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
Turmeric stains in quartzite come out with a hydrogen peroxide poultice: wipe up the spill, wash the area, then cover the yellow stain with the poultice for 24 to 48 hours. Curcumin, the yellow pigment in turmeric, fades under UV light, so a few days of direct sunlight on the stain often finishes the job.
First, check what you are dealing with
- Yellow or orange mark: turmeric or curry. Follow the steps below.
- Yellow mark with an oily halo: curry oil too. Do a solvent poultice after the peroxide.
What you need
- pH-neutral dish liquid
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Flour, talc or diatomaceous earth
- Plastic wrap and tape
- Plastic scraper
Step by step
Wash the area
Clean with warm water and a few drops of pH-neutral dish liquid, rinse and dry with a soft cloth so you can see what is left on the quartzite.
Test first
Try the mixture on a hidden spot of your quartzite (inside a cut-out or under an overhang) and check the finish after it dries.
Mix the poultice
Stir an absorbent powder (plain flour, talc, diatomaceous earth or whiting) into hydrogen peroxide (3% from a pharmacy for fresh stains, or 12% from a hairdressing or pool supplier for older ones) until it has the consistency of peanut butter.
Apply it
Spread it 5 to 6 mm thick over the yellow stain, extending about a centimetre past the edge. Resin-filled fissures in quartzite will not absorb much; concentrate on the stone around them.
Cover and wait
Cover with plastic wrap, tape the edges and poke a few small holes so it dries slowly. Leave it 24 to 48 hours until completely dry: the drying is what pulls the stain up into the powder.
Remove and rinse
Lift the dry poultice with a plastic scraper, rinse with clean water and dry the quartzite. If the yellow stain is lighter but still there, repeat up to three times.
Let the sun help
Curcumin, the yellow pigment in turmeric, fades under UV light, so a few days of direct sunlight on the stain often finishes the job.
What not to use on quartzite
- Scourers, steel wool and abrasive creams on a polished surface.
- Mixing cleaning chemicals, especially bleach with anything else.
- Bleach, which can leave a pale patch in the stone.
When to call a professional
If a yellow shadow persists after poulticing and sunlight, a restorer can treat it. A stone restorer can re-polish quartzite and draw out stains, though its hardness makes polishing slower work.
Understanding turmeric and curry stains on quartzite
True quartzite is dense, but porosity varies from slab to slab and even within a slab, so some quartzites absorb oil and dark liquids in patches.
A stone restorer can re-polish quartzite and draw out stains, though its hardness makes polishing slower work.
Good to know
Turmeric on quartzite settles in the porous zones of the slab. Once the stain is gone, those zones are the ones worth protecting first.
Stop it happening again
Whether yours is Taj Mahal, White Macaubas and Cristallo, repairing it fixes today's mark; protecting it stops the next one. Our clear Stone Protection Film sits over the surface, so liquids cannot soak in. Choose Gloss for polished quartzite 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 quartzite · Stain removal guide · Turmeric & curry stains on every surface