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Our Simple Method for Cleaning Quartz Countertops

Learn how to clean quartz countertops so they shine like new without using harsh and abrasive cleaners!

White kitchen with clean quartz countertops

It’s finally officially spring–woohoo! (Did anyone else feel like that winter lasted forever? Eeek.) With spring comes spring cleaning, and believe it or not, it is my oh-so-smart husband who kinds of nerds out over cleaning tips around here. (Is he a keeper or what?!)

After we had our quartz countertops installed in the new house (Caesarstone London Grey— we love them!), Donnie set out to find a quick and effective way to clean them, and he’s sharing his findings with all of us today! I’ll let him take it from here…


How to Clean Quartz Countertops

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

When we remodeled our townhouse kitchen a few years ago, we chose Caesarstone quartz countertops in Organic White. We loved the look of them, and they were easy to clean and maintain– we were sold on quartz!

close up of the countertops with decorations
quartz countertops in Caesarstone Organic White in our townhouse kitchen

Since we loved the quartz counters in the townhouse so much, we decided to install them in our new house as well, this time choosing Caesarstone London Grey.

organized white kitchen with lots of smart storage ideas
quartz countertops in Caesarstone London Grey in our new house

Quartz is a man-made product, and super hard resin is incorporated into the surface which makes it almost completely non-porous. The advantage of this over something like granite is that it’s stain resistant, harbors less bacteria, and doesn’t need to be sealed.

Maybe it’s because our townhouse had so much less countertop area (and also because we use our kitchen island in the new house constantly!), but it seems like our new quartz countertop has been more difficult to keep clean. Simply wiping them down with a wet rag leaves a lot of streaks and grease spots.

After researching and experimenting for a few weeks now, I’ve found a “system” for keeping our polished quartz countertops sparkling clean without any fingerprints, dirt, or streaks. The best part is that it’s incredibly simple!

top view of decorative items on a quartz counter

Use warm water and mild soap.

On a daily basis, we simply wipe down the counters using a rag with warm water and a mild soap, like Dawn dish soap.

We like these microfiber cloths the best, and keep a bunch under our kitchen sink so we always have them handy.

Rinse thoroughly.

Then we are sure to rinse the surface thoroughly with a wet cloth. Don’t skip the rinsing step or your counter surface may look streaky. And then we dry the countertop surface completely.

What to Use for Harder Stains on Quartz

For harder stains on quartz, such as food coloring or juice, Caesarstone recommends using Soft Scrub Liquid Gel with Bleach, specifically the one in the green bottle (which is the only product in the family of Soft Scrub cleaners that they recommend). This can help loosen and lift the stain from the quartz, returning it to its original beauty.

If you’re looking to avoid the chemical nature of bleach, an alternative that we’ve found is to use a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water on the stain. Again, we are sure to rinse the surface thoroughly with water after using the mixture and then drying it completely.

Both of these methods can keep the quartz countertops sparkling clean and looking as good as the day the were installed!

Aqua Demijohn on a Large Kitchen Island in a White Kitchen

As always, check with your quartz manufacturer for their specific cleaning recommendations, as surfaces can vary slightly by manufacturer.

Quartz is incredibly resilient, so you don’t have to baby it. Just make sure you don’t use any abrasive sponges or cleaners, as they could dull the polished surface of your quartz countertops.


abby headshot

So easy, right?! I love when the best solution is also an extremely simple one! Fortunately, quartz is one of the easier surfaces to maintain, and it stays looking beautiful for years and years. We have been absolutely thrilled with the quartz countertops in both of our homes, and we hope you love yours as well.

I hope this post will be helpful for you as you go about cleaning quartz countertops in your own home!

Do you have any other methods for cleaning quartz countertops that have worked well for you? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

Cleaning Quartz Countertops: Frequently Asked Questions

Any type of sponge or cleaner that is abrasive, or that has a high pH, should be avoided. This includes multipurpose cleaners, dishwashing detergents, and cleaning pads that are rough.

Clorox wipes are also a no-no, even though they are bleach free. They still contain other ingredients that aren’t good for these counters.

Sometimes with harder stains we use vinegar mixed with water. Vinegar by itself should not be used on quartz, but when it’s diluted, it’s totally fine to use on the countertops.

Dullness usually comes from a lack of cleaning or stains in certain areas. Wiping them down daily will help to keep their pretty shine.

