drips and bits of trash that get left behind. My grumble campaign has not made a difference. I may need to plus it up. 😃

[skimomma]

22 hours ago, EKS said:

I honestly don't understand why this is called "quartz."  Real quartz is an extremely hard mineral--no plastic included!

I am baffled too.  I guess I learn something new every day.  I have never had anything but cheap laminate and likely never will unless we win the lottery or something, but I always assumed quartz was indeed QUARTZ and for sure not plastic.  What the heck?  Everyone I know well enough to enter their homes also has laminate so I have zero experience here but until I read this thread, I would assume you could put anything on quartz (and granite for that matter!).

 

[Pawz4me]

56 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

I have had this problem with the granite countertops in this house.  Last night I did a thorough cleaning of the kitchen counters--not just a daily cleaning.  About 15 minutes later I was in the kitchen and touched the counter (no one else had been in the kitchen) and the counter felt dirty--not just in one spot that I perhaps missed.  I cleaned again, just to make sure, this morning I went in and the countertops feel dirty and if you look from an angle it looks is if there are hazy places where things have spilled.  I have repeatedly had this in this kitchen no matter what I use to clean. I don't know if it is something particular about this granite or if some coating was put on it at one point that is causing it.  I have not had this in other houses, so it isn't just my housekeeping skills.  Before this we lived in a rental with granite and I didn't notice this problem.  

Sometimes I notice that with my counters. When it happens I clean them (lightly) with a drop or two of Soft Scrub. Rinse well, wipe dry. It takes care of the problem for awhile. I try to remember to do it once a week or so for maintenance, but sometimes I forget until I start feeling things and get reminded to do it.

[KatieJ]

We have a new home with granite counter tops. They feel very rough to me in spots..as in it feels like it is going to snag my dishcloth…so we called the installer. This is what we found out.

When granite is mined, after it is cut into slabs it is polished,  and then it is sealed to fill in all the porous  holes with some kind of (silicone? I don’t know). During the shipping and or storage if they are exposed to excessive heat or cold, the granite and the (silicone) will pull away from each other leaving those rough spots. Apparently it is common . The solution is to “shave” it with a razor. It is more common with some colors than others.

We have friends whose son in law works in the granite industry where We live and he told us we would need to shave them….and then called the contractor as house is brand new. 

Yes, the contractor is coming out to check our countertops and “shave” them. 
Thanks to this thread, I now have more questions for him regarding sealing them. 

 

 

[Clemsondana]

Some of this probably also depends on other lifestyle issues.  I put up a lot of produce, so it's not unusual for me to have lots of colorful stuff on my counter.  When we redid the kitchen, the kitchen vendor said that granite would probably be more trouble than it's worth for somebody who was trying to process tomoatoes or peaches during the summer.  I was looking at light colors, so presumably she was concerned about staining.  I wipe down the areas that I use for cooking and prep, but there are times when the raised bar part of my counter is covered with platters stacked high with produce and it's not unusual to find that something got squashed and dripped a bit before I could process it.  In our particular situation, I'd be stressed about the possibility of stains; on the other hand, most people don't ever have 200 tomatoes sitting on their counter so this probably isn't a common concern.  🙂  

[ktgrok]

5 hours ago, KatieInMN said:

We have a new home with granite counter tops. They feel very rough to me in spots..as in it feels like it is going to snag my dishcloth…so we called the installer. This is what we found out.

When granite is mined, after it is cut into slabs it is polished,  and then it is sealed to fill in all the porous  holes with some kind of (silicone? I don’t know). During the shipping and or storage if they are exposed to excessive heat or cold, the granite and the (silicone) will pull away from each other leaving those rough spots. Apparently it is common . The solution is to “shave” it with a razor. It is more common with some colors than others.

We have friends whose son in law works in the granite industry where We live and he told us we would need to shave them….and then called the contractor as house is brand new. 

Yes, the contractor is coming out to check our countertops and “shave” them. 
Thanks to this thread, I now have more questions for him regarding sealing them. 

