For stainless steel appliances and products you are assured of durability; however, they do need simple daily maintenance and shine to make sure finger marks and grease don't hide their gleam.
Countertops are more complex. Food, cooking oils, red wine, and sauces can stain surfaces, seeping deep into the stone and forever changing its appearance. Then of course there are the abrasions from knives, chopping, and cutting.
To protect your countertop, the first thing you can do is ensure that any abrasive work be done on chopping boards. FinestFixtures has an excellent selection of fitted wood and stainless steel chopping boards, and strainers? just the tool you need to make sure food and knives stay clear of the counter.
To protect from staining due to knocks and spills, make sure to apply a protective sealant. Your kitchen and bath company should suggest the best ones for your particular countertop. What is important to know is that sealants act to block the porosity of stone by filling in the natural pores in the rock surface, and in doing so, protecting the surface for years to come. Once your kitchen countertop is sealed you can step away from harsh cleaners and replace them with mild environmentally friendly products and natural cleaners.
Beware though, sealants will not protect your countertop from acid spills. Orange juice, coffee, wine, tomato juice, tooth paste, mouth wash, and pop are highly acidic and will easily etch into marble kitchen or bathroom countertops, leaving stains and marks. To avoid these problems make sure to use chopping boards, coasters, and mats, as well as to clean up as soon as you are done.
Should you notice etching or staining, you can apply acid and oil stain removers. These products should be available from your kitchen and bathroom store, or can be purchased online from your countertop manufacturer.
On The Kitchen Counter
The easiest way to make your kitchen look as good as new is to paint it, however if that's not good enough then there is another alternative. Another simple way of breathing extra life into your kitchen is to renovate your kitchen counter tops. You could replace the surface on your existing counter top, or replace it with a brand new one. This will completely transform the look of your kitchen and make it look much newer. You'll be amazed just how much a kitchen counter top can lighten up the whole room. These work surfaces are also very important food preparation areas, so as well as looking nice they will also be functional.
Lots of older kitchen counters are constructed fairly cheaply out of plywood with an attractive layer stuck to the top. If you remove this top layer, you can replace it. Sounds easy? Well unfortunately getting the top layer off is extremely difficult! If you do manage to strip the old later off then you can replace it with something new at a very low cost. The easiest (but more expensive) option is to rip out your old work surfaces and replace them with brand new ones. You can buy kitchen surfaces in many different designs, so you can be sure they will compliment your kitchen perfectly.
You can normally replace the counter tops in your kitchen without any specialist knowledge. Even if you're not that good at DIY you shouldn't have any huge problems. You should draw a picture of how the new top will look when it is installed. Also draw a picture of the existing counter top and mark out any measurements, you don't want to get a counter that's too big!
It can Take two
When you've decided on your new counter top you need to strip the old one out. First you should remove everything from the cabinets and drawers otherwise everything will get very messy. Look for the screws and bolts which hold the counter top in place. Remove these screws and get your friend to help you lift the counter top away.
When you've removed the old one you need to start preparing the surface of the cabinets. You must clean down all of the tops of the cabinets to make sure that they are perfectly level. Lay the counter top where it is going to go, and fix it with the screws that came with your counter top. It's not really a very complicated task, the most difficult bit is actually preparing the surfaces.
Both Glen Albert Phillips & John Bakers are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Glen Albert Phillips has sinced written about articles on various topics from Kitchen Home Improvement. Glen Albert Phillips is the president of finestfixtures.com , an e-commerce website specializing in the delivery of luxury kitchen and. Glen Albert Phillips's top article generates over 1300 views. Bookmark Glen Albert Phillips to your Favourites.
John Bakers has sinced written about articles on various topics from Car Rental, Sell Home and Bathroom Remodeling Ideas. John Bakers frequently creates news on subjects dealing with how to mount a granite countertop and how to install granite countertop. One can have a look at his comments on. John Bakers's top article generates over 22200 views. Bookmark John Bakers to your Favourites.
