Some Tips On Engineered Stone from Kitchen Mania

Kitchen Mania’s kitchen cabinets and joinery are all produced right here in New Zealand to their exacting standards at their modern factory facility in Mt Wellington. Using the latest manufacturing methods and quality materials and fittings, their kitchens not only look good but are built to last

One of their most popular benchtops is engineered stone, and they have a few tips on how to take care of it. Engineered stone requires little maintenance to keep the surface looking like new, and for everyday routine cleaning, wthe Kitchen Mania team recommend the use of E-Stone's specialty every day care products that are designed specifically and exclusively for cleaning stone. They also assist in protecting the surface from staining.

Alternatively warm soapy water (containing a mild detergent) and a damp cloth can be used, or a quality spray and wipe type cleaner. Before the use of any cleaning product outside of E-Stone’s product range people should check that the product does not contain trichlorethane, methylene chloride or high levels of alkaline/pH. Should the surface be accidentally exposed to any of these damaging products, the bench should be rinsed immediately with water to neutralise the effect.

Engineered Stone will tolerate brief exposures to moderately hot temperatures; however prolonged direct contact with or radiated heat from very hot pots can cause thermal shock, discolouration or damage. For removal of these or for a thorough clean Kitchen Mania can recommend and supply the correct product. When scrubbing the surface they recommend using 3MTM ScotchbriteTM Non- Scratch All-Purpose Scrubbers. These can be used without damaging the stone.

To remove adhered materials like food, gum and nail polish, the excess should first be scraped away with a sharp blade. If there are any grey metal marks on the surface, a mild detergent will remove them. Household bleach can generally be used as an effective cleaner to remove stubborn marks, but because some products are considerably stronger than others they recommend their Brand of cleaning products.

Engineered Stone like all stone is similar to glass, and like a glass table top, if you hit the edge with something hard with enough force, you can damage the edge. So take care around the sink when washing cast iron pans etc. Also take care loading and unloading the dishwasher. If an accident occurs it can be repaired by one of Kitchen Mania’s trained technicians. The repair will be just that, not a complete fix meaning that you may notice the repair.

To find out more about Kitchen Mania and their designer kitchens, please go to http://www.kitchenmania.co.nz .