Maintain your stone surface’s beauty

Whether it be for natural stones (granite, marble, quartzite, soapstone) or for quartz & ultra-compact surfaces, you need very little to maintain your surface’s beauty.

The important is to remember NOT to use the same cloth for your counters than the one used to wash your dishes, as well as avoid using the dirty water to wipe the counters down. By doing so, you will avoid greasy residue build-up, which create over time a film on the surface of the stone. Now that you know the secret for a successful daily cleaning, here are a few expert tips to address the tough stains per material type :

TO SEAL OR NOT TO SEAL – that is the question

If you chose a granite that has our GDGuard™ long-lasting treatment or have selected a stone through our partners that has a similar treatment, your surface will be protected against food & beverage stains and covered with a 15-year warranty. You therefore do not need to reapply a sealer after installation. If this is not the case, we recommend to apply a sealer every 6 to 12 months or as needed.

YOU NOTICE A STAIN ON YOUR SURFACE – what should you do?

RED WINE : pour the product “Red Wine Stain Remover” on the area and follow the instructions on the package. Rinse and dry completely with a clean microfiber cloth. If the situation persists, repeat but with Peroxyde Vol. 40. Let sit two hours or more. Rinse and dry completely with a clean microfiber cloth.

OILS & FATS : mix baking soda or a cleaning poultice powder with water. Spread on area, about 1/4 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and seal edges with green tape. Leave on for 24 to 48 hours. If the situation resorbs itself, apply a sealer. If it persists, you can repeat the process, or contact our experts.

ORGANIC SOURCES (coffee, fruit, etc.): apply a paper tower to cover the area in excess of about 1 inch all around. Pour a 50/50 dilution of bleach and water on the paper towel. Cover with a plastic wrap and seal the edges with painting tape. Let sit 24 hours. Remove and rinse thoroughly. Let evaporate (2 to 3 days). If the situation persists, use the Red Wine Method.

METALLIC SOURCES (rust, limestone caused by hard water, etc.): prepare the area in the same way as for Organic Sources, but instead of bleach, use a lime remover product (ex.: CLR). Cover the paper towel with plastic wrap but DO NOT seal the edge. Let sit 1 hour, rinse with hot water. Then use a magic eraser moistened with CLR, scrub the area in circular motion with light pressure. Rinse with hot water, dry completely with clean microfiber cloth.

AVOID : any abrasive or acid products. Do not use wax or any other polishing products.

TO SEAL OR NOT TO SEAL  – that is the question 

NEVER use any sealer or polishing product. Always use a trivet (specially under a slow-cooker) and cutting boards to avoid thermal shocks & scratches.

YOU NOTICE A STAIN ON YOUR SURFACE – what should you do?

ORGANIC SOURCES  (wine, food coloring, spices, coffee, etc.) : spray the surface with Windex Original. Let sit 5 minutes, rinse and dry surface completely with clean microfibre cloth.

METALLIC SOURCES (belt buckle scuffs, pots & pan markings, etc.) : cover the area with a paper towel, exceeding tye zone by about 1 inch all around. Pour a bit of lime remover (ex.: CLR) on the paper towel. Cover with a plastic wrap WITHOUT sealing the edges. Let sit 2 hours or more. Scrub the surface with a microfiber cloth that is moistenend with CLR. Rinse, then dry completely with clean microfiber cloth. Repeat as needed.

LIMESTONE (hard water stains): remove the rough residue on the surface using a new flat blade. Pour CLR on the area being careful of not splashing surrounding walls, faucets, etc. Let sit 2 hours or more. Rinse thoroughly and dry completely with a clean microfiber cloth. Repeat if needed.

OILS & FATS : apply using a soft sponge some Soft Scrub with bleach WITHOUT SCRUBBING and let sit up to 20 minutes, keeping the surface wet (either gently pat area with moist sponge or spray with water bottle). Gently remove using a wet sponge until the residue/deposit disappears. Rinse and dry completely with clean soft cloth. Repeat if needed.