 

 

You know, I think maybe when ours was installed they did this, before then sealing them. That first sealant was a different thing than what we later used, I think. Maybe that is the issue - the installation? Like, maybe they are supposed to check for this, and shave any spots, before putting a sealing coat on? Pretty sure that's what ours did. 

[KatieJ]

4 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

You know, I think maybe when ours was installed they did this, before then sealing them. That first sealant was a different thing than what we later used, I think. Maybe that is the issue - the installation? Like, maybe they are supposed to check for this, and shave any spots, before putting a sealing coat on? Pretty sure that's what ours did. 

The filler they put on is not considered a sealant , I think.  It’s put on before slabs are cut into countertops . I’ll know more after our appointment on Monday. 
Mine  feel rough everywhere..not smooth. I have read it’s junk granite that does this….hoping that’s not true. 😩😩

Edited January 8, 2022 by KatieInMN

[ktgrok]

Just now, KatieInMN said:

The filler they put on is not considered a sealant , I think.  It’s put on before slabs are cut into countertops . I’ll know more after our appointment on Monday. 
Mine  feel rough everywhere..not smooth. I have read it’s junk granite …hoping that’s not true. 😩😩

oh, wow, okay that is not at all our experience. Totally smooth once installed. Only time it felt rough it was dirty - and only in the dirty spots. 

[prairiewindmomma]

8 hours ago, Bootsie said:

I have had this problem with the granite countertops in this house.  Last night I did a thorough cleaning of the kitchen counters--not just a daily cleaning.  About 15 minutes later I was in the kitchen and touched the counter (no one else had been in the kitchen) and the counter felt dirty--not just in one spot that I perhaps missed.  I cleaned again, just to make sure, this morning I went in and the countertops feel dirty and if you look from an angle it looks is if there are hazy places where things have spilled.  I have repeatedly had this in this kitchen no matter what I use to clean. I don't know if it is something particular about this granite or if some coating was put on it at one point that is causing it.  I have not had this in other houses, so it isn't just my housekeeping skills.  Before this we lived in a rental with granite and I didn't notice this problem.  

What are you using on your countertops?

If you take a razor across the top of it, what buildup is on the razor?

[KSera]

9 hours ago, Bootsie said:

I have had this problem with the granite countertops in this house.  Last night I did a thorough cleaning of the kitchen counters--not just a daily cleaning.  About 15 minutes later I was in the kitchen and touched the counter (no one else had been in the kitchen) and the counter felt dirty--not just in one spot that I perhaps missed.  I cleaned again, just to make sure, this morning I went in and the countertops feel dirty and if you look from an angle it looks is if there are hazy places where things have spilled.  I have repeatedly had this in this kitchen no matter what I use to clean. I don't know if it is something particular about this granite or if some coating was put on it at one point that is causing it.  I have not had this in other houses, so it isn't just my housekeeping skills.  Before this we lived in a rental with granite and I didn't notice this problem.  

I’m wondering if you have very hard water perhaps? That would make sense for why you have the problem there but never in any other house. Our granite feels very smooth when clean. 

8 hours ago, skimomma said:

I am baffled too.  I guess I learn something new every day.  I have never had anything but cheap laminate and likely never will unless we win the lottery or something, but I always assumed quartz was indeed QUARTZ and for sure not plastic.  What the heck?  Everyone I know well enough to enter their homes also has laminate so I have zero experience here but until I read this thread, I would assume you could put anything on quartz (and granite for that matter!).

 

Quartzite is a natural stone product that is more what I would have thought quartz would be before I found out quartz was man made. Quartzite is similar in use and care to granite—very durable and heat resistant. There aren’t as many color variations for quartzite, but people who are looking for a pale countertop that makes it easy to see crumbs will probably like the palette 😉. 

[katilac]

On 1/6/2022 at 7:44 AM, Clemsondana said:

I grew up with laminate so I'm used to putting something under pots and pans straight from the burner or oven.   

I've always had laminate and put things directly from the oven onto the laminate all the time, lol. So far, so good! 

