When you enter anyone's Kitchen, countertop is the first thing that catches the eye. We all know that, hence we buy top quality countertop and care for it cleaning and maintaining its quality. There are several distinct kinds of countertops, and as you can imagine, this results in a lot of different ways to maintain them.
To start with, I am assuming you've made your purchase and are just searching for information on countertop upkeep. But if you're still doing any research, this article might help you choose which will be the best option for your home, as some types are harder to maintain than others.
We tried to cover as many types of countertops we can, let us know if we missed out your countertop type.These tips, you can get an notion of which ones are simpler and more economical to maintain!
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel countertops are slick and stain resistant, but are some of the very vulnerable to dents -- so much so that they're basically inevitable. You are able to cure some of this using an abrasive pad, but the main problem that may ruin your stainless steel countertop is rust.
Avoid this by not leaving it wet for as long and preventing direct contact with intense heat (out of pans, by way of example).
If you ever notice rust, then you can treat it with a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda -- however, the ideal is never to let it happen in the first place!
Marble
Marble countertops are famous for being stylish and classy, and though they're somewhat scratch and stain resistant, so they're not the best at that. Scratches are often disguised by the swirly marble designs and organic sound, but since marble is really porous, it's more vulnerable to staining. Although it's fairly heat resistant, it's also advisable to protect it from direct contact with pans.
Food stains can be readily treated with a mixture of water, baking soda and dish soap. Oil stains however may require something a bit stronger like ammonia or hydrogen peroxide, and you ought to be very cautious when handling these substances.
Laminate
Recent stains are readily patched up using all the evergreen paste of baking soda and warm water just let it rinse for as many as five minutes and the stain should be gone when you clean it.
More difficult stains may need a more powerful solution, but that should be a rare occurrence.
Wood
Wood countertops are often saved for butcher blocks today, but so they need to be maintained even more since they are used for cutting the majority of the time. The best way to keep them fresh is to use mineral oil at least once every month.
For burns and light scratches you can use sanding, whereas stains are much better dealt with lemon juice be quick about it however, the longer the wood absorbs the stain, the harder it is to get rid of it.
Tiles
Ceramic tiles are quite common due to their versatility. Visually there is a lot of variety to pick from and they are very resistant to scratches and stains -- the most important thing you should be concerned about keeping is the grout in between the tiles.
Granite
Granite countertops are among the most resistant types of countertop, but they're porous -- that is the reason they're almost always sealed when installed. In case your granite countertop isn't properly sealed, then it will start absorbing moisture and other materials, which may result in nasty stains.
The easy way to understand whether your granite countertop is sealed would be simply to pour some water on it and allow it to sit for 15 minutes approximately. If the water is consumed, that indicates you ought to seal the granite right away. Fortunately this process is fast and cheap, so no worries! Just be sure to reseal it frequently.
While looking at these countertops samples got you excited and want remodel your kitchen as well? Well, we recommend first contacting a well known home remodeling contractor in your area and get estimates before making any further plans.