AVOID : metal scrubbing pads, degreasing agents, exposure to chlorine-based products, to products with hydrofluoric acid, oven cleaners, nail polish remover or any other product with pH levels superior to 10. Avoid exposure to prolongued heat & UV rays.

TO SEAL OR NOT TO SEAL – that is the question

For quartzite, if you chose a stone that has our GDGuard™ long-lasting treatment, your surface will be protected against food & beverage stains and covered with a 15-year warranty. You therefore do not need to reapply a sealer after installation. For marbles, even though the treatment will not be under warranty, it will help increase the marble’s resistance to food & beverage stains. You still need to wipe any spills as fast as possible with this material.

YOU NOTICE A STAIN ON YOUR SURFACE – what should you do?

RED WINE : pour the product “Red Wine Stain Remover” on the area and followin instructions on the package. Rinse thoroughly and dry completely with a clean microfiber cloth.*

OILS & FATS : mix baking soda with water. Spread on stain, about 1/4 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and seal edges with green tape. Leave on for 24 to 48 hours. If the situation resolves itself, apply a sealer. If it persists, you can repeat the process, or contact our experts.*

AVOID: any abrasive or acid product, vinegars, bleach, as well as any item that may scratch the surface.

*CAUTION: for polished surfaces, performing these actions may alter the surface’s finish and create an etching effect. Repolishing may be required.

TO SEAL OR NOT TO SEAL – that is the question

NEVER use any sealer or polishing product.

YOU NOTICE A STAIN ON YOUR SURFACE – what should you do?

ORGANIC SOURCES (wine, food coloring, spices, coffee, etc.) : spray the surface with Fantastik All-Purpose Cleaner. Let sit 5 minutes, rinse then dry with clean microfibre cloth.

METALLIC SOURCES (belt buckle scuffing, pots & pan markings, etc.): cover the area with a paper towel, exceeding the zone by about 1 inch all around. Pour a bit of CLR on the paper towel. Cover with a plastic wrap WITHOUT sealing the edges. Let sit 2 hours or more. Scrub the surface with a microfiber cloth that is moistened with CLR. Rinse, then dry completely with clean microfiber cloth. Repeat as needed.

LIMESTONE (hard water stains): remove the rough residue on the surface using a new flat blade. Pour CLR on the area being careful of not splashing surrounding walls, faucets, etc. Let sit 2 hours or more. Rinse thoroughly and dry completely with clean microfiber cloth. Repeat if needed.

OILS & FATS: use an alkaline cleaning product (basic cleaning agents, ammonia, etc.)

AVOID : shocks in certain sensitive areas (corners, edge profiles, around sink), direct contact with metal elements (grills, etc.), metal scrubbing sponges, direct contact with fire.

TO SEAL OR NOT TO SEAL – that is the question

NEVER use any sealer or polishing product. This material is non-porous, therefore it has its own built-in stain protection. A mineral oil or wax/paste can be applied to enhance the stone’s rich colors, used at the customer’s discretion.

YOU NOTICE A STAIN ON YOUR SURFACE – what to do?

ORGANIC SOURCE (wine, food coloring, spices, coffee, etc.) : elements left on the counter can create residues. These are not stains, as the residue will not penetrate the stone. To adresse most common residue, use a gentle soap and warm water. With a sponge, scrub the surface with soapy water until it suds. Rinse the sponge and wipe the surface. Finish with a soft clean damp cloth and wipe the surface to remove all of the soapy water. Repeat as needed.

TOUGH RESIDUES: apply in a circular motion Soft Scrub with bleach using a wet rag. Let it sit 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. Dry using a clean cotton cloth.

AVOID : prolonged exposure to chemical products and objects that can scratch the surface.

If you have any questions, feel free to chat online with our agents! They can assist you, or guide you through our after-sale service call process!