We have sat back for a while around all this, but it is time to step in.

No matter the finish, it all cleans the same... If you use the correct methods and products

Firstly the likes of Caesarstone etc do not or when they do answer. Subsequently point you to a page or a document is because they are JUST MANUFACTURERS.... They generally have no idea about how the product works, damages it etc. Or they are aware of some of the shortcomings like any surface or product and DO NOT wish to point it out. After all they are in the business of SELLING MORE STONE! for use as countertops other than Granite or Marble. Which have their own issues as well.

Our advice would be use the correct cleaning product and they are NOT what caesarstone recommends. Caesarstone like all the other quartz manufacturers, are just manufacturers. If you read their warranty it states no solvents, no products outside of pH 6-8. Unfortunately most common cleaning products are and at worse will damage the counters - Any counters over time, even granite will dull.

Bleach or anything containing bleach is the biggest issues for ETCHING and will appear as a watermark on stone counters. It is physical damage to the stone.

Caesarstone or any of the major manufacturers are just that... they are in the business of selling slabs of stone and are NOT stonemasons. Even stonemasons who normally work with natural stone are guided by the like of Caesarstone's own information. If Caesarstone did actually provide a service like the likes of Samsung, Apple where they know how to repair, and train repair agents. I would say you they have some idea. But they are more like Redbull where they make a product and have a very powerful marketing machine. I have singled out Caesarstone here but they are not the only ones in this boat.

The above photo is from a product Caesarstone recommend which contains bleach. Consequently the is ETCHING to the stone. - Chemical Etching

Of note this is an extract from another forum and you will see.... it is NOT ---IF BUT WHEN

Bleach WILL do this damage on all stone. Lighter colours you may not see it as much. But Darker colours like raw concrete etc you will. It is not a matter of IF but WHEN. All harsh and caustic chemicals need to be neutralised within 20 mins. Glass Cleaners or Windex is the same. It has a pH generally of 12.7 which is above oven cleaner and the likes. You might as well clean you counters or benchtops with Oven cleaner.

Subsequently the information not only on here but offered by Caesarstone actually VOIDS their own warranty. 99% of the time around quartz, care, repairs and maintenance.

We would suggest that you take a look at some articles one of the leading stone repair and restoration guys put up ... Stone Guys - www.stoneguys.com.au

Caesarstone or any quartz product is not hard to clean, keep clean but it is if you are using the incorrect cleaning methods, products or advice.

Extract from a Stone Guys article and these guys know their stuff.

Compared to good old laminate which we are all use to and where a lot of the cleaning myths come from. Comparatively granite is from from molten magma at 1400 degrees of some of the hardest materials known to man. (Feldspar, Quartz, Mica and amphibole minerals). Consequently extremely high temperatures fuse mineral in the granite. For this reason are more durable to incorrect cleaning caesarstone benchtop. Important to realize 99% of the cleaning caesarstone benchtops information WILL DAMAGE granite, though it will take longer.

Sealers can not be used on Quartz, in fact Sealers for any stone are STAIN STOPPERS not a product that makes the surface more cleanable. Quartz will NOT accept a sealer due to the very low water absorption rate of the product. Plus there is no Sealer that will last or will not affect the surface.

It has come to our attention that some Caesarstone business units around the world or their own sales reps. Are advising stone fabricators (who are different to actual stonemasons) to use a sealer on matte or suede quartz finishes. THIS DOES NOT WORK, and make other issues, let alone VOIDS the warranty. If you take the time to read for this example caesarstone warranty it does state in Section 20 of Caesarstone's USA warranty. Though it is the same world wide.

20. This warranty does not cover the altering of any factory applied finish. Only colors listed as available as “honed” in our brochure, sample book, or on our website are eligible under this warranty. Any issues arising from the practice of “in-shop” honing are the sole responsibility of the fabricator.

HONED does NOT include the concrete range......https://www.caesarstoneus.com/media/220913/cs_full-product-line-brochure_06518_final_digital_pages.pdf

Caesarstone concrete option has a lightly textured surface that resembles honed finish but actually isn't. Tactile effect is also similar. Due to the nature of the surface design, Caesarstone recommends that common spills and rings should be dried immediately. This kind of care is not required with their polished countertop options. But concrete makes it up with exquisite looks and amazing durability.

https://www.houzz.com/user/aquagranite glad that you have no idea. Do you actually know how the slabs of stone are polished or finished? The base product is exactly the same.

Here is an extract from Caesarstone themselves about Honed;

, similar to Honed

We appreciate that you are a DESIGNER but the marketing machine has clearly do its job here.

We have it in our kitchen and ive never hated anything more in my life. the sample showed none of the large , what i called ‘spilled paint’ marks that are all through it . you can also see all the water smears once its wiped over. its the biggest disappointment in our new house build and unfortunately i have to see it every day im madly saving $8000 to have it replaced

We have the rugged concrete too and I selected it off a small sample that looked slightly textured but nothing like it is irl. Had no idea it would have all the weird chalky white “impressions” in it! I am attaching a pic. To me it looks like the imprint of an animals ribs. I hate it. Shows smears, never looks clean.

I'm so glad I found this thread. I was just about to order CS Fresh Concrete for my kitchen remodel. I will look for an alternative.

Does anyone know of a matte concrete look (in white) as an alternative to CS?

@kkgg23 I am also looking for the same. did you find anything? Silestone has a series of concrete looking quartz that you might want to look at.,.white, light gray, mediuam and dark gray. would be interested to hear if you have come across anything else..it’s really sad that CS has issues with the finish, as their designs far exceed all others from what I have seen,.

@susanrhill34After a lot of research, I decided to go with a custom made white concrete counter. I looked at 2 companies that use GFRC. It does have to be re-sealed every 5 years but it does not stain, chip or crack. Spills do have to be wiped up within 1 day or they may stain. Water does not stain it.

The 2 quotes where the same price as Cesarstone. Here are the 2 companies I talked with and recieved samples from;

https://www.trueformconcrete.com

https://slabhaus.com

I am going with Slab Haus because they are local.

We had Fresh Concrete by caesarstone installed and I regret it: it shows every little mark and stains easily, but worst of all —- it chipped around the sink and I expect will continue to chip, just from normal washing of pans. So disappointing.

Michelle, This is nearly the exact same note I sent to Caesarstone via their website last fall (and got no response). I too put Fresh Concrete in my kitchen and regret it - everything stains and marks it AND just like you said, it chipped around my sink just a few weeks after install ....In addition, no cleaning method on the CS site gets it streak free......What recourse do we have?

"What recourse do we have?"

It's called a class action lawsuit.

Ralph Wilson Plastics (Wilsonart) suffered one from their notorious Solid Surface Veneer countertop disaster. I did some of the subsequent warranty work and had a friend who was an expert witness in the case.

Thank you. I am going to look into this. Michelle, please lmk what you and others think?

I just posted another review online after noticing that it’s now chipping in front of the dishwasher too —- apparently just loading and unloading dishes and the occasional pan is chipping it there as well! Infuriating. It was the most expensive thing we used in our kitchen. Would a class action suit really be possible?

"Would a class action suit really be possible?"

Certainly. Contact Lenny Elbon, he was the expert witness in the SSV case.