How to Polish Quartz Worktops

Polishing Quartz Worktops

In our guide, we give you the steps on how to polish quartz worktops, so you can do it confidently yourself.

Widely considered to represent the pinnacle of engineered stones, quartz is one of the most popular materials to make kitchen worktops thanks to its durability, ease of maintenance, and exceptional looks. However, if you want your quartz worktops to remain as good looking as the day they were installed for years to come, you need to learn how to clean and polish them.

Fortunately, cleaning and polishing quartz worktops couldn’t be more straightforward. In most cases, a solution of soapy water will do the trick, while window cleaners and vinegar can be used to treat stubborn stains. If DIY remedies aren’t enough to restore your quartz worktops to their former glory, you can have them professionally repolished.

At Paramount Stone Specialists, we supply and install a wide array of pre-polished quartz worktops that can remain in near-new condition for a lifetime with minimal maintenance. If your worktops sustain damages such as deep stains, chips, cracks or dulling, we can restore them for a cost-effective price.

Below, we explain how to polish quartz worktops so that you can keep them looking stunning for decades while minimising the risk of damages arising in the first place.

Do You Need to Polish Quartz Worktops?

Before delving into our top tips on quartz worktops cleaning and polishing, we should answer the obvious question – do you even need to polish quartz worktops?

Unlike natural stones like marble and granite, quartz is an engineered stone, made up of at least 90% ground quartz crystals in addition to a resin and polymer binder. The resin essentially acts as a permanent polish that will not degrade with time unless it sustains damage. So, provided you stay on top of maintenance, you shouldn’t need to repolish your quartz worktops.

But how do you ensure your quartz worktops retain their shine?

Cleaning and Polishing Quartz Worktops: Step-by-Step

Over time, a lack of basic maintenance can cause your beautiful quartz worktops to dull and lose their colour. As quartz is a non-porous material, it doesn’t absorb liquids and bacteria. This not only makes them easy to clean but also highly resistant to stains and dulling, provided you address spills promptly. Here’s how you can make sure your worktops remain pristine for as long as possible:

1. Warm soapy water

In many cases, a simple wipe with warm, soapy water is enough to clean your quartz worktops so that they retain their polished finish. Standard dish soap should work fine, as long as it doesn’t contain oil or abrasive chemicals. Simply spray the solution of soapy water onto your quartz worktops, then wipe them down with a soft sponge or washcloth.

After cleaning thoroughly, rinse your worktops to remove streaks and residual soap. Then, use a clean and dry cloth to dry the surfaces.

2. Window cleaners

Many homeowners report that window cleaners double up as excellent polishing solutions for quartz worktops. You can simply mix a small amount of your chosen window cleaner with warm water, then use a spray bottle to apply the mixture to your quartz worktops. Once applied, you can polish and dry your worktops using a clean cloth in circular motions.

3. Vinegar and water

One of the most common household products you can use to polish quartz worktops is vinegar. Create a solution of one part vinegar to three parts of water in a standard spray bottle, then spray the solution onto the surfaces of your worktops. You can use a microfibre cloth to do the polishing.

4. Quartz polishing products

Many surface polishing products can cause damage to the chemical composition of quartz, so if you want to use polish, make sure it’s been manufactured specifically for quartz worktops. And always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using such products. Also, make sure to thoroughly clean your worktops before applying them with polishing creams.

Polishing Quartz Worktops: What to Avoid

The durability and toughness of quartz worktops are partly what makes them so desirable as kitchen fixtures. Still, quartz can be damaged by certain cleaning and polishing products. If you want to minimise the risk of damages in the form of discolouration, etching or staining, you should avoid using the following products when polishing your quartz worktops:

• Undiluted lemon juice or vinegar
• Abrasive scrubbers such as chainmail scrubbers
• Bleach
• Baking soda
• Oil-based soaps
• Hydrochloric acid

Can Quartz Worktops Be Repolished?

As most quartz worktops are permanently polished during the manufacturing process, they won’t need repolishing again unless they sustain damage – but it is possible to repolish them. If your worktops are chipped, cracked or etched, repolishing may be the only way to restore them to their former condition.

We should note repolishing quartz worktops is usually not a straightforward task. You’ll need to use specialist equipment and pay meticulously close attention to detail to avoid making matters worse. If you need to repolish your quartz worktops, hiring a team of professionals comes highly recommended.

At Paramount Stone Specialists, we utilise the most advanced and innovative techniques to restore stone worktops to their former glory. For quartz worktops, your options include chemical polishing, where a thin layer of a chemical substance with a ‘wet’ appearance is applied to your worktop surfaces, and physical polishing that involves changing the actual surfaces of the worktops.

Learn More about Polishing and Repolishing Quartz Worktops

The best way to make sure your quartz worktops retain their shiny polished appearance is to clean them at least daily using a simple mixture of soapy water. Always tend to spills promptly to minimise the risk of stains, dulling and discolouration. For stubborn stains, try a mixture of window cleaner and water, vinegar and water, or a specialist quartz cleaner. If you’ve tried everything but there are still signs of damage, we’re only a phone call away.

Paramount Stone Specialists have been one of the UK’s leading premium stone suppliers for the better part of three decades, providing, installing and maintaining bespoke fixtures that include worktops, fireplaces, custom furniture, and much more. If you want to find out whether you could restore rather than replace your prized quartz worktops, don’t hesitate to call us.