by pam kueber on January 5, 2009
A reader wrote to ask how to bring the luster back to her vintage laminate countertops. Paste wax, maybe? To get the answer, I turned to expert Grace Jeffers. She is the writer, design historian and materials expert responsible for restoration of the Ralph Sr. and Sunny Wilson House – including its gorgeous Mondrian-style kitchen, above. Grace wrote back pronto:
Douse them with COUNTERTOP MAGIC. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT USE WAX. Plastics do not like wax, they like oil. In the Wilson house I used almonst an entire can of countertop magic for each 4 x 8 panel. Let it soak overnight and then polish with a clean cloth in the a.m.
Grace Jeffers
Thanks, Grace! And reader – oopsy, I lost your email, thanks for your question!
I found this available at Lowe’s:
by pam kueber on November 25, 2008
This is a hot topic: Readers are hearing from floor sales people that they need to polish and buff their newly installed vinyl composite floor tiles like the professionals do in office buildings.
Heck yeah there is more…
by pam kueber on November 15, 2008
As Ohio Catherine’s retro renovation continues, she has uncovered this gorgeous vintage linoleum in her ranch home – and wants to know how to clean and maintain it. To help, I turn to a book that had been recommended to me by someone in the field, Twentieth Century Building Materials. Heck yeah there is more…
by pam kueber on October 13, 2008
Kitty Mommy Susan, and others, have asked how to clean terrazzo shower bases and walls. Here is a start: Some pages from a great book, Twentieth-Century Building Materials, done by the National Park Service, edited by Thomas C. Jester. It’s out of print and wicked expensive, so I just got a copy from my library a few weeks ago. I try not to show pages from books – but will make an exception for this conservation reason.
If I get a chance soon — or perhaps a reader can pursue this? — I think another route to get a good answer is to go to Crane. The two big makers of terrazzo bases seem to have been Crane and Fiat. And now, Crane owns Fiat. They still sell these today — and they are a BIG RECOMMENDATION of mine! — so they must have cleaning instructions. If anyone gets to them before I do… can you post the answer here? Many thanks, and good cleaning!
Double click for big, readable image:
by pam kueber on October 10, 2008
After Zep
Before ZEP
How to clean old grout in retro bathroom floor tiles? Sleeping Bee Alice plays the role of Queen of Clean. Thanks, Alice, very impressive. I do want to caution – as I have been doing cleaning research, too — to be very careful about what you use on the glazed tile itself. That glazed finish can come off, even with a scotch brite pad, so treat it very carefully. More on tile cleaning to come.
Read on for Alice’s solution (pun!) —> Heck yeah there is more…
