Fsal- Did you get the bone inlay table? It is absolutely gorgeous!

Aa great! So by any chance do you any granite countertops that work with sealer? Or is the sealer necessary? I am not sure if our builder uses marble.. Does white granite stain with turmeric or even others?I really want a white kitchen that's why too many questions.

@Gayathri if I were you I’d get a sample and test it out with turmeric, etc.
@loobab no I didn’t. It wasn’t the right dimensions. Although later I found a seller on Etsy that could have made it for me.

Hi Fsal, this post has helped me quite a bit! We are trying to decide on a counter top as well and have been reading a lot about marble if it’ll holdup to Indian cooking. Did you go with polished or honed marble?

Hello Rejitha. We want with polished. The seal is EVERYTHING.

Hi Fsal-
So glad you are happy with your marble. What type of seal was used on your marble counters?
Also, can you please tell me the Etsy seller that sells/makes the bone inlaid tables?

Another thing, this thread has been talking about turmeric stains.
But have you all noticed that flowers stain as well?
Lilies seem to be the worst culprit, it’s their pollen that rubs off the stamen which stains something fierce.
It will sprinkle off onto your tablecloth and is really impossible to get off.
If I cut off the stamens before I arrange the flowers in the vase, then I stain the sink and have to scrub like crazy and use all kinds of products.
I don’t buy crocuses, they don’t sell them here but I suspect they would do the same, after all that’s where saffron comes from.
Resultingly, I rarely buy lilies. And if I buy them for someone else, I stand outside and cut off the stamens and really shake the flowers clean.
I think there may be an object lesson in there somewhere about errant male reproductive organs and their gametes, but in these politically correct days, I can’t really say it. Or maybe I just did :)

Loll. This is why I don’t buy them:))

https://etsy.me/381WKyk

The above is the Etsy seller I’m using currently.

This is the seal we used. It’s surprisingly not expensive. I had a friend whose marble guy told her the more expensive signifies higher quality. Umm no. This sealer was better on her counters than what he was trying to get her to do.

What counter top material doesn't stain when turmeric is left on it?

I tested tumeric on my Cambria Quartz and it didn't stain.

Thank you Fsal! How often do you use the sealant?

Tumeric does not stain my LG quartz.

Professional Impregnator. Hmmm.
Did no one even think about that name??

loobab....lol. after you're done w/the professional, you can get the Premium!

@loolab LOLLL

Oh Beth, my fingers are just itching to type something really baaad.

loo,,,I bet they are!! we think alike.

@rejitha my counter guy told me every five years. But I did it this year again already. Why not? (Only been living in this house for a year and a half now)

Good grief! I mean, they really gave it such a dumb name?!?

You just KNOW a man came up with that name.

@loobab my bone inlay stuff just came in. I’m beyond happy with the quality of their work. Would highly recommend them. I needed exact specs to fit my rooms and they made these all custom and I designed all the patterns with them.

I ended up not doing a bone inlay table and had a local carpenter make me a table for my specs. I needed it oval and him and I designed this table together based on another coffee table I had seen. Im always down to support local craftsmen and honestly, surprisingly it always comes out cheaper and better quality than big box stores.

Fsal- I love that table! Is this table base from that same etsy seller?

No! I had a local carpenter make it based off a design I liked.

wow! Fsal, those are all great! (how's the kitchen holding up, btw?)

did the local guy also make this one for you? I really like it (but not your gold ottomans! I'd do a soft blue velvet that matches your sofa. )

not this color!

these are nice

or the black or soft white?

Always love your ideas Beth. Yes I’m going to reupholster those ottomans. In that same blue tones as the couch.

Kitchen is holding up. Thank Goodness. More worried about the edges than stains at this point. Lol.
The sofa console table was made and delivered from an Etsy dealer from India!

https://etsy.me/2FhNLv2 here is the link to the Etsy guy from India. He does wood work too and I’m sure could make anything. The stuff arrived in 6 weeks in crates.

