Quartz countertops are perfect for use in the kitchen, bath and other areas of your home, often available in a range of colors and patterns to match your home’s style. These surfaces are made using engineered stone — a mix of natural quartz and durable resins for continuity in design and exceptional resistance to stains, bacterial buildup, mold and more.
Cleaning and disinfecting countertops is an essential step to keep you and your family healthy. With the threat of COVID-19 now an everyday reality, it is essential to keep your surfaces sterilized. While many products show promise in killing COVID-19 and other viruses, solutions from brands like Lysol, Clorox and others containing bleach or vinegar can ruin a quartz surface.
The Best Way to Clean Quartz Countertops
Quartz countertops are exceptionally tough, but if you use harsh chemicals or cleaning products, you risk causing permanent damage. Fortunately, caring for your quartz countertop is easy and inexpensive. Dish soap is an excellent, eco-friendly solution for removing all the dirt, grease and grime typical in the kitchen and bath — and a little goes a long way. 
To disinfect your quartz countertops, we recommend adding isopropyl alcohol to your mixture. Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol is the same type of alcohol found in first aid kits. It is an effective disinfecting agent solution for stone surfaces when added to your cleaning solution.
Take an empty spray bottle and fill it with warm water. For every eight ounces of water you use, add one drop of your preferred dish soap and four tablespoons of isopropyl alcohol. Gently rock the bottle back and forth to mix your solution without creating excess lather and bottle pressure.
How to Disinfect Quartz Countertops for Germs, Viruses and COVID-19
At Arch City Granite & Marble, we recommend cleaning and disinfecting your countertops at least once per day. Follow these steps to ensure you clean your entire countertop surface and get the maximum effect against germs, bacteria and viruses like COVID-19:
- Prepare your space: Clear any utensils, appliances and other items off your counter for easy access to the entire surface.
- Remove any buildup: Use a dry rag to sweep any crumbs into the sink or a dustpan before wiping to prevent scratches on your countertops.
- Spray the surfaces: Spray your countertops generously and allow the solution to sit for at least 60 seconds to get the maximum effect.
- Scrub your counters: Scrub your countertops using a clean, soft rag and apply more solution as needed to break up stubborn grease or sticky spots.
- Wipe your surfaces: When you are finished scrubbing, rinse your rag and use it to wipe any leftover soap away before drying your countertops with a towel.
Other Tips for Cleaning Quartz Countertops
- Start with water. One of the wonderful things about cleaning quartz countertops is that, in most cases, all you need is water and a paper towel. All you have to do during routine, day-to-day cleaning is get your paper towel wet with a little water then wipe down your quartz countertops.
- Move on to scrub pads and cleaning solutions. Even though quartz is incredibly durable, it can still be damaged by prolonged exposure to acidic liquids such as wine, vinegar, lemon juice, and soda. If you are not able to catch and clean up these spills immediately, you can use a soft scrub pad combined with a store-bought surface cleaning solution to wipe your quartz countertops clean.
- Avoid corrosive products. When you are cleaning quartz countertops, you might be tempted to try products that claim to have the power to give your quartz a radiant, lustrous appearance. Don’t be fooled by these claims–your quartz countertops already have a radiant, lustrous appearance. No cleaning products–not bleach, wax, polish, high-pH cleaners, or other corrosive products–can make it look nearly as good as it does with a touch of water.
Cleaning quartz countertops is easy, especially if you take steps to keep them clean in the first place. There are, however, certain things that can cause problems. Permanent markers, cooking grease that has been on the countertops for long periods of time and fingernail polish, for example, can all leave your quartz countertops stained or dulled in appearance.
If you have any of these problems with your quartz countertops, don’t fret. There are steps that can be taken to restore their natural beauty. Contact the quartz countertop fabricators and installers at Arch City Granite & Marble today to talk about your options.
Don’t have quartz countertops, yet? Don’t worry, you can Arch City to explore your quartz options, as well as their full line of granite, marble and soapstone countertops.