Help! How Do I Care for My Countertop?

You saved, agonized over the numerous surface options, selected the perfect material and color and now you are loving your new countertops! However, you don't know how to properly care for them and, after searching Google, you discover mounds of conflicting information from various resources and 'experts'. 


The question of how to care for countertops is by far the most frequently asked question I get. I have found over my years in the design world specializing in countertops, that even some professional designers aren't completely sure how to instruct clients to properly care for their new tops. 


You are in luck because today, I will tell you everything! Ready?.....(you will want to get your paper and pen handy to take notes. I will pause while you gather these items and I listen to the theme song from Jeopardy in my head!)


Ok, now that you are back, here it is: (drumroll please....)


               WARM WATER AND MILD DISWASHING LIQUID
                and wipe countertops dry with a clean, dry cloth


Yep, that's it! Regardless of what type of counters you have; laminate, marble, granite, quartz, concrete, solid surface, glass....(you get my point), the very best thing to clean and sanitize your countertops is plain, old dishwashing liquid (Dawn, Joy, Ajax....) and water! 


I do recommend that you stay away from the citrus-based dishwashing liquids (grapefruit, orange, lemon...etc.) because in extreme cases, over time, the citrus juices could damage the finish on your countertops, regardless of what material they are. 


So, that's all you need! Amazing, isn't it? 




Now, if you have wood countertops, you will want to oil them once or twice per year with an organic oil of some sort. You can purchase these organic oils (usually tongue oil from the tongue nut tree) at health food stores, large home improvement retailers or on-line. 


Should the countertops in your lovely home be solid surface (Corian, Hi-Macs, Formica, etc.), you might have some specific needs. To start, if you find your integrated solid surface sink gets dingy or stained, that's an easy clean. Use a magic eraser to remove the dinginess before going to bed. Then, fill the sink with a solution of 50% bleach and 50% water and let it soak while you sleep. In the morning, let the water out, give the sink a good rinse and you have a bright sink again!  If you find that your top has dull spots, say where you rubbed a stain out of the counter, don't worry. Solid surface, over time, comes to a slightly satin finish (as opposed to the more matte finish it has when it's installed) due to the oils in skin and food. Please resist the urge to purchase a countertop polish to slather all over your solid surface tops. Polishes are not necessary for this type of countertop and, will wear off unevenly, leaving horribly visible spots on your tops over time. Just be patient with that dull spot for a bit and pretty soon you won't notice it anymore because it will resume to the same sheen as the rest of the tops! 


Granite countertops are not nearly as delicate as everyone wants to believe; after all, it IS  a rock formed millions of years ago under intense pressure. If you purchase granite that requires periodic sealing (as opposed to the option in the market over the last 3 or so years that has a permanent seal already on the stones when your tops are installed), you will need to seal it at least once per year. This process is so simple! Clean clutter off the tops and then wipe them down with acetone (which can be purchased at any home improvement or hardware store) to remove dirt, grit, grime and old sealer. Then, simply apply the new sealer liberally, wipe per the sealer's instructions and you are done! Easy, right? And you thought sealing your stone tops would be a huge production, didn't you?


I absolutely never recommend cleaning your tops, regardless of what material they are, with bleach, any sort of cleaner like Pledge, Mr. Clean, Windex, etc. (even if it says you can use it on countertops), or any other sort of generic cleaner or disinfectant. If you wash your tops with mild dishsoap and warm water after using them, they will be clean and disinfected without using harsh chemicals. 


There you have it! Simple, right? I thought you would appreciate the simplicity of the truth! 


Now, talk to me: what other countertop maintenance questions do you have? How else can I help you care for those gorgeous accessories atop the cabinets in your home?

Open House at Oldcastle Surfaces in Atlanta!

You are invited to attend the Open House of the New Oldcastle Surfaces showroom in Atlanta, GA! 

Enjoy cocktails, food, networking and great conversation with industry professionals while enjoying our newly remodeled showroom!