@fsal I didn't read thru the thread so I don't know if anyone suggested to use Barkeeper's Friend. I am also Indian and this product does remove the curry and turmeric stains from my quartz countertops.

Fsal, perfect! I've always loved the inlay. I'll check out his things.

what size is your console behind the sofa?

I got that custom made and sized to fit the couch and those ottomans (ottomans were from my old house). He can do really anything you want. It didn’t cost different for custom sizing.

He also helped me to design the patterns. Sky is kinda the limit with him. Shipping was free.

So what kind of countertops did u get and how tumeric friendly have they been?

Hi Nina! If you scroll back I got marble with a really good sealer! Has been working out fine stain wise so far!

Hi fsal. Isn't marble even more porus and more absorbing ? I asked for marble kitchen top n everyone suggested me it's not meant for kitchen counters.

You have to seal them well no doubt. And every marble isn’t the same either. I personally do not like the fake look of quartz. Would never be able to enjoy quarts countertops in my kitchen. Natural was the way to go for me.

I agree some quartz is fake looking, but not all quartz designs are created equal. Many of the white veined marble designs are indistinguishable from their natural counterparts and with fewer maintenance issues. Also I find quartz more durable than marble. The finish does not etch or scratch like natural white marble which is very soft relative to most other natural stone used for counter tops. Quartz finishes do not get dull over time like marble, and there are no natural geodes to fall out or chip off edges. Personally I love the look of concrete and find quartz look-alikes just as good looking but more durable and easier to care for. Overall, I find quartz a preferred alternative to white marble and concrete for kitchen and bath tops.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder:) I was answering the question posed to me. Marble is definitely still doable as a countertop.

Realize your post is a year old. but just in case you get a stain on your counters, make a paste of water and baking soda, mix to the consistency of sour cream. Spread it on the stain and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit for 24 hrs.

Super helpful as we make Indian food daily and are new countertop shopping. Thank you!

Great advice @JudyZ. Appreciate it!!

Grace Interior Design llc, when you say quartz, do you mean natural slabs or manmade? I've read that it is durable, but the resin base might yellow over time. just wanted the clarification, for myself and others who might stumble across this old thread.

Fsal, that poultice works pretty good for oil stains. I tried it a few years ago on my carrara (before it was properly sealed). made the paste and covered it with a moistened paper towel, and then the plastic wrap. left it for a day or two. it does draw up the oil. you may have to repeat. They also sell these poultices ready-made (search "marble poultice") for stains.

ILoveMod quartz is man-made. quartzite is natural. (quartzite is made of natural quartz but it's called quartzite).

as for the resin, cheaper quality quartz may use a cheaper resin/materials.

The most common yellow stains on any quartz brand countertop are the following;

1) General yellowing to the entire quartz surface due to build up of salts & surfactants

2) Around under mounted sinks - due to salts & surfactants in dish soaps. High pH

3) high use & cleaned area.

4) Under coffee machines

5) under pot plants on the quartz countertop

6) under dish mats or drying mats near the sink

7) under fish tanks.

All of the above allow the salts & surfactants to form and generate the quartz countertops causing the yellow or light brown staining. As you will notice that UV light does not generate dish mats, under fish tanks and also pot plants. Whilst UV light can accelerate the yellow staining to white quartz countertops. IT IS NOT THE CAUSE!

(they even mention high humidity and relation to salt water as contributing!)

Scroll down and read the comment from Quartz Stonecare Cleaning and Restoring Experts

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2467192/quartz-yellowing

Quartz is manmade of crushed stone and resin. Quartzite is a natural stone available in the most amazing colors and patterns. It is heavier, and more rare and expensive than granite.

@beth I had a friend with stains on her marble ans searched up this thread. Does the poultice work on sealed marble counters?

@fsal how have your counters been doing with Indian food? And what sealant did you use? Thanks for being brave and choosing marble so I can learn from your experience!!

Oh and etching with all the tomatoes used in Indian food? Is the etching bad?