Before you try anything: always speak to a professional before cleaning, treating or applying any product to your stone. Every slab is different, and the wrong product can cause permanent damage. Contact us or a qualified stone restorer first.
Quick answer
Quartz does not etch from kitchen acids the way marble does. The quartz itself does not react with kitchen acids. The resin binder is what can be damaged, mostly by heat and strong chemicals such as oven cleaner and high-pH degreasers. So a dull or cloudy mark usually has another cause: residue build-up, or chemical damage to the resin from oven cleaner or strong degreasers.
First, check what you are dealing with
- Dull mark that wipes away with warm soapy water: residue.
- White crust you can feel: hard-water deposit. See the hard water guide.
- Cloudy, permanent patch after a strong cleaner: chemical damage to the resin.
What you need
- Warm water and dish liquid
- Microfibre cloth
- Lemon (for testing an offcut)
Step by step
Clean the area
Wash with warm soapy water and dry. Residue often looks exactly like a dull etch.
Check for deposits
Run a fingernail over the mark. A crust means minerals; see the hard water guide.
Think about what touched it
Oven cleaner, paint stripper, strong degreasers and hot pans can all mark the resin.
Get it assessed
A benchtop repairer can fix chips and some surface damage. Because Australia banned new engineered stone in 2024, repairs and protection are how existing tops are kept looking good.
What not to use on quartz
- Scourers, steel wool and abrasive creams on a polished surface.
- Mixing cleaning chemicals, especially bleach with anything else.
- Oven cleaner, paint stripper and strong alkaline degreasers, which damage the resin.
When to call a professional
A benchtop repairer can fix chips and some surface damage. Because Australia banned new engineered stone in 2024, repairs and protection are how existing tops are kept looking good.
Understanding etch marks on quartz
The quartz itself does not react with kitchen acids. The resin binder is what can be damaged, mostly by heat and strong chemicals such as oven cleaner and high-pH degreasers.
On quartz, damage shows as surface stains, dull or cloudy patches from harsh chemicals, and yellow or brown scorch marks from heat.
A benchtop repairer can fix chips and some surface damage. Because Australia banned new engineered stone in 2024, repairs and protection are how existing tops are kept looking good.
Good to know
Quartz benchtops do not etch from acid, but strong alkaline chemicals such as oven cleaner and some degreasers can leave dull, cloudy patches in the resin.
Stop it happening again
Whether yours is Caesarstone, Essastone, Silestone, Smartstone and other engineered stone, repairing it fixes today's mark; protecting it stops the next one. Our clear Stone Protection Film sits over the surface, so marks stay on the film, not the surface. Choose Gloss for polished quartz or Matte/Satin for honed and matte finishes. The protection is identical. It is installed across Sydney with a 10-year written warranty.
How we protect quartz · Fixing etch marks · Etch marks on every surface