Caesarstone - does it stain?

[Adsibob]

Yes or no?

[nod]

NO

 

[Russell griffiths]

No, but ours was in a very dark chocolate colour and the water marks left after you put a cold drink down where a pain, continuous polishing to keep it clean. 

We had a cream colour in the laundry that didn’t show a mark. 

 

When end I had samples delivered I poured all sorts of weird stuff on it to stain it, never happened. 

[Adsibob]

Yeah, I’ve also been messing around with the samples. See photos attached.
It survived the blackberry/ketchup/soy/honey and used tea bag 8h test, but the jury is out on the 24h tea test. My wife is convinced the sample has slightly browned where the tea was, but I’m not sure (it’s the Primordia colour, which has a very subtle and tiny undertone of beige/brown). 
 

(the other sample is Unistone by Brachot Hermant, which we are also considering.)

 

[ryder72]

It is not possible to permanently stain quartz. 

[Adsibob]

8 hours ago, ryder72 said:

It is not possible to permanently stain quartz. 

I’m sure the quartz we had at our last place stained. Isn’t it a mixture of resin or some other agregarte and ground up rock, so the resin/aggregate part can stain?

Or is it just a question of what cleaning agents to use on it?

[stoneguy]

On 31/05/2021 at 08:58, ryder72 said:

It is not possible to permanently stain quartz. 

Try spilling bleach on the worktop.

On 31/05/2021 at 17:38, Adsibob said:

Or is it just a question of what cleaning agents to use on it?

Bingo.

 

• Spilled liquids and/or foods should be removed from the surface as quickly as possible – especially tea, coffee and wine which can create stains that are harder to remove due to their stronger colouring properties.
• Never place any hot pans directly onto the surface, always be sure to use heat mats. If you have opted for splashbacks or upstands in matching stone behind the hob, items being cooked in large pans or for a long duration of time should be done so on the front burners to avoid burning the stone.
• Never use any bleach or bleach-based products on the surface. Generally, products with a higher pH-value of 10 or strong solvents should be completely avoided. Aggressive chemicals such as oven cleaner or products containing trichloroethane or methyl chloride, such as paint removers/strippers can lead to permanent irreversible damage.
• Avoid contact with marking or printing inks

For daily cleaning I advise you use any light bacterial sprays, again please avoid anything bleach based. I use Dettol Surface Cleaner and just a soft cloth to clean up. Sometimes I get the wipes from the supermarket if they are out of the spray. For any stubborn stains, I know its slightly abrasive, but you can use Cif cream to remove. I have used it all the time on quartz. The cif cream should be gently rubbed onto the stone with a non-abrasive sponge (let it rest for a few minutes) and then removed with warm water. Also, PVCu Solvent Cleaner, this works great stains. Other specific stone-based products that can be bought for general day to day cleaning https://www.extensive.co.uk/easy-clean-spray-500ml.html.

 

I sell kitchen worktops.

 

Edit: Matte finish is also a pain to clean in comparison to polished.

Edited June 7, 2021 by stoneguy

[Declan52]

1 hour ago, stoneguy said:

Try spilling bleach on the worktop.

Bingo.

 

• Spilled liquids and/or foods should be removed from the surface as quickly as possible – especially tea, coffee and wine which can create stains that are harder to remove due to their stronger colouring properties.
• Never place any hot pans directly onto the surface, always be sure to use heat mats. If you have opted for splashbacks or upstands in matching stone behind the hob, items being cooked in large pans or for a long duration of time should be done so on the front burners to avoid burning the stone.
• Never use any bleach or bleach-based products on the surface. Generally, products with a higher pH-value of 10 or strong solvents should be completely avoided. Aggressive chemicals such as oven cleaner or products containing trichloroethane or methyl chloride, such as paint removers/strippers can lead to permanent irreversible damage.
• Avoid contact with marking or printing inks

For daily cleaning I advise you use any light bacterial sprays, again please avoid anything bleach based. I use Dettol Surface Cleaner and just a soft cloth to clean up. Sometimes I get the wipes from the supermarket if they are out of the spray. For any stubborn stains, I know its slightly abrasive, but you can use Cif cream to remove. I have used it all the time on quartz. The cif cream should be gently rubbed onto the stone with a non-abrasive sponge (let it rest for a few minutes) and then removed with warm water. Also, PVCu Solvent Cleaner, this works great stains. Other specific stone-based products that can be bought for general day to day cleaning https://www.extensive.co.uk/easy-clean-spray-500ml.html.

 

I sell kitchen worktops.

 

Edit: Matte finish is also a pain to clean in comparison to polished.

Please use standard text for your replies.

[DragsterDriver]

Try a glass with red wine on the base. 

