How to clean Arborite/Formica

[nmccubbin]

Our countertops are beige Arborite, 20 years old
Most in good shape, but one is badly stained as in photo

Any ideas on how to clean it?

I would replace it but that would be a major project because the surrounding teak is glued on after the Arborite was glued to the underlying plywood

[Iron E]

As a last resort after bleach and all other regular cleaning attempts, I've had success with using a Magic Eraser on Formica. I'm unfamiliar with Arborite, but you should be okay if the manufacturing process is similar.

TIP: a magic eraser, as far as I can tell, is just a very fine sandpaper... 2000 or 3000 grit wet sanding would also work. Finish by polishing with a fine polish.

[Tillikum]

There are paste cleansers that have an extremely fine abrasive component, usually silica dust. I have found these work extremely well on all sorts of cleaning tasks, often getting off stains and deposits that would be a right PITA to tackle with anything else. Furthermore, the abrasive is so fine that the "scratching" is actually more like polishing. "Power Paste", "Pink Solution" are some of the brands; I believe Amway has one as well. They cut grease, polish metals and remove oxide layers from painted surfaces etc. etc.


Your countertops appear to be slightly textured and dirt tends to get in those nooks and crannies and stay there. You might want to try a moderately stiff plastic cup brush chucked in a cordless drill with the above paste or your other cleanser of choice. If the surface is textured you will not want to start sanding it unless you intend to sand it flat throughout! And you may well sand through the "skin" if you try, at which point replacement will be your only option unless you want to recover with an adhesive-backed vinyl or something of that kind, and replace it periodically going forward. (You'll need a heat gun for that).

[s/v Jedi]

Have you tried Barkeepers Friend? The powdered form is the best.

[JPA Cate]

I used to have a white formica kitchen table. I'd mix up some water and bleach, 1 Tbsp bleach to 3 tbsp water, and let it set. I have also used a toothbrush dipped in straight bleach to get into cracks or cuts in it. Eventually, nothing will work any more: it is as if there were a shiny surface on it to begin with, and that simply goes away.

There is also paint available to cover formica. I personally would worry about being able to scrub it afterwards, and have no experience of it for a table, which one will want to clean often.

Ann

[wrwakefield]

I agree with Magic Eraser and Bar Keeper’s Friend as worth trying.

We have had very good success with a product line entitled Someone to Do It.

Specifically regarding your question, I would grab our bottle of their Cream Cleaner put a dab on a good cloth, and rub it in. It will likely do the job first time. [It easily removes the diesel exhaust smear from our 2 part LPU painted hull; amidships engine exhaust port.]

They make several products, including various grit versions of the non-compounding Cream Cleaner I linked above. I would start with it. [Great for cleaning the hull, deck, etc. Cheap, and water based. I.e., can ship anywhere…

This is what works for us. FWIW

Cheers, Bill

PS: I see they now sell their products on Amazon as well. [I have had to buy direct in the past…]

[GordMay]

Formica, Arborite, & Wilsonart are all basically the same thing: high pressure laminates, generally 1/16 inch thick, made from layers of paper, impregnated with resin, and then bonded together, under pressure, and high temperature.

For tough stains, create a paste, composed of baking soda and water. Using a soft brush, scrub gently in a circular motion [excessive scrubbing can dull or damage the finish]; then rinse thoroughly with warm water, and wipe dry. Be careful not to flood the laminate, especially near the seams, as too much water can penetrate, and cause the substrate to swell.

Or, apply acetone, rubbing alcohol, or ethanol to the stain, and let stand no longer than two minutes; then rinse thoroughly, with warm water, and wipe dry. Repeat as needed.

I wouldn't use abrasives, nor bleach, on HP Laminares.

[thomm225]

I used a high grit sand paper and cleanser after that on my 45 years old Formica Counter tops a few years back.

Sanded the cutting board as well which was a dark color with lots of burn marks on it from hot pans.