We had Caesarstone installed last Thursday. They did a beautiful job with the install, seams, color matching the epoxy, etc. They did not clean the countertops except for a quick go-over with acetone and a razor blade to remove some of the epoxy.

I think that caused an issue with our countertops, which I will explain in a moment. There were a few epoxy areas where he used a mixture of acetone, Barkeeper's Friend, and a razor. He suggested we do the same if we found any spots of epoxy--which we did find but haven't touched them because of what we found next.

After they left, the surface felt a little powdery. I dusted it off with a soft rag and then we wiped down the counters with water and a microfiber cloth. It took two or three times before the surface felt smooth and glassy.

We went out for dinner and when we returned, the angle of the light revealed a dull spot on the countertop. We couldn't figure out what it was, but I began to worry. The next morning, as the light changed, we saw a larger spot where he had used the acetone and BKF. We then found another spot where he had wiped near the edge.

I thought the combination of acetone and BKF was the culprit, but he said the Caesarstone sales rep told him about the combo, and I assume he's used it on other countertops.

We called them and they'll be out tomorrow morning. Today something occurred to me. We took photos as they were installing and you can see a cloud of quartz dust in the air. They did not wipe down the countertops before they started rubbing with their combo. Is it possible that the quartz dust was on the counter and they were scratching the counter as they tried to buff out the epoxy?

Did your countertop installer make sure your new counters were pristine before he left your home? Do you remember if they dusted or vacuumed the counter first before cleaning epoxy? Our floor tile installer spent a good 30 minutes and a can of acetone to make sure our floor was perfect.