We had a thread a while back on plastic handles degrading on some hand tools.
Two sets of kitchen worktops installed in 1995 seem to be exhibiting similar symptoms. The surface appears sticky to touch.
Much worse next to the hob and sink where more aggressive cleaning may occur.
Any suggestions or is it *new kitchen* time?
Tim Lamb wrote in news:81WQtRlLkLpVFwS5 @marfordfarm.demon.co.uk:
Pub Table syndrome! Wrong choice of cleaning materials mayme. You don't tell us what type of material the worktop is made from. I would only expect a wooden one to go sticky.
After two decades, I'd have thought a plastic-finished laminate worktop was fairly knackered anyway. Why replace the whole kitchen, just because the worktop's tired?
It looks fine. Just drags a bit when you run a dry hand across the surface. Plastic finish laminate certainly but I don't know the specifics.
There is a level of pressure from the user who appears to believe something related to operating theatre white would be better than the real Oak doors:-(
No some of these slightly soft rubbery ones do as well. Could be cleaning, or just leaching of plasticizer from the material. You often get this on the stuff on cameras f around 10 years ago, I also foound it on a non Sony walkmanof more years, and it had mainly lived in a pocket for years. I sometimes wonder what sort of long life testing is done on such materials. My original long whit canes handle went this way also. Brian
In message , DerbyBorn writes
Plastic finish laminate as Adrian suggests. I don't know more.
A similar top at my sister's house is much worse. She may have done more frying without using an extractor fan and was fond of Cif cleaning products.
Think again. Ours was as good as new after 30 years. Only chucked because her indoors wanted a different colour (not one of her better decisions as it turns out)
You could either replace the worktop or clad it in thin corian (there are firms that specialise in this). Or even tile it.
I had a similar problem with the black plastic finish on the barrel of a camera lens. I used mild solvent (surgical spirit) on it which removed the sticky layer very effectively. Suggest you try a test on a small area first, just in case...
We don't know if its muck or degradation, so I'd start with ammonia & thick bleach, separately of course.
NT
Well if the user wants to spend her (I presume!) time cleaning the kitchen to operating theatre conditions every day, I'm sure it will look wonderful.
If this is Mrs Lamb you could suggest she wear a nurse's uniform while she does it :-)
Owain
Do not even think of asking us to get involved in THAT kind of domestic debate...
I doubt I am up to any temptations induced:-)
That sounds hopeful. Ta.
*muck* would be fighting talk in this house! I think it is some form of degradation. I'll try the surgical spirit first. Leached plasticiser is my inexpert guess.
I'm told that Relay Spray
Chris
A window scraper works best for me, the type with a plastic handle into which you fit a Stanley knife blade. Use a new blade, but use a smoothish grindstone to just round off the two corners to reduce the chance of digging it in and leaving scratches.
Start with an area thats less visible, just to practice on, and you'll soon get a feel for how hard to press and what angle to hold the scraper, and you can see the gunge coming off. Work in one direction, then go over it a right angles as well.
The gunge is quite sticky, so use the scraper to move the stuff off the edge into a dustpan or something, and clean the blade off with some kitchen paper every so often. Then wipe the surface over with a damp cloth, let it dry, and run you fingers over it, you'll soon notice and bits your missed.
I use the same method to remove burnt on deposits from a ceramic hob, then polish with ceramic hob cleaner.
In message , Davidm writes
Hmm.. I'm not rushing at this as the group may have noticed. Today's job was taking down the lower branches of a huge Silver Birch so that a
*climbing* tree surgeon can take the top out. Carefully avoiding the alarm cable from the sewage pumping station and the nearby greenhouse/lorry box/barn:-)HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.