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Hygienic Solid Surface Countertops

Solid surface countertops might be the perfect choice for your next kitchen or bath remodel. Let’s look at some of its health-promoting properties.

Solid surface has been around for more than 50 years. It is being used more and more in healthcare, restaurant, and hospitality settings because of its hygienic properties. With the rise of the pandemic and other health concerns, cleanliness and good hygiene are on everyone’s minds. To ease these concerns, solid surface might just be the perfect choice for your next kitchen or bath remodel. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of solid surface countertops.

Read more

Solid surface countertops might be the perfect choice for your next kitchen or bath remodel. Let’s look at some of its health-promoting properties.

Solid surface has been around for more than 50 years. It is being used more and more in healthcare, restaurant, and hospitality settings because of its hygienic properties. With the rise of the pandemic and other health concerns, cleanliness and good hygiene are on everyone’s minds. To ease these concerns, solid surface might just be the perfect choice for your next kitchen or bath remodel. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of solid surface countertops.

Read more

Get Grout Magically Clean – Stains and All

tile grout

If your grout is grossing you out, this deep-cleaning method will help it look new again!

by Meg Padgett, Houzz

Tile – whether it’s used as flooring, in the kitchen as a backsplash or for counters, or in the bathroom – has one great downfall: grout. Since grout is porous in nature, unsealed grout absorbs all kinds of stains, from mildew to coffee and everything in between. To say it’s a headache to keep grout clean is an understatement.

NOTE: Be wary of using too much lemon juice with marble, since it can etch or damage the stone if left on too long. Hydrogen peroxide can be a safe alternative.

We inherited marble tile counters when we purchased our home. It’s pretty clear that the grout was never properly sealed, so it soaks up stains like crazy. It makes our kitchen feel gross and grimy, even if it was just cleaned. While I’d love to replace the counters with a solid surface like quartz, it’s just not in out budget – plus, we just can’t justify getting rid of something that’s perfectly fine otherwise.

Luckily, I have a foolproof method that will lift most household stains from that pesky grout. 

What you’ll need:

  • Oxygenated bleach (like OxyClean)
  • Warm water
  • Coarse scrubbing brush (like an old toothbrush)
  • Towel
  • Lemon
  • Grout sealer

TIP: Cleaning colored grout should be done with special care. Bleaching agents (like chlorine bleach) can discolor and harm the colored grout. Fortunately, oxygenated bleach does not contain corrosive chemicals and is safe to use on all grout. 

1). Clean the surface thoroughly, removing any surface residue or debris. Let the grout dry fully.

2). Dissolve 2 tablespoons of oxygenated bleach in 2 cups of warm water. Wet the brush in the mixture and apply it to the grout. Let is soak in, then scrub the grout in a circular motion, which will loosen the stain more effectively than a front-and-back motion. If needed, dip the wet brush into the oxygenated bleach to make a paste. Wipe clean, then let dry.

TIP: To lift extra dark stains, squeeze lemon juice onto the stain, let it soak in, then scrub, wipe clean and let the grout dry. Use lemon juice sparingly, since it can damage some tile finishes.

3). Spray the tiles and grout with an ecofriendly cleaning spray and wipe them clean. Let the grout dry fully before making a final decision on whether your hard work paid off – damp grout looks darker than dry grout. 

4). Apply grout sealer after the grout has fully dried to avoid any future stains. Be sure to reapply it each year. 

Still having trouble getting that grout clean? For those impossible-to-remove stains, you might want to consider:

  • A commercial tile and grout cleaner
  • A coarser brush (avoid using metal bristles, though, as they can erode the grout)
  • Grout Renew

If after you’ve tried all three, the stain is still hanging strong, you may have to resort to removing the old grout and replacing it with new. 

TIP: An electric multitool, like the Dremel Mult-Max, helps to make quick and safe work of removing the old grout. 

Houzz: et Grout Magically Clean — Stains and All

Kitchen Counters | High-Tech Solid Surfaces Make Maintenance Easy

Solid-surface countertops are the stuff of George Jetson, in which high-tech plastics can be heat sculpted into any imagined shape. These modern surfaces take on many appearances, including stone, yet shed the shortcomings of their counterparts with a nonporous surface that doesn’t age or develop a patina. In this cutting-edge countertop right for your kitchen? Read on to learn more.

Photo: Wilsonart Solid Surface in Bedrock

The basics: solid-surface counters are a blend of acrylic or polyester resins, powdered fillers and pigments, cast into slab. There are many manufacturers of these synthetic counters, including Corian, HIMACS, Wilsonart, Formica, LivingStone, and more.

Cost: $50 to $100 per square foot installed.

Advantages: solid surface is durable nonporous, making it resistant to stains, mildew and bacteria. Its unique composition makes buffing out scratches a breeze and provides that appearance of a seamless installation, including for integral backsplashes. This product outshines its competitors with an ability to be thermoformed into unusual shapes and configurations.

Disadvantages: its resin-based composition makes this counter material sensitive to heat and vulnerable to scratches. As with many countertops, keep your trivets and cutting boards handy.

Sustainability: many solid-surface manufacturers tout GreenGuard‘s approval, which certifies that due to the nonporous surface and low chemical emissions, the countertop contributes to healthy indoor air quality.

The ecological shortcoming of these products is their composition, which comes from finite, nonrenewable resources, including petroleum and aluminum trihydrate (ATH), which is strip mined. Choosing a solid-surface product with recycled content, can reduce the negative environmental impact.

Maintenance: soapy water will suffice for everyday spiffing up of this easy-to-clean surface. However, it’s essential to dry the surface completely after cleaning or spills, as wet counters can lead to a dull or uneven, blotchy finish.

Special considerations: acrylic solid surface is more pliable, whereas its polyester-based counterparts claim a deeper coloration. Dark colors will show more fingerprints.