I was looking for info because I am in exactly the same situation described by many - I am commenting for others who might come across this looking for answers.
Here is my experience:
Like all people remodeling, we spent a TON of time, effort, and money to remodel our kitchen. IT IS BEAUTIFUL and exactly what we pictured. We selected MSI Midnight Majesty Concrete Finish Quartz because we have a lot of natural light from big windows and thought the polished would be too reflective. We spoke to the sales guy at the showroom and he agreed. Not once throughout this whole process did anyone EVER give us any inkling that there would be additional maintenance, etc. or that simple freaking WATER SPOTS would STAIN the surface of countertops in a KITCHEN. We are pretty clean folks - my husband cooks a lot, but I clean a lot and probably wipe the counters down twice-three times a day. That seems normal to me, I am happy to spray and wipe the surface a few times a day, more even if we are cooking a bunch or are hosting a party. I have never experienced anything like this surface - it seems impossible to clean at times.
We had it installed in September and I have become increasing more unhappy. It has become clear that a simple spray and wipe to clean up will not cut it. After spending a good bit of time wiping/cleaning up the kitchen, I walk in later or the next morning to see it looked like I didn't clean at all - there are always "stains" left behind, that show up as a darker contrast. It isn't just grease or oil from cooking, I am talking about simple touching from hands, water splashing from my sink, and rings from glasses. I spent this weekend researching and testing to find the correct method so that the kitchen will actually look clean. The best I found was hot soapy water, applied in a circular/scrubby motion, then rinsed, then dried. This takes forever - our kitchen is huge, we had to buy 2 slabs. After spending all that time cleaning, we had some friends over for drinks - within 5 minutes of sitting at the bar it looked like complete hell. I could see my friend staring at and rubbing a mark with her hand, like ewwww. My countertops just look grimy and gross. More research today on the MSI website and they really don't say much out of the ordinary about concrete vs. polished. They do recommend that bar keepers friend soft cleanser for "tough stains" - I guess that includes water. I also sent an email to customer service - they called me immediately and said someone would get back to me, so we will see. I am curious if the water based sealer is truly an option or if the olive/lavender oil will help - I will try anything at this point.
If you are considering this finish, just know that my vote is hell no. Good luck and thanks to everyone for the previous comments!
Q
Marble counters?
Q