Pictures please.

Also, brand & color of quartz.

What finish is it?

Is it new construction? is it possible its just dust from ongoing construction?

Tenax Quartz Toner

Joe: are you recommending Tenax for all quartz or to solve a particular problem? I recently installed Silestone and haven't had a problem yet. Is Tenax meant to prevent problems or to solve problems?

It’s like waxing your car. You don’t have to do it, but it looks nice when you do.

Country Sunsets, what ended up being the problem or solution? I have the same thing with my new quartz counter top which was installed at my reception desk. What you described is exactly what I have going on. It doesn't feel gritty as much as it feels dusty. The edge of the quartz is very smooth and doesn't have the same feeling. Someone in my office suggested that perhaps the polish was burnt. I would love to know what you did or found out.

First let me state that I'm not a stone mason. I'm a retired boat captain, but that profession made me a pretty good trouble-shooter, and one who has learned to always look for the simple / least damaging answer first. Second, in looking for a solution to this grittiness problem I chuckled when one of the first things I read was that the problem was in the quality of the quartz. With all I went through getting my bathroom installed I could just imagine trying to convince Lowe's (where I got mine) or any other merchant to replace this expensive item.

My first attempt was to clean the counter with Windex, and then polish it with Pledge. It worked, but in a few days, as the Pledge wore off, the problem returned. I was thinking about using a paste wax when I started reading up here. Waxing wasn't recommended and I was disappointed when there didn't seem to be a solution. So I tried something based on some of the things I read here, and it worked.

First I scrubbed with a wet sponge and Dawn dish soap, then I dried with paper towels. The result was that the grittiness spread like milk over the surface. It was obvious that I'd go through a lot of paper towels trying to pull this off. But it also confirmed that the grittiness was not the quality of the quartz, but dust residue from cutting and polishing the quartz. Next I took a wet micro-fiber cloth and pulled it in one direction, rinsing it continually. When I finished last night it looked and felt good, but I waited until this morning to check it again when I knew it'd be dry. To my joy the grittiness is gone and my quartz counter has a nice shine. When I brought my eye right down to the counter I could see that some residue still remains, even though there's no more gritty feel. So I plan to repeat the process at least one or two more times. Hope this helps.

I am a fabricator. I have been fabricating quartz for almost 20 years. A gritty surface on quartz is unusual; the material is various inclusions in a petrochemical based resin that is baked and then polished so any grit coming from the surface is indicative of a problem. If it cleans up with one or two efforts but still looks good it's probably not worth the effort to replace. I would follow the clean up with the product recommended by Joe as each bit of grit which came from the surface represents a very small pit that could harbor bacteria. It it's still gritty after multiple cleanings then I'd hold out for a replacement. One of the advantages of engineered stone (i.e. "quartz") is that it's not supposed to have this kind of problem.

Maybe "grit" is the wrong term. On mine it's more like a dust that's adhered to the quartz. It felt obvious that it was either quartz dust from the cutting or grit from the polishing compound. Windex didn't release it from the surface, but scrubbing with a wet sponge and Dawn did. Then with the damp micro-fiber towel I was able to pull it to the edge and off.

The installer came back with a Magic Eraser and smoothed the Quartz to a smooth high gloss sheen on our reception desk. On the quartz in our kitchenette which seemed to have residue stains and what looked like rust stains, he applied Acetone and rubbed with the Magic Eraser and bingo, everything disappeared. He also showed me how Bar Keepers friend works really well on Quartz. He applied a little and rubbed it in a circular motion with his hand and the counter top looks beautiful. I had been a little fearful of using either the Magic Eraser or the Bar Keepers friend because I didn't want to ruin the counter-top. He confirmed that Quartz is extremely durable and restored my love of our Quartz counter-tops.

Using acetone on it would have scared the bajebees out of me. Thanks for the heads up on the Magic Eraser and Bar Keepers friend.

Check the previous responses. It seems to be a common problem. I found one solution, but salvationiseternal may have found a better one. I plan to try the Magic Eraser next weekend.

Magic Eraser is the way to go. Just used it, then dried with a paper towel and buffed with a micr-fiber towel. I dare say this is a step that all installers should do before calling their job done.

