Use Coasters and Trivets
- Heat Protection: Direct contact with hot pots, pans, or heated appliances can damage your kitchen stone bench-top and marble surfaces. Always use trivets or heat-resistant mats.
- Prevent Stains: Use coasters under glasses, especially for acidic or oily drinks, as these can etch or stain the kitchen bench-top.
Wipe Up Spills Quickly
- Acidic and Alkaline Substances: Be cautious of spills from acidic liquids (vinegar, citrus juice, wine) or strong alkaline substances (ammonia), which can etch or dull the surface of your kitchen bench-top.
- Oil and Grease: Quickly clean oil or grease spills to prevent them from penetrating the stone bench-top.
- Stone-Specific Cleaners: For deep cleaning, you can use stone or marble-specific cleaning solutions designed for your type of bench-top.
Use a Gentle Cleanser
- Mild Soap: Use pH-neutral cleaners or mild dish soap with water for regular cleaning. Avoid harsh chemicals, acidic cleaners, or abrasives that can damage the stone bench-top’s finish.
Avoid Scratches
- Cutting Boards: Always use cutting boards to avoid scratches or damage from knives.
- Avoid Dragging: Don’t drag heavy or rough objects across the surface, as this can cause scratches on your bench-top.
Use Architectural Film protection on your marble or stone bench-tops:
- Technology at its best – use architectural film, made of TPU – a versatile polymer used to make flexible, durable, and high-performance films. TPU films are known for their excellent mechanical properties, including:
- Elasticity: TPU films can stretch and return to their original shape without permanent deformation.
- Abrasion resistance: They are highly resistant to scratches and wear.
- Chemical resistance: TPU films resist oils, greases, and many chemicals.
- Weather resistance: They perform well in extreme temperatures and exposure to UV light.
These are the recommended methods in protecting your marble or natural stone bench-tops, being a daily/ high traffic use area, it is almost mandatory, in order to slow down its ageing process and rate of damage. The ideal and long-term way would be to install architectural film which completely seals the surface, protecting it against UV damage, scratches, stains, with its self-healing and hydrophobic properties.