When quartz is installed, the finish is permanent and doesn’t require maintenance, such as polishing or resealing. However, if the countertop has been dull for a long time and doesn’t shine after cleaning, buffing with a non abrasive polish can make them look good as new.

Want to save this post to revisit later? Be sure to pin the image below so you can find it easily!

The Best Way to Clean Quartz Countertops

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Thanks so much for following along, friends! Have a wonderful week!

xo, Abby

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

42 Comments

  1. Alina @ DeclutterBlog.com says:

    Good idea, guys! I wonder if this method can be used for marble tiles.. Our kitchen and bathroom are made of marble and I’m really struggling to clean it!

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Hmm… I’ve never had marble countertops, so I’m not sure! Good luck with them!

      ~Abby =)

    2. I found that a mix of white vinegar, water and the juice of a lemon makes a very good cleaner for marble surfaces.

    3. Andrew Irving says:

      Do NOT clean marble with vinegar or any other acidic cleaner- Marble is mostly calcium, and is easily etched or pitted by acids, even as mild as vinegar or citrus juice. Mild cleaners such as Dawn or other clean-rinsing dish soaps should be fine. Also remember to keep your marble sealed and renew the sealant often.

  2. Ayanna @ 21FlavorsofSplendor says:

    Grest tip! I love my quartz countertops too, but haven’t found a cleaner I love. So I’ll pull out my always handy window cleaner and give it a try.

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Thanks, Ayanna! Hope you’re having a great week! <3

      ~Abby =)

  3. Hi Guys I use window cleaner for lots of jobs around the house.,I use it on the tiles in my kitchen and bathroom. My best discovery was to spray it on the shower screen, leave for 10 minutes and use a light scoured then rinse off with water. I am shower screen obsessed and have found this to work wonders.
    Loving your blog.
    Amanda ??

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Thanks so much for sharing that tip, Amanda! Hope you’re having a wonderful week!

      ~Abby =)

  4. Brittany Wise says:

    Great suggestion! I wonder if this would work for our granite? It drives my husband crazy if the counters look hazy after cleaning them. 🙂

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Ooh I have never had granite, believe it or not, but it is worth a shot! Hope you’re having a great week, Brittany!

      ~Abby =)

      1. METHOD Granite Cleaner works great on Granite and Marble and smells great too. Bonnie from Raleigh NC

    2. Patty Ostrowski says:

      I found a wonderful home made granite cleaner recipe that leaves my kitchen countertops shiny and looking brand new. Get yourself an empty generic spray bottle. Combine 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol, 2 cups water, 8 drops dish soap, and 4 drops scented lavender (optional). Shake before using. Spray on and wipe with a paper towel. If counters are particularly bad, I use a soapy sponge and warm water to wipe them down before using he cleaner. Hope this helps!

  5. Can you tell me what window cleaner you use. the link is not hooking up when I click on it. Thanks!

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Whatever is on sale, lol! We’ve done it with several brands, and it’s worked well for us!

      ~Abby =)

      1. Hi, Abby. Could you name a brand or two that you’ve had good luck with? I have Caesarstone. I’ve used Windex, but I can’t spray it directly on the counter (leaves a spray pattern behind, even though it buffs out all the other marks). I’d like to find a cleaner that can be sprayed directly on the counter without issue. Thank you! -Lisa

        1. Glass Plus has worked perfectly for our quartz countertops. It’s ammonia free, which makes it different from Windex. My understanding from “tile experts” is to avoid ammonia I use it for regular cleanup everyday…

  6. Randa @ The Bewitchin' Kitchen says:

    This is great! I just ordered quartz (Silestone – Stellar Snow) and this will come in handy!

    1. justagirlabby says:

      So glad it will be helpful, Randa!

      ~Abby =)

  7. Armina Stone says:

    Thanks for sharing! Quartz is definitely one of the easiest stones to maintain, which makes it a favorite!

  8. we were told NOT to use products like windex, and tried everything ; peroxide, vinegar, denatured alcohol. nothing worked. Until I just thought what about ammonia? it worked! took the stains , streaks, grease smudges, cup marks, you name it. I was wrapping some ribs in foil on the counter and the foil left grey marks on the quartz. like a pen streak. I used a non-abrasive polyester scrubbing pad that I got at an auto parts store (they sell them for deep waxing and oxidization of auto paint on your car). Now I keep a small bottle of it and the scrubber under the sink. Follow the cleaning with a wet towel to remove residual ammonia, and follow that with a dry towel to dry and lightly buff. there you go. I know windex has ammonia in it , but it may not be enough to clean a stain or colored scratch from things like foil, utensils, ink pens, or pots/pans and ceramic dishes. All of those leave a light stain that looks like a scratch , but its actually just a stain from whatever contacted the quartz.

    good luck!

