Natural stone surfaces are known for being extremely durable. They are not, however, completely immune to damage and there are a few substances that can
influence these otherwise tough surfaces. One common yet often forgotten enemy of stone surfaces is over-spray. Here are some great tips to prevent over-spray damage.
What is over-spray?
Simply put, over-spray occurs when you clean an adjacent surface and residue from the cleaning solutions end up on your stone surfaces. Spray bottle
nozzles can easily spray in several directions and these substances can also splash around when you wipe or scrub the surface you’re cleaning.
Damaging effects of chemicals
Even if you take special care to only use the appropriate cleaning products for your worktops, other chemicals can splash from nearby surfaces. Depending
on the type of chemicals that have sprayed onto your stone worktops, you can notice discolouration and varying degrees of etching. In some cases,
etching is mistaken for water marks but they are far more serious.
Preventing over-spray
Now that you know how over-spray can affect your worktops, it’s important to consider ways of preventing this from happening. The best approach when
cleaning blinds is to remove them if possible. This way, you can take them to a safe spot in your home and clean them far away from your worktops.
Another good tip is to cover your worktops with a protective layer before you wash the backsplash, cabinets or windows. Since you cannot move any
of these, you can at least mask up your worktops. If you do happen to get some chemical over-spray on your worktops, act quickly and wipe the area
with clean water to completely remove the substance.
Finally, don’t forget that most types of natural stone damage can be repaired. If the damage is fairly minor, you might be able to perform repairs
yourself. If the damage is more severe, it’s best to contact a professional for assistance.