I moved into a model home six years ago. It had everything you’d expect. Marble countertops in the master bath. I still haven’t cleaned them properly. Sure, I scrub when the kids turn the tub into a foamy swimming pool. But that’s not real cleaning. It’s just survival.
My marble surfaces were forced to be low maintenance by accident. They weren’t meant to be.
Carol Courter owns Techline Furniture, Cabinets and Closets in Fort Worth. She says my marble is overdue for care.
“Porous materials such as granite, marble and concrete need to be sealed regularly, about every six months,” Courter says.
Porous materials have tiny holes. Liquids penetrate these holes. Stains set in. Eventually, the surface erodes or cracks.
My bathroom marble got a free pass. I don’t spill pasta sauce in the bath. But red wine? Tomato sauce? Those things seep right in. They stain.
Acidic items make it worse. Vinegar. Lemon juice. They eat away the sealant. Prematurely.
So what do you install where acids and spills happen? The kitchen.
Most homeowners choose nonporous countertops. They want low maintenance. They want stain resistance.
Stainless steel. Quartz. Laminate.
Mark Wille is a sustainable materials consultant in Chicago. He says stainless steel handles the toughest environments. It’s nonporous. Like quartz and laminate.
But it costs money. $75 to $200 per square foot in 2012. That’s a lot for a countertop. It’s often prohibitively expensive.
Alena Capra is a certified kitchen and bath designer. She works with the National Kitchen and Bath Association. She says quartz is the most popular low-maintenance option.
It comes under names like Silestone, Cesarstone, Compaq, and Hanstone. Installed quartz cost $50 to $150 per square foot in 2012. It looks like natural stone. But it’s manmade.
“Quartz needs zero maintenance; it is heat-resistant and will not stain, even if it is the lightest of colors,” Capra says.
Laminate is cheaper. Formica is a well-known brand. It costs $15 to $25 per square foot installed. It’s made of plastic.
Plastic doesn’t like heat. If you put a hot pan on laminate, it lifts. It separates. It discolors. Often, you have to replace the whole thing.
So how do you clean any of these surfaces?
Wille recommends soap and water. Just that.
“Porous and nonporous countertop surfaces often react poorly to chemicals. The best cleanser is soap, water and elbow grease.”
Don’t overthink it. Scrub. Rinse. Repeat.
Or seal that marble. Every six months. Or risk the cracks.
Your choice.
