The trend of renovating or retrofitting the old kitchen worktops with either marble or quartz is picking up quite well these days. The simple reason is that the quartz worktop is eye-catching but also durable and resilient. Moreover, quartz kitchen worktops are more readily available than marble ones, and they are more sturdy than marble. Thus, the popularity of quartz worktops is ever increasing.
Advantages of Quartz Kitchen Worktops
These worktops are easily available and are sturdy in comparison to other worktops. They need minimum servicing since they are resistant to scratch, chemicals, and oils, making them even more durable than other worktops. They are also heat resistant and vary in size, type, and shape. Since the quartz tops are not natural but instead are engineered ones and mixed with pigments, one can have a large variety of shades to choose from for tiles and slabs. It is an engineered product since, unlike natural stones, the material is more compact and homogeneous and can be custom-made to suit individual requirements.
Cleaning of Quartz Kitchen Worktops
- Cleaning materials such as abrasives or those having bleaching properties can cause damage to quartz tops. Liquid cleaners having citrus juice as an ingredient can also damage the slabs of quartz.
- Using metallic pot scrubbers is also to be avoided for cleaning quartz slabs.
- Any dry built-up food particles on the quartz tops should not be scrapped with a metallic knife or similar tools, as they can cause scratches on the surface. It is better to use putty or pallet knives made of plastic or soft wood to scrape them off.
- Even though the quartz countertops are heat resistant, they are not heatproof, and care is to be taken while keeping hot items over them. If you remove a hot pan or vessel from a gas top or the oven, before placing it on the quartz top, place a heat-resistant support coaster over the quartz countertop and then place the hot stuff over it. Placing any hot stuff directly over the quartz countertop will cause it to develop cracks, thereby allowing the ingress of moisture into it and also causing the growth of bacteria.
- Although the quartz countertop is tough and scratch-resistant, cutting food items over the top with a knife can cause scratch marks. Hence it is advised to always use cutting trays during the cutting of food items on the quartz kitchen top.
- You have to avoid keeping acidic food over the countertop, and care is to be taken not to spill acidic food items over the top. They can stain the top and may also cause damage to the top. In the same vein, one has to take care while placing heavy vessels, dishes, etc., over the quartz kitchen top by placing them slowly and carefully over the surface without any impact. Dropping heavy items over the surface can cause cracking and chipping.
