Majjie's Blog

I wrote a Comparison of Solid Surface Worktops just over two years ago - which has attracted a few comments, complaining about the difficulty of removing marks from black and pure white solid surfaces. Pop back and read my original post, if you're not sure what a solid surface is exactly.

The most famous and original solid surface is Corian but there are loads of them these days, available at a whole range of different prices. The price is usually - but not always - proportionate to the thickness of the surface material used. The thinner surfaces like Minerelle, Maia and GetaCore are likely to be the least expensive. The slightly thicker Encore claims to be more heat and scratch resistant ... but all solid surface worktops will scratch and mark.

I'd recommend steering entirely clear of the highly polished solid surfaces - they will show scratches more than the matt finishes and be more difficult to maintain - and if you can find a fairly matt, mottled colour, that you like, which isn't predominantly white or black, then so much the better. Corian actually say that some of their black colours are not suitable for kitchen worktops (have a look at the comments on the original post).

If you do go for a solid surface worktop, though ... how should you look after it?

Cleaning

For everyday cleaning - just to maintain a good looking finish (not to remove dried on food and the like) I'd recommend using a microfibre cloth just with water. We have some good value microfibre cloths from Lakeland in Majjie's shop. It's best to use two; one with water, and then a dry one to buff up the surface.

It's also worth using a protective cleaner such as Countertop Magic or Worktop Wonder with the cloths, every now and again. Keep a couple of microfibre cloths (like the E-Cloth granite pack) just for your worktops.

the E-Cloth granite pack

For removing spillls and dried on food, use a cloth with washing up liquid or an ammonia-based cleaner.

For more stubborn stains, it's best to check the instructions for your particular worktop. GetaCore advises against using abrasive cleaners but most solid surface worktop suppliers recommend an abrasive liquid cleaner such as Cif, used with a green Scotch-Brite pad. Use a circular motion, rinse with water and dry with a cloth or towel.

Very Persistent Stains and Scratches

Always use a chopping board or worktop saver, when you're preparing food on your solid surface worktop and never put a hot pan directly on the surface ... but even if you're careful, you're going to get some persistent marks or scratches appearing eventually.

Exact instructions vary, but you'll need to do some serious sanding. Hanex recommends, for instance, using 120-grit sandpaper, followed by 220-grit and finally 320-grit - with a random circular motion. Then finish the area off with a green Scotch-Brite pad and water.

I always thought this was a real pain - and one more good reason not to recommend solid surface worktops - but I'm wavering, since my visit to the Grand Designs Live show last week, where Maia had a stand ...

Removing Marks from Maia Worktops

I accosted some poor representative of Maia - and asked him whether or not the black Maia finishes were actually suitable for kitchen worktops. He reckoned they were (sorry - I didn't make a note of his name) and he gave me a demonstration of how easy it was to remove marks.

Step 1: Make Your Marks

You might want to skip this step at home (ha! ha!)

The Maia rep marked his sample with a coin, leaving visible white scratches (at the end of the little black arrow, in case you haven't spotted them).

Step 2: Sand the Surface

 For marks like these, that aren't really deep scratches - but are the sort of marks that are easily made on dark or white surfaces - then 320 grit sandpaper is fine. Don't bother with the coarser grades, unless you've got really deep scratches. Sand the surface whilst it's dry, using a circular motion.

The result will be a fair quantity of dust

Wipe all the loose dust off the surface - and you're left with a visible area (paler on this dark worktop) where you've sanded

Step 3: Add Water and Clean with a Scotch-Brite Pad

The next step was to squirt some water onto the mark ...

... and go over the area of the mark - and slightly wider - with a maroon (7447) Scotch-Brite pad. Still using a circular motion

Step 4: Wipe Clean with a Damp Cloth

Use one of your damp microfibre cloths to wipe over the whole surface and remove any remaining residues

Step 5: Buff with a Dry Cloth

As with all worksurfaces, buffing with a dry cloth after cleaning, gives you a much better finish. Don't allow the damp smears to dry naturally. Use a second microfibre cloth - or the red cloth from your E-Cloth granite pack - or a tea towel you keep for the purpose.

Reading about removing scratches from a solid surface worktop makes it sound like quite a daunting task ... but watching a practical demonstration took only a few minutes. I reckon that - once you've stocked up on the right sandpaper and Scotch-Brite pads - it'd be quite an easy task to slot into your kitchen chores now and again.

You can also buy Maia Worktop Care Packs which include sanding discs - to use with a drill - and a bottle of Countertop Magic ... and instructions. I expect the instructions are slightly different to those I was given at the demonstration and you could probably remove deeper scratches with the kit ... but I was impressed with how easy it was to remove surface marks.

If you've got serious damage to your worktops, though, like chipped areas or cracks ... then you need to consult a professional to get repair work done ... don't try to repair those yourself.