How to clean and care for quartz worktops
Expression Quartz worktops are non-porous, scratch-resistant and require no sealing. For everyday cleaning, all you need is warm soapy water and a soft cloth. This guide covers daily care, stain removal, heat protection, and what to avoid — so your worktop stays as good as the day it was installed.
Quick reference
- Daily cleaning: warm water + mild soap + soft cloth.
- Recommended stain remover: Bar Keeper’s Friend Power Cream (or similar non-acidic cream cleanser).
- Use a trivet under anything taken directly off a hob, out of an oven, or off a flame.
- Use a cutting board — quartz will protect your knife edge more than the other way around, but cutting directly on the surface is not recommended.
- Never use: bleach, oven cleaner, paint stripper, nail polish remover, drain unblockers, methylene chloride, or trichloroethane.
Daily cleaning — step by step
- Wipe spills as soon as you notice them with a damp cloth or paper towel.
- For routine cleaning, add a small amount of mild washing-up liquid to warm water.
- Wipe the surface with a soft cloth, microfibre or non-abrasive sponge.
- Rinse with clean water.
- Dry with a clean soft cloth to avoid water marks.
That is all most worktops need, every day, indefinitely.
Removing dried-on residue
- Soften the residue with warm water and a few minutes of soak time.
- Gently scrape with a plastic blade or putty remover — never a metal blade.
- Apply a small amount of non-abrasive cream cleanser (such as Bar Keeper’s Friend Power Cream) to a damp cloth.
- Rub gently in a circular motion.
- Rinse thoroughly with clean water and dry.
Can you use Bar Keeper’s Friend on quartz?
Yes — Bar Keeper’s Friend Power Cream is our recommended stain remover for stubborn marks on Expression Quartz. The cream formulation is non-abrasive and pH-balanced for engineered stone. Avoid the powder version, which is more abrasive. Apply sparingly to a damp cloth, rub gently, and rinse thoroughly with clean water.
Stain removal by type
| Stain | Action |
|---|---|
| Tea, coffee, red wine, fruit juice | Wipe promptly with warm soapy water. For dried marks, use Bar Keeper’s Friend Power Cream as above. |
| Oil and grease | Use a mild degreasing washing-up liquid, then rinse and dry. |
| Limescale (around taps) | Use a quartz-safe limescale remover. Avoid acidic descalers — they can dull the polish. |
| Permanent marker, ink | Test a tiny amount of isopropyl alcohol on a soft cloth on an inconspicuous area first, then dab the stain. Rinse fully afterwards. |
| Chewing gum, candle wax, food residue | Let it harden, scrape gently with a plastic blade, then clean as routine. |
| Nail polish, paint | Scrape gently with a plastic blade; do not use solvent-based removers. |
Heat protection
Quartz tolerates moderate heat well. A warm mug, a coffee pot, or a pan straight from a low hob will not harm the surface. However, the resin matrix can scorch or discolour under sudden extreme heat. As a rule:
- Use a trivet or hot pad under anything just removed from an oven, grill or hot hob.
- Never place a slow cooker, hot tray or warming plate directly on the worktop.
- Avoid sudden cold-to-hot temperature shock (e.g. a frozen item next to a very hot one).
Scratch protection
Quartz scores 7 on the Mohs scale, harder than granite, so light contact with knives, utensils, plates and pans will not scratch it under normal use. To preserve the polished finish in the long term:
- Use a cutting board.
- Avoid dragging cast-iron, ceramic or unglazed dishes across the surface.
- Lift rather than slide heavy or abrasive items.
Light scratches can usually be polished out by a professional fabricator; deep scratches can be filled with a colour-matched epoxy.
Honed and matt finishes
A honed or matt finish (such as our Marina Matt) is more sensitive to fingerprints and grease than a polished finish. Wipe spills promptly, and for routine cleaning use the same warm-water-and-soap method, finished by buffing dry with a soft cloth.
What NOT to use on a quartz worktop
Keep these substances away from the surface. If contact occurs, rinse thoroughly with clean water immediately:
- Bleach or cleaners containing bleach.
- Oven cleaner, drain unblocker, paint stripper, furniture stripper.
- Nail polish remover, acetone, methylene chloride, trichloroethane.
- Highly alkaline cleaners (pH above 9) or highly acidic cleaners (pH below 5).
- Abrasive scouring pads (steel wool, green-side of dish sponges).
- Permanent markers and inks.
Frequently asked questions
Do quartz worktops need sealing?
No. Quartz is non-porous and is permanently sealed by the manufacturing process. No annual or periodic sealing is ever required.
Can I put hot pans on a quartz worktop?
Warm pans yes; very hot pans no. Use a trivet for anything taken directly off a flame, out of an oven, or off a hot hob.
Can I cut directly on a quartz worktop?
Quartz will not be damaged by a knife under normal use, but it will dull the blade quickly. Use a cutting board to protect your knives.
Is bleach safe on quartz?
No. Bleach can damage the resin matrix and dull the surface. Use mild soap or a cream cleanser like Bar Keeper’s Friend instead.
How do I remove a stubborn stain from quartz?
Apply Bar Keeper’s Friend Power Cream to a damp soft cloth, rub gently, then rinse fully with clean water and dry. Never use abrasive pads or solvent-based removers.
Need help with a specific issue?
If you have a specific worktop concern — a stain that hasn’t shifted, a chip, a fabrication question — please contact us and we will help. Your installation may also be covered by our 15-year warranty.