Rust stains on a stone top

Karin Lourens of Pretoria writes How do I get stains caused by a small metal tray, in which I display my perfume collection, off my quartz countertop? The top isn’t one of the wellknown brands; I bought it from a company specialising in tombstones. What do I do?

Stephanie Forbes, national manager of the Kitchen Specialists Association (KSA) in

South Africa, replies I’ve consulted with several of the KSA’s big stone importers and some of our stone fabricators, and they believe this is a rust stain. Rust is one of the most difficult marks to get off quartz surfacing.

When purchasing quartz surfacing, it’s important to know where it comes from and the quality and warranty behind it. When you don’t know the origins of the material and it’s not a known, reputable brand, there is no guarantee that it’s as non-porous or stain-resistant as mainstream brands.

Porosity and stain-resistance are dependent on how the stone is made; how much stone product has been used versus resin.

Rust is very stubborn, and success depends on how long it has been sitting on the surface and the severity of the stain.

Our experts have two suggestions on how to remove the stains:

1 Use Jik and a soft scourer; leave the Jik on the surface for five minutes, then scrub the marks. Now wash the surface with clean water to neutralise the effect. Repeat this process if it has made a visual difference. Bear in mind that it will never completely remove the marks but can improve the look.

2 Apply 3M Citrus Industrial Cleaner (you can’t just buy it in a store; you will need to purchase it online). It has to be sprayed on and left for two to three minutes. Thereafter, scrub lightly with a kitchen sponge for another two minutes. Repeat with a wet cloth to remove the residue. If there are still light marks, attempt the process again.

If neither of these methods works, the material, unfortunately, has been damaged and the only solution is to get a fabricator to remove a layer of the stone and repolish the top surface. However, your stone will be more likely to stain in future as a result.

CONTACT ksa.co.za