Thursday, August 12th or Thursday, August 19th

3pm to 7pm ET

1400 West Marietta Street

Atlanta, GA 30318

Please RSVP to me by commenting below, e-mailing me at Sherry.Norris@oldcastleapg.com or tweeting me @countertoplady on Twitter.

I look forward to seeing you soon! 

Shut Your Mouth! Uber Sexy Countertop Options

As a design professional and countertop expert, I have the privilege of seeing numerous countertop materials, finishes and colors on a daily basis. I thought I would take a minute to highlight my favorites.




Sucuri Granite:







This natural granite stone is definitely NOT for the faint of heart! The color pallet in this granite runs from peach to brown to black with lots of quartz throughout. It has varied texture with lots of highs and lows in the stone because of it's numerous components. Personally, my favorite feature of this granite is the sweeping black veins running through the stones. "Sucuri" is Portuguese for "Anaconda" and the slithering black rivers crawling through slabs of this gorgeous material describe it perfectly! Granite is always one of my top choices for countertops because, as my kitchen design expert friend, Nick (www.cupboardsonline.com) always says, "granite countertops are the ultimate, one-of-a-kind antique" but Sucuri granite leads the pack for my overall favorite granite selection.




Stained Concrete Countertops:





Oh how I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE stained concrete countertops! They are durable, ultra chic and so very, very practical! You can get concrete countertops in just about any pattern, texture, color or finish your heart desires to create the perfect touch to your space. The tops are custom fabricated so your imagination typically is the only thing hindering your unlimited possibilities. 






Metals:





Stainless steel leads the way in metal countertop options but other metals, such as copper, are also popping up in homes all over the globe. Metals make easy, no fuss countertops that are completely sanitary and incredibly durable. They add an industrial, urban loft element to any space and create quite the show-stopping statement, particularly when accent lighting is hung directly abo




So, now that you know what I consider to be "shut your mouth! uber sexy counertops", please let me know, by posting comments, what your favorite countertop materials are! 

War or Peace?

So far, 2010 has proven to be a very personally challenging year. We have found ourselves visiting more hospitals to see ill relatives, attending more funerals and engaging in more court appearances for a family matter than we ever thought possible in a 6 month period of time! During this very trying time, my family has sought refuge in the solace of our home. We have all found comfort in different ways but, our living space is where we decompress, mourn, pray, bond and escape from the outside world.

When life gets really tough, where to do retreat? Do you seek refuge in the sanctuary of your home or is your house in such disarray that it only compounds your stress? Mother Theresa said "peace and war begin in the home" so does your home bring you peace or does it create war? What do I mean by this? Well, if your home is so full of junk, clutter and visual fodder that you have no idea even what type of flooring you have anymore or what the finish of your dining room table is, then you have war! If you spend a good portion of your time looking for essentials because they got lost in the massive amount of 'collectibles', then you have war! If you cannot safely open closet doors without having a family member ready to dial 911 for you once that door has been opened, then you are at war! 

Now, it is not my intention to judge, condemn or cause you to feel inferior. However, if you can't see your kitchen countertops because they are so full of 'stuff', it's time for some on purpose peace-making. The task may be ominous or seemingly impossible but you can make small efforts to end the war and bring peace. The Bible says 'I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me' so I KNOW you can do it! 

Step 1: Take a deep breath and really look around your space.....open your eyes and SEE what you live in; don't just glaze over it all like you normally would. What drives you crazy to the point of violence yet, you just don't ever have the energy to deal with? Make a list of what you decide you want to change...big or small....just write it on a piece of paper, make a note in your iPhone or Blackberry, create a task list in Outlook...you get the point! Once it is all recorded, you will not be able to effectively avoid those things anymore; you will inherently want to change them.