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Thanks so much for the tip, Chuck! Have a great day!

      ~Abby =)

    2. Mary Puhr says:

      Thanks for the tip. I recently had quartz counters installed. I have a pen stain which i can’t get off and also an ash from a candle made a grey stain. I was able to get that off with Cornerstone cleaner. I tend to baby them. I set a glass down with red wine in it and in a few seconds there was a red ring. Luckily it came off i think because i saw it immediately. Sometimes i wish i had gotten the granite. It seems quartz streaks, and leaves smudges behind depending on what cleaner is used.

  9. Lee Ann Thomas says:

    I have found that glass cleaner (ammonia free) works good for every day cleaning on my quartz, but to really remove those greasy looking streaks I fight grease with grease! After a good cleaning I use Weimann’s stainless steel cleaner. ALL streaks are gone and the shine is incredible!

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Thanks so much for sharing with me, Lee Ann! Sounds like you have a great system! Have a wonderful week! <3

      ~Abby =)

  10. Any comments on hot pans and quartz countertops? I’m accustomed to putting anything done on my granite and not worrying about it; but now we are considering quartz, and the manufacturers all say to use trivets. Thoughts?

    1. justagirlabby says:

      I have always heard not to put a hot pan directly on the quartz, so I never have. I don’t want to risk it! 🙂

      ~Abby =)

  11. Hello! We love our new quartz countertops. They were installed less than a month ago and have already had a mishap I’m hoping you can help me with. We had a candle burning and it was knocked over. It had been burning for a while so there was quite a bit of the melt on countertop. I let the wax cool then scrapped it up with a none metal spatula. It got a lot of it up but a thin layer of residue/wax remains. What do you suggest to get all of the wax off so it does not ruin the countertop and that area is smooth once again? Thank you!

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Oh no! We haven’t had that issue, so I’m not sure what the best way would be. I would reach out to the manufacturer of your quartz slab and ask for their recommendations. They should be able to point you in the right direction!

      ~Abby =)

    2. I use a single blade and scraped mine off and it was fine. We have the Samsung sole stone quartz.

  12. I have been looking for quite sometime on how to clean quartz counter tops.. This came timely. you have put out excellent information regarding the same.

    1. justagirlabby says:

      So glad it was helpful for you! Have a great week!

      ~Abby =)

  13. Carolyn Bender says:

    So many great tips! I really needed this. I’ve been struggling to get myself into a good cleaning routine in addition to being a mama and working from home. Some days, I kill it and everything looks and feels amazing and then other days, the house is a complete disaster haha

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Totally understand! Some days can definitely be a challenge!

      ~Abby =)

  14. Tyson Coolidge says:

    I like what you said about wiping down your quartz countertops on a daily basis. My brother has been telling me about how he wants to get some new countertops installed in his bathroom in the coming weeks. I’ll share this information with him so that he can properly maintain them.

    1. Abby Lawson says:

      So glad it will be helpful! Have a great weekend!

      ~Abby =)

  15. For tough finger prints and water stains, we have found that Mr Clean Dry Kitchen Eraser and Weiman quartz cleaner work best! This cleans off the stain super fast! First spray quartz cleaner then gently scrub stain with the dry eraser, then wipe clean with a microfiber cloth. Dawn and water did not work, window cleaner did not work and just using the Weiman quartz cleaner did not work for us. Hope this helps!

    1. Abby Lawson says:

      Thanks so much for sharing, Josie! I will have to try those!

      Have a great weekend!

      ~Abby =)

  16. I’m a little confused. You said you use Soft Scrub for the tough stains. But the manufacturers say not to use anything abrasive. Isn’t Soft Scrub abrasive?

    1. Abby Lawson says:

      Hi, Michelle! When we reached out to Caesarstone, they specified that the Soft Scrub Liquid Gel with Bleach in the green bottle was safe to use on their counters, but they did not recommend any other products in the Soft Scrub line for use on quartz. So according to them, that one specific Soft Scrub product is fine. I hope this helps! Have a great day!

  17. I love your backsplash. Do know what is it called and where did you get it?

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