To give a better idea of what this problem is from a layman's perspective, I've been telling my wife about this bother since my first attempt at a fix. She looked at and felt the counter and said she found nothing wrong with it, but it bothered the heck out of me both the sight and especially the feel. It wasn't until today, when I did one half the counter with the Magic Eraser and then had her feel both sides, that she understood what I was talking about. In fact feeling with her fingertips she didn't feel it, but when I had her put her palms flat on the surface and drag them the light bulb over her head lit. So maybe some people have a more sensitive touch. IDK. But anyway clean your quartz counter with a Mr. Clean Magic eraser then polish it with a micro-fiber cloth to get rid of the 'grit' or 'dust' or whatever it is.

Thank you salvationiseternal.

Harley Rider, did the Magic Eraser do the trick after one good cleaning, or is this a weekly way you need to clean?

I use the magic eraser weekly for the cleaning of the counter. However, although I'm not sure what caused the gritty feel initially, I figured out that the continual gittiness was caused by my wife's hairspray. In fact almost any areosol or powder will cause it. Seems that the quartz is so smooth that anything on it feels exagerated. Sort of like when you have a nick on your tounge. Barely visible but it feels like the grand canyon. So the cure is simply to wipe the counter off with a damp cloth, or we use paper towel, every time you spray something (hairspray, air freashener, deoderant, etc.) It's the cost of using that material, but it feels so good when it's clean.

Thank you! My entire counter feels gritty. We’ve tried to clean it with different products and it feels ok for a day or two, then back to that gritty feeling all over. I’m just so frustrated. I’ll try the Magic Eraser. Hoping it can last a week at a time.

In my new build for two years now and never can get rid of that dusty/gritty feel on my quartz countertops. I hate it.

Again, use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, use a circular motion to dislodge the grit (in my case it turned out being my wife's hair spray but it could be anything), Rinse it often, then drag the eraser to the counter's edge. My wife is now (reluctantly) in the habit of wiping the counter off every day with a damp paper towel after she sprays and it stays grit free. Add in a weekly or bi-weekly cleaning with the.Magic Eraser and I'm loving my quartz counter like I'm supposed to. Considering that marble and granite stain, scratch, have to be resealed annually and are an expensive pain to repair, and formica is so last generation to me this is definitely the best product for the job. One possible exception is recycled glass, but that never seemed to gain traction. DK why.

Did anyone find a solution to their problem.. I have the dusty feeling too. If I wipe and dry off it feels lovely for about 5 mins. Then feels dusty again!

If anyone still have a problem with the gritty and dusty with Quartz counter tops after cleaning .

The product WEIMAN for ” QUARTZ AND STONE “ . This is a magic product.. After first time used my Quartz counter top is turned to slick and and shine on top of the cleanig smell with citrus scent. I am very satisfied with this product. I would highly recommended.

I have the exact same problem. Edges are smooth --top feels gritty but cleaning doesn't do anything. Had the fabricator here -- he said some brands just don't come "smooth" -- what the heck? How are you supposed to know before you spend money on Stellar brand quartz that turns out to be eternally gritty. I could not be MORE DISAPPOINTED in Stellar quartz. I will try the magic eraser. Other options I was told were more about putting a layer of polish on top, but that defeats the purpose of having quartz, which should be low maintenance. If I put on polish I'll be polishing forever. I wish there were a solution. I can't rip it out, but can't someone polish it for me?

@HU-361583935, did you try the magic eraser?

Yes. It didn't help at all. Then I had a rep come from the quartz manufacturer and basically their finish just isn't smooth. I could get it polished but that seems like a lot of work (the edges where the fabricator polished it are very smooth). I didn't realize there were such lesser quality quartz manufacturers who offered an icky product. Live and learn. I will never buy that brand again.

What brand is it?

I just had quartz installed Wednesday, had to have the installer out here yesterday because the overhangs weren't the same (1.5" & 1"). I was cleaning it again today and I felt that not smooth feeling, It isn't like that all over but in big large spots. I just texted my fabricator to ask him why it felt that way in certain areas.

I'll let you know what he says. I'm not sure who the manufacturer was.

@HU-361583935, My Fabricator/Installer came out Tuesday, 10.6.22. He cleaned my countertop with a razor blade. Then he sprayed a cleaner on it. Then he re-sealed it.

He said:

1. Don't use soap on it.
2. Don't use sponges on it.
3. DO use a cloth/wash/dish cloth with Warm water
4. The sponge and soap took the sealer off.
5. Have to seal about once a year.

This was the worst install. I'm giving him until Monday to give me a refund and take out the quartz. The steps 1-5 are all opposite of what all Quartz sites say to do.