# Forum Home Renovation Kitchens  How can I restore some lustre to an old Laminex benchtop?

## Batpig

Hello Again Folks, 
I've got some old, faded laminex benchtops in the kitchen that would not make sense to replace by themselves due to the age of the carcasses beneath them. I know a few of you have repainted unsightly benchtops in the past with White Knight's "Laminate Paint", but I'm just wondering whether any of you might have also come across some type of squirt-on wonder-product that somehow revitalises the stuff and restores a bit of lustre to it. This would not only be quicker and easier than the painting option, but it would probably be more scratch-resistant too. 
I've done a bit of googling regarding the issue, but with no particular luck in the way of a dedicated product meant for benchtops. I did, however, come across the following item called "Nu-Life" by Unika, which is aimed at Laminate-flooring:    Zip Clean - Floor Cleaner 
Have any of you had any experience with it, or with any other equivalent product?
Or is there something else out there that is perhaps specifically aimed at old kitchen benchtops?  :Confused: 
(and where might you have seen it on a shelf for sale... :Redface: ) 
Many Thanks,
Batpig.

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## Master Splinter

Cut and polish for car paint is about the only thing I can think of. Start with a coarse one and move up to a final grade.   
Won't help if the colour layer has been worn through, but it will let you gloss up a time and abrasion dulled finish.

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## wozsparky

Hi, I make laminate boards and if it has worn through the colour layer (we call it paper) nothing will fix it other than new tops or painting / staining them.  Laminate flooring is a different product so the one you mentioned might not work.  When we make the panels they are heated to 180 - 200 degrees and pressed 150 pound per sq inch (big machine) so putting a new laminate is probably out of the question.  But I only make new laminate boards and dont know after market prduct out there. 
Hope this is of some help.

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## djwhitworth

*Hi, resurfacing the bench top is the most economical solution, however if you try and do it yourself with over the counter products, you will find it wont last.  We own a resurfacing business, Superior Resurfacing and operate in Victoria and have done jobs for people who have tried to do it themselves. After a short period of time the surfaces peels and wears off which ends up costing the customer more money than if they had it done professionally in the first place.  I see that you are in Brisbane.  if you go to Resurfacing Australia > Home you will find a reputable resurfacer in your area.  The resurfacing will be guaranteed and the bench will look like new, in fact you will find that the finish will be as good as, if not better, than the original laminate.  We are a member of Resurfacing Australia and we all use the same product which is specially designed for each particular surface in kitchens and bathrooms.  Hope this helps.  Diane*

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## Batpig

Dear Gents, 
Thanks very much for the replies. I actually did manage to get down to the BigB on Monday (I think it was Monday. The whole Brisbane rain-shebang has got me losing track of time a little... :Confused: ). It turned out that they did indeed have the "Nu-Life" stuff on their shelf, but it looked, smelled, felt, and tasted for all the world just like Armour-All (which kind-of makes sense...). So at $26.90 for a 500ml Trigger-Pack, I deferred to trying what I already had lying around on the shelf out in front of the car (which included Armour-All anyway...). 
I subsequently hit the laminex in question with pretty much everything (except that I only used Turtle Wax instead of Cut&Polish, Splinter... :Redface: ), and eventually it seemed to work up a bit of a lustre after I nailed it with a successive combination of Kerosene, followed by the Turtle Wax, followed by some Johnson Floor-Wax (which smelled basically like a combination of Armour-All and Ammonia...). No colour has really come back into the stuff to speak of, but it looks acceptably snazzy again thanks to the restored lustre, which is becoming a little more uniform with successive coats of the Floor-Wax... 
The Floor-Wax itself is quite a tenacious product; I must have spilled a few drops of it on the vinyl floor, and due to the resulting extremely shiny finish that it dries to, it stood out from a mile away. I tried to remove said dry-droplets with diluted vinegar and weak detergent, but without luck. I might have another go at it later on with some kerosene. 
Thanks again,
Batpig.

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