# cleaning tips for new kitchen



## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

Hi all! I'm hoping you can give me tips/advice for redoing our kitchen, which is from the 1930's when the house was built. We'd like new flooring, counters and sink but there are so many new materials out there I'm not sure what to do. Corian countertops? Corian sink? Stainless steel sink? Linoleum floor? Laminate? Ceramic tile floor? As far as keeping things clean...what do I need to know that will help me choose, i.e. do's and don'ts? Thanks!!


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## gracie88 (May 29, 2007)

Well, I can say I really love my corian countertop. It is pretty stain resistant, but scratches easier than I expected. The only way I would ever do laminate countertops again is if I could not afford anything else. I would be careful of laminate floors in the kitchen too, I do not think they are supposed to get too wet.


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## MtnGranny (Mar 3, 2006)

Ihave Silestone (quartz) countertops and love them! They are expensive though. My mom has corian, and like gracie88 said they do scratch. Dark colors show it more than light colors. I put in new flooring last year. Hubby wanted tile but I didn't want anything that hard to stand on. I found something called "duraceramic". It is a vinyl tile that looks like stone. It is sticky backed and can be installed with grout, which is what we did. Everyone thinks it is tile when they see it. The only drawback, is that you have to be careful when moving appliances because it will scratch. I love it and have had lots of compliments on it.


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## patnewmex (Aug 11, 2006)

Pour your own concrete countertop. They sound ugly but can be as beautiful as Italian marble if done right. Check it out on Google.

Pat

http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/author/dcn/conccounter-a.html

You can imbed items and you can get pigments for different colors. Just Google it.


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## heather (May 13, 2002)

Here's our site with some kitchen photos -
http://home.att.net/~q.metheny/ (don't click if you have dial up  )
It's all done now & I need to add some more photos

We made our own cabinets out of leftover tongue & groove pine that we used for the ceilings

We looked at all different counter types
We finally decided on laminate
Everyone who sees it thinks it's granite, even up close
It hasn't burned (even though my mother has tried!  )
It hasn't scratched
We figured, even if we burned it or scratched it, we could replace it about 5 times over again for the price of just one granite counter

I love a stainless steel sink
It just looks very clean to me -
But that's me! 
We got an extra deep one for filling stock pots, canners, etc.

I have wood floors, so I can only tell you that a friend of mine had brand new ceramic tile flooring & dropped a can of soup - CRACK! :Bawling:


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

If you are going to put in a heavy countertop, like stone or concrete, you need to have a super support, not just cabinets, under them. I went with tile, 12 x 12 floor tile, because I wanted something that was easy to care for and that I could put hot stuff right out of the oven onto. I know some people worry about the grout, but you just need to use a good sealer and reseal every 3 to 5 years, depending on how hard you are on it. I love it. If you decide to use tile on the counter or floor, go to a store that specializes, not a big box store. There really is a difference in quality. You will pay more, but tile lasts a LONG time.

Whatever you choose, think about the backsplash. two or three inches is not enough height, in my opinion, for a backsplash, but I'm kinda messy.

I have two counter heights. A normal counter height where the sink is, and a table height for the rest of the kitchen. This is because I'm short. Even if you are not short, it is nice to have an area with a lower counter so that you can sit down at it, as well as a user friendly area for kids.

I also have an extra deep sink and love it.


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## keljonma (Dec 27, 2006)

Decide whether you want the kitchen to have the 1930's look and feel with modern convenience or a modern/futuristic look. Do lots of research online and at your local library. Visit shops and stores and ask questions depending on which style you want in your kitchen.


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## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

Thanks for the comments; they're quite helpful. Heather, the photos are amazing! Is your stainless steel sink difficult to keep from looking beat up/scratched up? I think that's what I'd like, if it's easy to take care of.
Maura, I hadn't thought about the support needed for a heavy counter. We just have the original wooden cabinets and don't want the expense of changing those out. Corian would still be okay though, right? Mtngranny, did your Silestone countertops need reinforcing supports to take the weight? I'm going to look into the ceramic-look vinyl floor tiles, too. My hubby says no to concrete countertops.

I'm so far from being any kind of decorator that my kitchen will probaby be old-looking even when we're done. A sleek, futuristic look would be completely at odds with the rest of the house (and with its owners) anyway. Actually, the look of it isn't nearly as important as functionality AND ease of care. 

I'm hoping for advice on choosing materials that will hold up to real use, and need the minimum of effort to keep up with. I don't like a dirty kitchen but I hate fussing over the cleaning. The easier the care, the better. I wish I could learn to like cleaning, but it's always been just an unpleasant chore to me. If I have to worry about water getting on the floor, or using special scrubbers to clean the sink, it'll just make me peevish.
So, any more suggestions for the woman who likes to cook but wants the clean-up over as soon as possible?


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## MtnGranny (Mar 3, 2006)

No, the Silestone did not need any extra reinforcement. I got it at Home Depot and they came out and removed the old countertops and installed the new. Good luck with your remodel.


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## mrs oz (Jul 3, 2007)

If you like the idea of granite countertops, but don't want the expense or weight of slabs, you might want to consider granite tiles. They usually come in 12x12's and are MUCH more affordable than slabs. As far as grout lines go, they can be butt jointed so you only end up with maybe 1/16" grout line. Do as dark a grout as the color of the tile allows and you are all set.


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