[Adsibob]

3 hours ago, Declan52 said:

Please use standard text for your replies.

I quite liked @stoneguy's choice of font!

[Adsibob]

5 hours ago, stoneguy said:

Edit: Matte finish is also a pain to clean in comparison to polished.

We are going with matte finish, hence the obsession with finding a stain proof sample before committing to an order.

[MikeGrahamT21]

Yes you can permanently stain quartz... I've managed it.

 

Of course quartz is non porous, but the staining can come from a chemical reaction with the resin, which is actually worse. I casually put some rhubarb on my white tops, and now have a lovely little dark stain where the liquid oozed out of the rhubarb, tried alsorts to get it out but it won't shift. Turns out oxalic acid is terrible for staining the resin, and rhubarb has a lot of that in it.

 

Ignore the samples for stain resistance also, i did exactly the same, dolloped a load of oil and turmeric on it, left it for days, and it wiped straight off, no stain, on the actual worktops, it leaves a stain, however this one does disappear magically over a day.

[ryder72]

When I said it doesnt stain, I meant foodstuff. Not strong acidic or alkalis, solvents or suchlike. I am things used in normal everyday cooking. And they will not stain the worktop as they are only very mildly acidic or alkaline.

 

Resin is actually quite inert. The most likely reaction is from the acidic/alkaline material reacting with the quartz content. Or solvent reacting with the resin.

 

[MikeGrahamT21]

I'm pretty sure rhubarb was edible last time i checked ?

[ryder72]

5 hours ago, MikeGrahamT21 said:

I'm pretty sure rhubarb was edible last time i checked ?

Indeed. Oxalic acid has a pH of 1.3 making it a very strong acid (in the hydrochloric/sulphuric/nitric acid territory).  It therefore follows that the concentration in Rhubarb has to be very very low else you wont have teeth left as you eat your rhubarb.

 

What brand of quartz have you got? Have to tried contacting your supplier for remedial action?

[MikeGrahamT21]

1 hour ago, ryder72 said:

Indeed. Oxalic acid has a pH of 1.3 making it a very strong acid (in the hydrochloric/sulphuric/nitric acid territory).  It therefore follows that the concentration in Rhubarb has to be very very low else you wont have teeth left as you eat your rhubarb.

 

What brand of quartz have you got? Have to tried contacting your supplier for remedial action?

 

According to Google:

 

High in oxalic acid

Rhubarb contains approximately 570–1,900 mg of oxalate per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)

 

I have iQ White Quartz from International Stones (made by Cosentino). I've contacted them but not heard back as yet.

[ryder72]

6 minutes ago, MikeGrahamT21 said:

 

According to Google:

 

High in oxalic acid

Rhubarb contains approximately 570–1,900 mg of oxalate per 3.5 ounces (100 grams)

 

I have iQ White Quartz from International Stones (made by Cosentino). I've contacted them but not heard back as yet.

iQ White Quartz from International Stones (made by Cosentino) - As far as I know (and I have been in this industry only 15 years the only brand of quartz they make is Silestone. A little google search on Internation Stones shows they they are an importer of stone. Some of their material colours are the same as Silestone but their website also curiously says their materials match technologies used by Silestone, ceasarstone, Compac etc. Both statements are unlikely to be true.

 

So I am of the opinion that they import Chinese quartz in colours to match Silestone. Something isnt adding up.

 

Good luck with your warranty. If it is Silestone, someone from Cosentino will visit wearing branded clothing and inspect. If not, its anyone's guess what you have got. 

[MikeGrahamT21]

57 minutes ago, ryder72 said:

iQ White Quartz from International Stones (made by Cosentino) - As far as I know (and I have been in this industry only 15 years the only brand of quartz they make is Silestone. A little google search on Internation Stones shows they they are an importer of stone. Some of their material colours are the same as Silestone but their website also curiously says their materials match technologies used by Silestone, ceasarstone, Compac etc. Both statements are unlikely to be true.

 

So I am of the opinion that they import Chinese quartz in colours to match Silestone. Something isnt adding up.

 

Good luck with your warranty. If it is Silestone, someone from Cosentino will visit wearing branded clothing and inspect. If not, its anyone's guess what you have got. 

Search for iQ online, it was a value range developed in partnership with cosentino for International Stones who yes are a wholesaler.

 

I double checked when I bought that it wasn’t Chinese and they assured me of this, the slabs have cosentino on them

[MikeGrahamT21]

FYI

https://www.stonespecialist.com/news/stones-quarries/engineered-stone-own-brand-international-quartz-international-stone

 

 

[ryder72]

Fair play. It does say here are no warranties on it though. If they have cost engineered it, I wonder if thats affected its ability to resist stains.