When it comes to cooking in your kitchen, the countertops are a major workhorse. They endure all sorts of abuse while you chop, dice, and sauté your foods to perfection.
Over the years, laminate countertops can take a real beating and start to show their age more than their stone counterparts. Since you cannot simply reseal laminate counters, you must learn a new way to breathe fresh life into them. You need to know how to revive laminate countertops.
If you are ready to dive deep into cleaning your kitchen, the counters are a great place to start. Here is your quick guide to learning how to revive laminate countertops quickly and easily.
Table of Contents
How to Revive Laminate Countertops: Preparation
Before you can learn how to restore laminate countertops, you need to prepare the surface properly. It needs to be clear and free of all clutter and debris. The first and most obvious thing you need to do is remove all things from the surface. This can include your stand mixer, cookbook holder, and any other tchotchke items that clutter up your countertops.
This is a great time to evaluate what you really need on your counters and what you can tuck safely away in storage.
From here, you need to remove all of the small debris that builds up behind these items. You might not even realize all of the dirt and food crumbs that are in the corners of your counters. Lurking in the dark, you might find old grains of rice and crumbs from your morning bagel. A handheld vacuum can quickly remove these.
If they seem to stick to the countertops, pull out an old toothbrush and gently scrub them away. It may take some time to loosen this debris if it has been here for quite some time.
General Countertop Cleaning
Finally, you need to give the countertops a good general cleaning before using any specific products. Many sealers and protectors can trap food products underneath their surface, so it is important to clean them away first.
You can do this relatively easily with just a few products on hand. Mild dish detergent and water is a relatively easy option. However, equal parts of vinegar and water will work just as well.
If you prefer to use a store-bought solution, then you may like this Caldrea Pear Blossom Agave Countertop Spray (from Amazon). It is designed to simply refresh your space, making it gentle on the kitchen counters and your hands.
The main reason people love this product is that it is a natural solution instead of harsh chemicals. It utilizes a vegetable protein extract that quickly cuts back on grease and stains. This bottle of cleaner also minimizes odors that can sometimes stem from dirty countertops. It cuts back on the odor-causing agent and uses lemon and jasmine essential oils to create notes of melon, apple, and lemon to make your entire kitchen smell fresh.
All you have to do with this cleaner is spray it lightly on the countertops and wipe it clean with a paper towel or rag. It takes just a few minutes to finish the entire surface area of the countertops. On the other hand, homemade cleaners will take longer. They must be rinsed before you can move on to waxing and polishing the laminate and learning how to revive laminate countertops.
Before you can move on, make sure that the countertops are completely dry. You do not want to have anything hindering the adhesion of the countertop cleaner or polish that you choose to use to restore your laminate counters.
How to Revive Laminate Countertops: Making Repairs
One of the most pressing things that you need to address when restoring laminate countertops is nicks and gouges. Maybe you insisted on foregoing the cutting board or perhaps something heavy dropped on your counters. No matter what the reason, cuts, and gouges are relatively common if you have lived in your home for quite some time.
Unfortunately, polishing and waxing your laminate countertops will not be enough to repair these areas. They become grease traps and store moisture which in turn breeds bacteria. You need a product designed to repair these little nicks with ease.
SeamFil makes a great product that you can use to quickly touch up these areas. It is originally designed to fill in the seams of your laminate counters, but it also works for nicks and gouges. Beneath these areas, you are likely to see the dark substrate of the laminate counters itself. This product bonds mechanically to the substrate and leaves behind a beautiful white color instead.
Once you apply SeamFil, make sure to give it plenty of time to dry. It dries completely hard and is resistant to moisture, detergents, and other types of household products that you might spray on the countertops. It will be just as durable as the original laminate and can hide defects for the lifetime of your countertops.
This particular tube comes in the color white, but there are many other shades you might want to purchase instead. A one-ounce tube of this should last you for quite some time, even if you have a lot of gouges to fill in. For a small financial investment, this is a great value!
Purchasing the Right Cleaner
Once you have the basic maintenance steps taken care of, you need to find the right cleaner for your countertops. Many people favor abrasive cleaners because they feel like the grit can remove stains and sticky situations. However, it is best to avoid this category of cleaners. You should be looking for something easy to use and non-abrasive to avoid damaging your laminate countertops further.
In addition to a non-abrasive cleaner, you should also be looking for something that allows you to figure out how to restore faded laminate countertops. This means that it should have some sort of polish or wax. While you will have to buff it out a second time, it is ultimately worth it to have countertops that look like new again.