21 hours ago, Frances said:

I’ve often heard this argument against granite counter tops and never understood it.  I’m a mediocre housekeeper at best, but every day I wipe all of my kitchen counters, not just visibly dirty areas or areas that I know were used. Do others not do this?

Not everyone, nope. Wiping down your counters everyday puts you on the plus side of mediocre for sure. 

[Bootsie]

4 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

What are you using on your countertops?

If you take a razor across the top of it, what buildup is on the razor?

We have tried about everything.  Today I experimented with several different things and a went back in and washed very well with a couple of drops of dishwashing detergent and wet rag.  After doing that the rag does not appear dirty.  Then I went over with a new rag and water with a bit of milk cleaner I use to clean the milk dispenser for my espresso machine.  It tends to cut all kinds of grease and fats and removes water spots and streaks on most other surfaces.  Then I used a bit of alcohol and still wasn't getting anything on the rag.  I will need to get a razor blade and see if anything comes up.  

But, after about 15 minutes I went back and as soon as I touch the surface it looks dirty.  I am wondering if it is somehow picking up oils from skin that then just attracts grime.  I looked a bit more closely and realized this is happening more in the lighter ares of the granite than the darker.  It also seems to be an issue in the less frequently used back corners of the countertops just as much as in the frequently used areas around the sink and the cooktop.  We also have the same granite on a wetbar in the family room that is never used.  We can clean that surface and then next day it looks and feels like it needs cleaning again even though the area hasn't been used.

I don't mind experimenting with any cleaners people suggest just to see--because we can't damage this any more--and we will replace it soon anyway.  I would just like to know what the deal is to make an informed decision when we replace it.

[Bootsie]

4 hours ago, KSera said:

I’m wondering if you have very hard water perhaps? That would make sense for why you have the problem there but never in any other house. Our granite feels very smooth when clean. 

We have had much harder water other places we lived (so I wondered if it was that the water was softer and I wasn't really getting soap residue off).  We did have a rental house a couple of blocks away with the same water source before moving here and didn't have this problem.  It doesn't feel smooth when cleaned (and there are visible pit marks through the countertop).  

[Carrie12345]

7 hours ago, katilac said:

I've always had laminate and put things directly from the oven onto the laminate all the time, lol. So far, so good

My body reacted negatively just reading that, lol.  I still worry that hot items larger than trivets will melt mine with their radiant heat!  Which I do realize is a bit over the top, but that’s where I’m at, lol.

[TexasProud]

12 hours ago, ktgrok said:

oh, wow, okay that is not at all our experience. Totally smooth once installed. Only time it felt rough it was dirty - and only in the dirty spots. 

I agree. Totally smooth. If it is rough, there is food on it. 

[fairfarmhand]

On 1/6/2022 at 12:49 PM, Carrie12345 said:

Just for the record, I don’t know anyone who actually seals their granite EVERY year. 

That said, the products I looked at are just spray-sit-wipe-several hour dry. Doesn’t seem all that high maintenance.

Sealing granite is a piece of cake. Takes me like 15 minutes.

[Clemsondana]

5 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

My body reacted negatively just reading that, lol.  I still worry that hot items larger than trivets will melt mine with their radiant heat!  Which I do realize is a bit over the top, but that’s where I’m at, lol.

Yes - I remember my grandmother having a strategic arrangement of the drain rack and dish towels to cover some brown burnt circles on her counter!

[TexasProud]

35 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

Sealing granite is a piece of cake. Takes me like 15 minutes.

The problem is you are not supposed to put anything on it for 24 hours after you seal it. That is why I don’t do it often. Not using the kitchen for 24 hours is an issue

Edited January 8, 2022 by TexasProud

[Pawz4me]

1 hour ago, TexasProud said:

The problem is you are not supposed to put anything on it for 24 hours after you seal it. That is why I don’t do it often. Not using the kitchen for 24 hours is an issue

Not the sealant I use. You can use as normal after buffing, you're just not supposed to use any polish or strong cleaner for 24 hours.