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
Dull quartz and Caesarstone is almost always residue: a film of cooking oil, cleaner and hard water. Degrease with hot water and dish liquid, rinse, and dry with microfibre, and the sheen usually returns. If a patch stays cloudy after cleaning, the resin may have been damaged by a harsh chemical or heat, which needs a benchtop repairer.
First, check what you are dealing with
- Overall flat or streaky look: residue.
- Specific cloudy patch after a chemical spill or hot pan: surface damage.
What you need
- Hot water and dish liquid
- Microfibre cloths
- Manufacturer-approved cleaner
Step by step
Degrease first
Wash with hot water and a good squeeze of dish liquid, rinse with clean water and dry with microfibre. Residue from oils and cleaners is the most common cause of a flat-looking surface.
Remove stubborn film
Use a cleaner approved by your quartz manufacturer on any remaining film.
Dry and buff
Dry and buff with a clean, dry microfibre cloth.
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.
- Furniture polish, waxes and "shine" sprays, which build up and dull the surface further.
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 dull surfaces and lost shine on quartz
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 cannot be re-polished at home the way marble can. Dullness is usually residue, which cleans off, or chemical damage to the resin, which needs a repairer.
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, and its self-healing top layer shrugs off fine everyday marks. 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 · Dull surfaces & lost shine on every surface