Advice

[mytab name=’Advice’]

	Regularly clean your surfaces with a damp cloth. Dry-off worktops to avoid dull patches appearing where hard water and soap residues may have been left behind during daily use. A light neutral (PH7) detergent may be safely added. Drainer grooves can be cleaned using 000 grade, non-oiled wire wool.
	Avoid the use of abrasive cleaners or scour pads.
	Glass and stainless steel cleaning cloths do a good job of leaving the granite smear free. A household spray polish, such as Pledge or Mr. Sheen can be applied to surfaces to clean and maintain the surface shine.
	Cutting on the stone worktops may scratch the granite and will blunt your kitchen knives very quickly! To be safe and ensure no damage is done to your worktop, please use a separate chopping board.
	Do not expose your granite worktop to excessive heat. For example do not place a very hot pan on the surface.
	Avoid the use of abrasives or strong detergent cleaners.
	Avoid contact with edges of work surfaces as chipping may otherwise occur.
	Granite and particularly marble are porous materials even when the surfaces and edges have been polished. The stone is treated before leaving the factory to help resist staining. Be mindful therefore of acidic and spirit based products such as wine, fruits and perfume. Care should also be taken with oil based products such as olive and cooking oils as these may stain if allowed to soak into the worktop. Should spillage occur, wipe off as soon as possible.
	Do not move your worktop from the original place of installation.
	Worktops should not be brought into contact with strong acids or chemicals, including paint stripper, brush cleaner, oven cleaner, nail varnish remover, degreasent or similar products.

[/mytab]

[mytab name=’Granite’]

How to clean your granite worktop

The following recommendations have been made to preserve the quality and lifetime of your new worktop. The surface has already been sealed and is a fairly easy surface to maintain:

	Whenever there is a substance on the worksurface,  wipe immediately. Do not let any liquids dry on the worktop because although granite is relatively non-porous due to the interlocking nature of the crystallized minerals which it contains, some substances can penetrate and leave irritating water marks.
	Clean the worktop with a neutral base cleaner. The first example of this is to mix fairy liquid (the green one) with warm water. Natural stone soap cleaner is also available from hardware stores or can be ordered online. Astonish marble and granite cleaner is also recommended.
	Dry-off worktops to avoid dull patches appearing. Hard water and soap residues that may have been left behind during daily use need to be wiped. A light neutral(PH7) detergent may be safely added. Drainer grooves can be cleaned using 000 grade, non oiled wire wool.
	Glass and stainless steel cleaning cloths do a good job of leaving the granite smear free and a household spray polish, such as Pledge or Mr. Sheen can be applied to surfaces to clean and maintain the surface shine once every so often.
	Do not expose your granite to excessive heat. We advise using a tripod or chopping board to place your pans on when taken directly from the hob.
	Be mindful of acidic and spirit based items. These include wine, fruits and perfume. Do not cut lemons or anything citrus on your worktop. Care should also be taken with oil based products such as olive and cooking oils as these may stain if allowed to soak into the worktop. Should spillage occur, wipe off as soon as possible.
	Worktops should not be brought into contact with chemicals or strong acids. These include paint stripper, brush cleaner, oven cleaner, nail varnish remover, degreasant or similar products.
	Removing stains (if absolutely necessary). For removing ink, wine or marker stains from darker stones use a lacquer thinner or acetone.
	Reseal worktops every year. A sealer can be purchased from any hardware store or online. We recommend Lithofin sealer but there are alternatives that are just as good.

[/mytab]

[mytab name=’Quartz’]

How to clean your quartz worktop

The following recommendations have been made to preserve the quality and lifetime of your new worktop. The surface has already been sealed by the manufacturer and is a fairly easy surface to maintain:

	Clean the worktop with a neutral base cleaner. The first example of this is to mix fairy liquid (the green one) with warm water. A neutral pH product or detergent should be used. Astonish surface cleaner is also recommended.
	Dry-off worktops to avoid dull patches appearing. Hard water and soap residues that may have been left behind during daily use need to be wiped. A light neutral (PH7) detergent may be safely added. Drainer grooves can be cleaned using 000 grade, non oiled wire wool.
	Glass and stainless steel cleaning cloths do a good job of leaving the quartz smear free.
	Removal of any remains or waste. These include oil and grease, wine, vinegar, lemon, fizzy drinks, coffee and other similar foods and all that is required is to wipe with a cloth dipped in a neutral pH detergent. We advise using a tripod or chopping board to place your pans on when taken directly from the hob.
	Do not expose to direct sunlight. Quartz cannot be used outdoors or in places subject to strong direct sunlight or exposed to UV lighting.
	Do not expose quartz to excessive heat. We advise using a tripod or chopping board to place your pans on when taken directly from the hob. Deep fryers and other very hot items can mark the surface.
	Do not use a sealer on the quartz. Quartz is non-porous and therefore if a sealant is applied it will sit on top of the surface and dirt will trap easily, marks will appear and your worktop will become dull. A sealer or water-repellent is not to be used on a composite work surface.
	Removal of stubborn stains (lime scale). These include water lime stains and can be removed by the application of vinegar mixed with water. The stain needs to be rubbed with the cloth and the rinsed with water (should be left dry).
	Removal of stubborn stains (silicon). Silicon stains and stubborn marks can be removed using a small application of acetone or ethanol but it is important that after application these solvents are immediately rinsed and wiped off.

[/mytab]

[end_mytabset]