If you have an engineered stone top that's absorbing liquids and staining, it's probably made with marble or similar, not quartz. A sealer will help, but won't do anything to prevent etching unless it's MORE Anit-Etch and that's not DIY and would require finish restoration before application.

What are my options then ? @josephcorlett

1. Do nothing.

2. Replace the top.

3. Have the top professionally refinished and treated with MORE Anti-Etch.

4. Treat it yourself and be more careful, but still have the problems but not quite as bad.

@bhushank I had this same thing happen in our new quartz bathroom vanity. It is an MSI product, Calacatta Arno and started staining from the get go. As I am hopefully getting ready to do the kitchen, I have mostly checked the samples for staining. Almost all of them water stained for me except Silestone and Cambria. I am pretty sure that I am going with Ethreal Glow because of this. Inverness Frost is the 2nd option.

If you have found a product to seal your bathroom countertop, I would love to know.

I am assuming you are not having the same staining problem on your Silestone. I would love to know if it is. Thanks!

Interested in followup—I have Cambria quartz in bathroom in house we are selling and a Corian Quartz (yes, quartz) in kitchen in house we bought—Calacatta Oro—so far it seems to be holding up. But early days.

I know this is an old thread, but I am also searching for a recommended sealer for cheap quartz vanity tops. I have Silestone in my kitchen and had Cambria in a bathroom in my previous house, and had no problems with staining with either. In my current house, all the bathrooms have cheap quartz vanity tops that get badly water stained. I am hoping that a sealer will at least help. Any suggestions?

@Jane Lombardi Well I haven't found any. But you just confirmed the reason why I am only looking at Cambria and Silestone patterns for my kitchen countertop. I have seen patterns I like better from different manufacturers that left water spots on the sample. I love the look of my bathroom with MSI, but it waters spots so badly. I have tried everything to clean it. I would also love to find out if anyone knows if there is a product to keep from more water staining.

I don’t have any water stains on Silestone ethereal glow i have for kitchen countertops. The bath vanity seems like a cheaper quartz.
I have bought More anti-etch from the recommendation in this thread but have not applied yet - there does not seem to be a time when can avoid using the counter !

"I have bought More anti-etch from the recommendation in this thread but have not applied yet..."

This would be the first time I've ever heard of a homeowner accessing More Anti-Etch for a DIY application. So you spent the two thousand dollars for the light used to cure it?

I just ordered something called Stone Pro Quartz Nano Guard Protector. I’ll post an update once I see if it does anything to help prevent stains.

@joseph Corlett, Not two thousand - I got a small canister for $50. It is still a bit pricey but may be worth it for two vanities I need to seal.

Back here to share an update. I ordered Stone Pro Quartz Nano Guard Protector from Amazon. It came with the sealer, a PH neutral cleaner, and two microfiber cloths. First, I cleaned the vanities with a variety of methods. I have four vanities total. I The most effective cleaners to remove water stains and general staining were Barkeepers Friend (powder) and a blue Scotchbrite sponge, and a razor scraper. I tried vinegar and it damaged the surface, and some other cleansers that really did nothing. Once I got them as clean as possible with the Barkeepers, I cleaned with the PH neutral cleaner to prepare the surface for sealing. I applied the sealer following instructions. Of the four vanities, the two that are fairly new and rarely used came out like new. The one that is fairly new and heavily used daily came out OK (much better than before but not perfect) and the oldest one that looked pretty grungy now looks pretty good—again, not perfect. (And that is the one I damaged with the vinegar.) I used about half of the sealer on the four vanity tops so have enough for another application when needed.. I’ve been using the cleanser for regular cleaning and it’s done a great job. Looks shiny and new! Based on what I know now, if I again purchase something with low-quality quartz I would use this product on the quartz before I began using the item. I think it can protect the surface but is not intended to restore it. Hope this helps others!

"I have bought More anti-etch from the recommendation in this thread but have not applied yet"

bhushank:

You may have purchased More Stone Sealer, however, you have not purchased More Anti-Etch. The former is DIY, the latter is not. Stone sealers will fight staining, but offer no protection against etching. Anti-Etch prevents staining and etching.