With the market for laminate kitchen countertops ever-growing, more and more people making the switch with every day that passes, one thing many are unsure of is how to maintain and restore laminate surfaces and keep them looking their best after daily wear and tear.
In this blog we’ll be telling you how you can clean your laminate and keep your laminate work surfaces looking their best.
Does this mean laminate is easily damaged?
Despite laminate being a resilient material that tends to resist scratches and dents in many cases, the surface of the laminate may be prone to dulling down from its usual shine.
This dull shine is caused by soap cleaners gradually leaving a residue on the surface which creates a clouded look to the laminate. While some cleaners may get rid of the cloudy look, they won’t bring back the laminate’s original shine. To get the laminate back to its original shiny look, you’ll need to restore it every so often.
Protecting your laminate worktop
Use of cutting boards and other protectors
No matter what your kitchen worktop is made of material-wise, it’s important to always make use of cutting boards when preparing food. Using this and other boards/trivets will help prevent scratching or heat damage on your worktop.
Everyday cleaning
When performing everyday cleaning on your laminate counter, we recommend using a microfiber cloth to clean the surface with warm water and mild dishwashing liquid/dish soap. Following the warm soapy water, it’s important to dry with a dry soft cloth as laminate worktops can be sensitive to water.
Restoring your laminate worktop
Step 1 – Disinfect and clean laminate worktop
Pour a small amount (1/4 cup) of white vinegar onto a clean, lint-free cloth. Use this cloth to wipe all over the surface. Allow this to evaporate before continuing.
Step 2 – Waxing your laminate worktop
Next we’ll be waxing the worktop. Add a small amount (1 or 2 tbsp) of car wax onto a clean, cotton cloth. Use this to wipe the car wax into the surface in smooth circular motions. Continue doing this until the entire surface of the countertop is covered (top up the wax on the cloth if needed).
Allow this wax to sit on the work surface for 10 minutes.
Step 3 – Buffing the wax on the worktop
Using a different clean, lint-free cloth, you’ll now need to buff the wax from the worktop. Do this by using circular motions again with the new cloth and slowly remove the wax doing this.
Try and use clean parts of the cloth to do this by slowly changing which part of the cloth you are using.
Step 4 – Clean your laminate worktop
We’ll now be cleaning and polishing your worktop. To begin, with a clean damp cloth, wipe down and clean your countertop. After this, dry it again with another clean, but dry this time, cotton cloth.
Step 5 – Polishing your laminate worktop
Finally, you’ll need to polish your worktop with a countertop polish. Spray the polish all over the surface and leave this on your worktop overnight.
In the morning, wipe this off using, you guessed it, another clean and soft cotton cloth.
Removing stains from your laminate worktop
When it comes to removing stains from your laminate counters, a clean cloth wet with vinegar should be able to remove the stain from the surface.
If this does not work, some recommend using baking soda and water. Apply baking soda to the stain, and then scrub/wash away with a wet sponge.
Looking for more laminate advice?
At Worktop Hub we have a wide range of advice at your disposal regarding various worktop types.
For more info on laminate worktops, check out our laminate section in our advice centre.
