Maintenance

know your stone

The natural stones that we offer in our range can be classified into three categories according to their composition: granites, siliceous stones and limestone.

Knowing the difference between these compositions is essential when choosing cleaning products.

Siliceous stones

Siliceous stones are mainly composed of particles of silica, feldspar or quartz. This type of stone includes: granite, slate, sandstone, quartzite, brown sandstone, and bluestone. This mineral composition makes the siliceous stone very hard, massive, dense and resistant.

It is easy to clean with mild acidic cleaning solutions.

limestone

Limestone contains in particular crystallized calcium carbonate. Limestone include: marble, travertine, limestone, and onyx. Limestone, in general, are sensitive to acids which react directly with the stone.

This stone therefore requires more precautions as well as different cleaning procedures than siliceous stone or granite. Likewise, as limestone is generally soft, impacts on one of its angles or edges should be avoided.

Maintenance tips

Basic rule: Avoid acids (especially for limestone)

1. Make sure to immediately clean (i.e., within 5 minutes) any acid in contact with your worktop: lemon or other citric fruits (orange juice, apple juice…), vinegar, wine, champagne…

2. Avoid acid-based cleaning products, containing lemon, vinegar or other acids which can tarnish or damage limestone

3. Avoid scouring powders or creams containing abrasives

How to clean?
1. Clean your surfaces with a soft dry cloth or slightly dampened with soapy water
2. Use a neutral cleanser, Marseille soap, or a mild liquid detergent (eg, dishwasher with lukewarm water)
3. So rinse the surface thoroughly after washing with the soap solution.
4. For cleaning the lime around the tap which often requires an ‘anti-lime’ product, use relatively low abrasive products (eg white vinegar, less aggressive), keep the exposure of the stone to the detergent product short and rinse thoroughly.

Usage tips

Daily cleaning: Regularly dust the surfaces with a dry, untreated feather duster, or with a cloth lightly dampened with soapy water. Dust and dirt are abrasive and can damage your stone over time. In addition, daily maintenance prevents cleaning with more aggressive products from becoming necessary.

Trivets: While all types of stone are heat resistant, the use of trivets or area rugs is recommended.

Coasters: Use coasters, especially those containing alcohol or citrus juice.

Hand vacuums: Make sure metal or plastic accessories or wheels are not worn, as they could scratch the surface of some soft stones.

how to remove stains?

Stains from acids cannot in principle be removed since it is not a real task – that is to say an “addition of material” – but a “removal of matter” resulting from a chemical reaction between acid and calcium.

However, acidic stains can be removed by repolishing the worktop. Thus, any worktop can be repolished as many times as you wish and thus be returned to its initial state.

Oil-based stains (grease, plumbers putty, tar, cooking oil, milk, cosmetics) must be chemically dissolved so that the source of the stain can be removed or flushed out. Gently clean with a soft, liquid product containing one of the following: household detergent, mineral spirits, or acetone.

Other stains, such as inks, paint, metal (rust …): For any other type of stain, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will always be available to advise you in the maintenance and cleaning of your countertop.