Step 2: After celebrating completion of Step 1 with an enormous piece of chocolate cake and numerous scoops if ice cream (I am confident the Lord will remove all fat and calories from this one celebratory snack for you!), now prioritize that list of stuff. Do the simple, easy stuff first so you have immediate results and a track record of successful accomplishments to validate your efforts. For example, if it drives you crazy that your spouse comes home from work and throws everything on the kitchen counter, then just get a basket or container for them! You will no longer have to look at their necessities scattered willy-nilly throught the space and it won't make you want to lash out irrationally at them because you can't stand to see it one more second! Make sense? This de-cluttering and organizing does not have to be a long, drawn out, torturous process. I love The Fly Lady (www.flylady.net; twitter.com/flylady) because she puts organization into very small, manageable pieces. I also personally enjoy the website www.Getorganizedwizard.com. There you will find exceptional tools, tricks and guidance to organizing every aspect of your life. I would suggest these 2 web sites to give you clarity and professional direction. However, don't spend so much time researching and gathering information that you creatively avoid the real task at hand; creating peace in your home by vanquishing the war.

Step 3: Once you have completed the first 2 steps, comes the fun part...Enjoy what you have changed and created!!!! You will notice the stress level in your house has subsided because everyone can now find their phone chargers, keys, socks and all other essentials. Your family is at peace; not war. They love that they no longer have to conduct major renovations in the bathroom just to locate the toothpaste or get up 10 minutes early just to search the kitchen for the cereal. I bet they are also amazed because they had NO idea you could actually eat IN the dining room AT the dining room table! :)

Our homes are to be our sanctuaries and our refuge from the daily grind, the trials, the tribulations...the toughness of living in a fallen world. If your home is simply de-cluttered and organized, you will enjoy your space and find it much easier to relax. You will be at peace with your home and not war; just as God intended  the home He gave you to be. 

Do NOT DIY your countertop install!

As the vastness of launching this blog loomed over my head for the last month or so, I in part procrastinated the inagural post due to lack of an inspirational topic. While conversing on Twitter today with some design professional friends, we began ranting about the downfalls of DIY or "do it yourself" installation on certain projects. Alas, I had an 'aha' moment and my first blog post topic was born:  Do NOT DIY your countertops!

While I am a firm believer in doing certain projects yourself to gain knowledge, experience and to save precious pennies, countertops is NOT one of these projects! Having been in the countertop industry market sector for a number of  years now, I have seen and heard countertop nightmares that would make your granite countertops instantly turn to dust! My friend Susan Serra, CKD, just published an article today about how countertops are the pivotal point in your entire kitchen. We all know how vital our countertops, regardless of what space in our home or business they occupy, are to the function of our daily lives. Why would you want to trust them to anyone but a skilled professional?

With any countertop install, there are many unknown variables and the average homeowner is just not equipped with the knowledge or skills to handle the issues that can arrise. Contrary to all of those home improvement shows/channels we obsessively watch and so dearly love, it is NOT easy to install your own countertops. I have often muttered those infamous words "how hard can it be?" to only find myself in over my head with plumbing and electrical issues that I would have never anticipated. I then need to call experts who charge me more to fix my messes than they would have, had I hired them to do the job in the first place! Can you relate? Unless you, your family or any other 'experts' you have recruited to help you have truly spent years fabricating and installing countertops, leave this important piece of your improvement puzzle to those who have!


So, how do you find a professional countertop fabricator/installer?
For starters, begin with obtaining names from friends, family and co workers who have successfully had new countertops installed.

Ask any potential contractor for customer references. I encourage you to get the names of customers whose jobs have installed perfectly AND customers whose jobs didn't install perfectly! You want to make sure the company handles customer or installation complaints, issues and challenges as smoothly as they do jobs with no issues.

Check them out with the Better Business Bureau and, if you are the least bit technologically saavy (and you must be to read this blog!), use search engines like Google or Yahoo to find out additional information about the company.

Ask what the installation warranty is (most companies have a 1 year labor warranty in addition to any material warranty a manufacturer might provide) and if they provide something about this warranty in writing.

Ensure you know the process. For every countertop surface, there is a series of events that must take place in a specific order, sometimes even with certain time constraints. The professional should explain the entire process, in detail and patiently answer every question/concern you might have.


So, the moral of this blog post is :Do NOT DIY your countertop install! Hire a professional; you will be so thankful you did!