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Laminate Care Basics: 7 Dos and Don’ts for Maintaining Decorative Surfaces
Make your laminates last longer by doing AND avoiding these things!
From cabinets to bathroom countertops to even storeroom doors, laminates see use in almost every room and corner in Singapore homes as protective/decorative layers. But despite their versatility and general ease of maintenance, these paper-based materials do require some TLC, especially if you want them to last longer.
Product Merchant: Arova
Here are three things that you should do and four that you shouldn’t when caring for high-pressure laminates:
Dos
1. Clean your laminate surfaces regularly
To keep the laminated surfaces in your home in good shape, it’s recommended to dust them on a regular basis. That said, you won’t have to follow a strict daily cleaning regiment. Even for textured laminates, a wipe down with a soft cloth twice a month is sufficient for removing any accumulated surface dirt or grime.
Product Merchant: Arova
2. Use a mixture of water and hand soap for cleaning
There are some stains that can be wiped off with a dry cloth, and for everything else, there’s water and hand soap. Basic as it is, this cleaning combo works wonders on any blemishes that can’t be dusted off a laminate surface. Also, avoid using too much water as excess/leftover moisture can seep between laminate joints and cause them to come apart.
Product Merchant: Arova
3. Wipe off any spills quickly
What do fruit juices, hair dyes and curry have in common? Well, little. Unless you’re talking about how quickly they leave stains on laminates. If you end up spilling any of these liquids on a laminated bathroom/kitchen surface, be sure to wipe them off ASAP before they become permanent!
Product Merchant: Arova
Don’ts
4. Steer clear of strong cleaning liquids/mixtures
As highlighted in point #2, a simple mixture of soap and water is everything you’ll ever need to keep the laminates in your home clean – that means no heavy-duty cleaning agents like concentrated detergent, acid cleaners or, domestic goddesses forbid, bleach.
Interior Firm: Notion of W
5. Avoid using abrasive cleaning pads
Most laminates have a melamine (or equivalent) top layer for protection, so you can imagine what aggressive rubbing with an abrasive cleaning pad will do to it. For proper care, refrain from using steel wool, plastic scouring pads or any sort of brushes with hard bristles on a laminate surface.
Interior Firm: Mr Shopper Studio
6. Avoid handling sharp tools carelessly in the vicinity
It goes without saying, but for the sake of not only your kitchen/bathroom/built-in laminates but also fingers, avoid handling tools like scissors and knives irresponsibly. While high pressure laminates are resistant to heat, water, and impact, they sure aren’t impervious to a cut from a sharp blade.
Interior Firm: Lemonfridge Studio
7. Don’t spray cleaning fluids directly
Home storage solutions like kitchen cabinets and bedroom wardrobes often make use of both glass and laminates in their design, so if you’re cleaning one surface, be sure to keep an eye for the other.
Spraying cleaning fluids like glass cleaners directly onto a built-in can cause droplets to drip and/or seep between laminate edges, which results in discolouration. That’s something you want to avoid, so have a stock of soft cleaning cloths ready for your next cleaning sesh!
Interior Firm: Weiken.com
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