Is Quartz More Difficult to Clean Than Granite?

In one of the most talked-about celebrity real estate deals of 2019, veteran Hollywood actor Jeff Bridges sold his Montecito estate, located in Southern California, to media mogul Oprah Winfrey. According to a report published by the Sacramento Bee, the main residential structure in the four-acre property went through considerable remodeling before Winfrey snapped it up for $6.85 million, and one of the highlights of the renovation was found in the kitchen, which now features quartz countertops. For a homeowner such as Winfrey, the question of whether quartz is easier to clean than granite is unlikely to cross her mind. The talk-show queen has previously indicated she prefers to hire professional housekeepers and organizers, which she often recommends to her audience. However, if she needed to clean her quartz countertops herself, she could easily take on the task.

The Difference Between Quartz and Granite

What Winfrey got for her new Southern California kitchen is known as engineered stone, a construction material that has been around since the 1970s and which is more commonly referred to as quartz. The main difference between granite and quartz is that the latter is manufactured while the former is extracted. In other words, granite is natural stone and quartz isn’t. As for cleaning, if you know how to clean natural stone, the process for cleaning quartz is essentially the same, and both are simple enough to maintain on a regular basis.

Quartz Doesn’t Require Sealing

In the final steps of the quartz manufacturing process, a treatment is applied to the surface for the purpose of giving the slab a desired finish. The result of this treatment is similar to a permanent seal because it leaves a surface that’s virtually void of pores. Granite and all other types of natural stone require regular sealing, but quartz doesn’t. Though granite does require sealing, it's easy to do. Here's a quick video explaining how:

You Can Clean and Polish Quartz with Just One Product

With a convenient combination quartz cleaner and polish, you can easily clean your quartz surfaces and polish them simultaneously. Granite Gold Quartz Brite® is ideal for busy homeowners with quartz tiles and slabs in their kitchens or bathrooms.

With Quartz, Water Stains Aren’t So Common

Dark spots that emerge on marble and limestone after water is left to dry atop unsealed surfaces are less likely to occur on granite, but the potential is there nonetheless. This isn’t the case with quartz because of its manufactured finish. However, hard water stains caused by accumulation of limescale can still stick to quartz, which is why you should get into the habit of always wiping your tiles and slabs dry after using them. If you’re looking for high-quality products to care for your quartz or natural stone such as granite, marble, and slate, look no further than Granite Gold®. You can find a store near you that carries our products using our Store Locator, and if you have any questions you can speak with one of our knowledgeable representatives at 1-800-474-STONE (7866).