Remember that your countertops should already be clean and completely dry before using a special polish or cleaner.
If you are ready to learn how to restore faded laminate countertops, here are a few products you might want to try.
Rejuvenate Kitchen and Bath Countertop Polish
Rejuvenate is a natural choice for a simple polish that will restore shine and luster to countertops anywhere in your home. Use it on surfaces that extend beyond just laminate, making it a great investment. You can use this on all types of natural and synthetic countertops as well as cultured marble, Corian, and Siltstone. It increases the depth to your surfaces, once again emphasizing the natural and beautiful patterns found in your countertops.
One of the major benefits of Rejuvenate is that it is a one-stop process. All you have to do is apply one layer to protect your counters and restore them to their former glory. If you have a lot of surface scratches, this can also minimize their appearance.
The formula is also pH-balanced and acid-free, making it an environmentally friendly option for your kitchen. It will dry streak-free without damaging, discoloring, or leaving those pesky watermarks on your counters.
All you have to do is apply this polish to your countertops with a microfiber pad. Buff it in well and allow it to dry for the best results.
Hope’s Perfect Countertop Cleaner and Polish
If you want something relatively inexpensive that does a great job, then Hope’s Perfect Countertop Cleaner and Polish is the best choice.
One of the main advantages of choosing this is that it is cleaner and polish all in one. This allows you to skip some of the first steps of spraying down or wiping down your countertops with an additional cleaner or mild dish detergent. You can simply spray this cleaner on your countertops and buff it in with a microfiber pad to both clean and shine simultaneously.
The formula is completely streak-free which means that you can get the shine back in your laminate countertops without all of the elbow grease of buffing it until it shines. Unlike some polishes, this will be extremely easy to use to restore the color to your old faded laminate countertops.
Much like Rejuvenate, this is excellent for more than simple laminate countertops. It can also clean Corian, granite, quartz, marble, and stone. If you have multiple surfaces in your home, this is one bottle of cleaner that you don’t want to be without. The design does not harm stone sealant but is not recommended for use on unsealed porous surfaces.
This formula has been tested and approved by leading countertop manufacturers including Corian, Formica, and Wilsonart.
Hope’s Premium Home Care Wax-Free Countertop Polish
If you prefer to go a more traditional route when it comes to learning how to revive laminate countertops, Hope’s Premium Home Care Wax-free Countertop Polish is a good option. Much like the other selection, it is a streak-free finish. It is designed to remove blemishes on the surface, making it a great selection if you have a lot of minor surface scratches that are too shallow for filler.
Meanwhile, it also works to combat future fingerprints and stains by protecting the surface of your laminate. Use it on almost any surface including marble, granite, Corian, and quartz in addition to plain laminate countertops. Although this is a polish, the wax-free version keeps it from developing buildup on the surface that might later need to be removed.
The good news about this polish is that it is safe for everyone in your home. It is a non-toxic polish that contains no harsh chemicals. Even the fragrance is made with natural ingredients.
No matter how you choose to use it, this particular bottle of countertop polish will bring new life into your old countertops. Get ready to buff it in with a clean microfiber pad. It may be the most time-consuming of the three cleaners listed here, but it will give you stunning results!
How to Restore Faded Laminate Countertops: When Are They Too Far Gone?
At a certain point, you may have to give it up and realize that your faded laminate countertops are simply too far gone for a simple polish. Consider professionally refinishing them. Some people may choose to try it at home on their own, but you run the risk of ruining your countertops this way.
One option is to have your countertops completely painted with enamel or latex paint. This sounds easy enough on its own, but you should leave it to the experts. A good professional will come in to thoroughly clean the surface, repair gouges, apply a bonding agent, and then apply several thick coats of paint. This should last you for several more years.
Final Thoughts
If you need to learn how to restore faded laminate countertops, there are a lot of products that you can use on the market today. As long as you know how to properly prepare the surface in advance, you can expertly polish your countertops and restore them to their former glory. Don’t underestimate the importance of the prep work required before applying some of these polishes.
If all else fails, you might look into having your countertops professionally redone to extend their lifespan for a few more years. While this will cost significantly more than a bottle of polish, it could be a worthwhile investment in the overall appearance of your home. Give it some thought before you dismiss the idea entirely. However, learning how to revive laminate countertops should be a good first step to give your kitchen a nice spruce before resorting to more drastic actions!
Last update on 2024-04-03 at 05:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
