Formica Countertop maintenance?
 

I have 18 yr old formica countertops in my kitchen.
They're actually in fairly good condition.

I want to treat or clean them to bring back as much appearance and luster,
as I can, as I will be selling the house shortly.

Thought of a kitchen make-over before selling, but changed my mind and will let buyer make that decision. What I would pick for granite colors, etc may not the same as the next owners' likes' !

In the meantime, looking for suggestions on forminca renewal products.

I used....
 

I used a wrecking bar on mine. It worked GREAT! :eek:
LOL good luck!

Same here.

Good luck. The pattern on Formica is basically a thin layer of paint. As the counters wear, the paint/pattern/color is removed. You can't really "restore" something that is completely gone.

Most counters can be resurfaced in place fairly cheap. If you're really concerned about appearance you may find that option to give a good return on investment.

It's a full day DIY and not too hard.

http://extremehowto.com/re-laminate-...tops/?page=all

Try some mop and glow floor polish, I have heard it works pretty well on formica/ laminates.

If the counter is not worn out, a product called Countertop Magic gives a nice shine to formica.

1973
 

My house still has the original Formica kitchen counter tops and they still look decent after 43 years. The avocado ceramic tiles behind the original GE electric stove, and around the counters still look like new. I have to replace a burner or push button unit (there are 4 each) on the stove on occasion. I bought a new GE, 5 coil small burner last winter for $36 and put it in myself. :look:

I'm pretty sure the colors and style will be back in vogue any day now and will add immensely to the value of the house.. because they are, ..well, original. :D NB

PS: I use Soft Scrub on the Formica counter tops once in awhile to keep them spotless.

1985
 

Glad to see your post NoBozo, because I also am a fan of laminate tops. To me, it's the perfect kitchen surface.....no glare (from overhead lights), not too hard, not too soft. Mine are beige and have oak trim edges and are as good as new 31 years later. I added the same (but marble colored) at our lake house 15 years ago.

The cottage was first to have Formica back in the 50's. The original was shiny but wore down. I replace the old with new in 1977. It is still like new! I have no reason to replace the countertop.

The condo has Corian countertop added in 2000. It is beginning to look shabby with lots of stains. I'm thinking of replacing it with Formica that looks just like granite!

Corian is a material like wood that has the same characteristics throughout. If it is stained, sand it with a high quality, very fine, sand paper. The stains will be removed and the surface will look like new.