Does anyone know a way to get stains off a kitchen counter? These have been there a LONG time. Can I bleach them? If so, how? Cleaning is NOT my strong area, so I am open to any suggestions!
depends on what your counter is made of. just about anything can be bleached unless it is a stained formica or some other synthetic material. the clorox bleach gel pen is fantastic if its a smaller stain. if you have any doubts about the color fastness of your counter tops test it in an area thats never uncovered (under the microwave, or on the front edging between the stove and the counter. leave the produt on the 30 minutes and wait several hours to judge damage. if your counter is made out of tile its very easy, you can sand the grout down if its in the cracks or sand the finish off the tile, clean it up and reseal it, or if its deep you can cut the tile out and repace it. ive never seen standard household cleaners damage a countertop (other than the color fastness issue) so id say just try a little bit of whatever youve got under the microwave and then give it a try on the stain.
Have you tried those Erasers by Arm and Hammer. I am not sure what type of cabinets you have. However, if they are light colored this may work. I have always had success with it. You may even want to do a search on the internet. I found an awesome cleaning site once. If I find it again, I will let you know.
I would think that bleach water would be the best solution. I had red countertops once and used beach on them regularly. They never faded but, like Connie said, you might want to try out a spot first. I bleach all my kitchen/bath surfaces (except the floors which are laminate). BLEACH = CLEAN to me!
I would like to use something like commet or soft scrub first before bleach let the paste be there for a while then use the scrubbie side of a sponge/scrubbie pad. That way you won't fade your counter. There is also a product called bar keepers friend it is a powder or jel like what I mentioned. its a gold can.
We use Bar Keepers Friend and it is WONDERFUL! It's like Ajax and Comet only a little stronger and works faster. I've never used it on the countertop though, but it works great for the sink. I'll have to try it on the countertop next time I need to. I have a couple stains that have never come out on the counter, but I think hubby set a hot pot on it and it's burnt, not stained since bleach hasn't done anything to them.
Useful Household Items Sprinkle baking soda on the bottom and then lightly on the top of cat litter when changing the litter box to help eliminate odor problems. To remove rust stains from counter tops, etc, cut a fresh lemon in half and sprinkle on a little baking soda and scrub the spot. Ammonia - cuts grease, strips the wax off floors, and cleans windows Baking soda - cleans, deodorizes, scours, polishes and removes stains Bleach - whitens practically anything and removes mold and mildew Borax - alternative for bleach, deodorizes, prevents molds, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap Cornstarch - cleans and deodorizes carpets and rugs Ketchup - cleans copper Lemon juice - cuts grease and stains on aluminum and porcelain, whitens Salt - makes an abrasive, but gentle, scouring powder Vegetable oil - a furniture polish Washing soda - cuts grease and disinfects White vinegar - cleans windows, shines metal surfaces, removes mildew, stains, grease and wax buildup Pam cooking spray - will dry finger nail polish and fix a sticking bicycle chain and will also remove paint, and grease from your hands! Cool whip - will condition your hair in 15 min Mayonnaise - will kill Lice , it will also condition your hair Close-up toothpaste - Spike your hair it will also give it a tint Elmer's Glue - paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off and see the dead skin and blackheads if any Brewed Lipton Tea - shiny hair Nestea - Sunburn -empty a large jar of into your bath water Colgate or Crest toothpaste - minor burn and use to keep goggles and glasses from fogging, removes crayon on the wall, removes stains on clothes Sugar - to relieve a burn your tongue WD-40 Spray - Arthritis - rub in, kill insect stings too. Meat tenderizer - bee stings preparation H - chigger bite & puffy eyes Crazy glue or chap stick - paper cut Jell-O!! - for stinky feet Cornstarch - use for athlete feet, when the doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch and watch them slide on Vapor rub - fungus on toenails or fingernails Kool aid - to clean dishwasher pipes. Just put in the detergent section and run a cycle, it will also clean a toilet, can be used as a dye in paint also Kool aid in Dannon plain yogurt as a finger paint, "your kids will love it and it won't hurt them if they eat it!" Peanut butter - will get scratches out of CD's! Wipe off with a coffee filter paper, will also remove ink from the face of dolls Vinegar - for heavy dandruff Crisco mixed with food coloring - body paint. Heat the Crisco in the microwave, pour into a empty film container and mix with the food color of your choice! preserving a newspaper clipping - large bottle of club soda and 1/2 cup of milk of magnesia, soak for 20 min and let dry, will last for many years! Stay-Free Maxi Pads- clean window, floors, just stick to the palm of your hands and work! Can also be used as knee pad. Pampers - an absorbent. Remove stains from the carpet with club soda, and a pamper to absorb. Wine stains, pour on the Morton salt and watch it absorb into the salt. To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel. remove labels off glassware etc. rub with peanut butter! Listerine - cleans dirty grout Karo Syrup - removes grass stains Coca Cola - removes grease stains, it will also remove grease stains from the driveway overnight, it will also take corrosion from batteries Efferdent, or vinegar - removes sweat stains 20 Mule Team Borax - kills fleas in your carpet - sprinkle and let stand for 24 hours. Last but not the least, it is my favorite one! To Keep FRESH FLOWERS longer Add a little Clorox, or 2 Bayer aspirin, or just use 7-up instead of water!
Jackie, I would put a soak bleach towel and lay it right on the spot and let it sit for awhile then take it off. It's always works for me.
I second the suggestion for bar keepers friend! It says on the container it can be used on countertops, I use it on my corian and it works great!
Maybe try sprinkling a bit of baking soda on it, then add a bit of vinegar. Let it sit for a bit, then use a cloth and 'scrub' it. Baking soda is great for cleaning!
