View Full Version : Cleaning kitchen questions
iris lilies
3-28-18, 4:05pm
I now have a glass top stove. Having no experience with them, do I really need special glass top stove cleaner? It does appear that foodstuff is already baked on to it.
Planning our next kitchen floor, and knowing it is unlikely that DH will allow a wood floor, I have a question about rough ceramic tile: is it hard to clean? I ask this because we have 3 tiles in front of our refeigerator, replacement tiles, that have a grainier surface than the rest of the smoothish kitchen tiles. I like these grainier tiles because they seem less slippery, but they also seem to be harder to clean up.
I do not want my next kitchen tile floor to be slippery,
I will be older and more subject to falls.
Glass stove top cleaner usually has something in it (silicone?) that makes things really shiny in a way that softscrub doesn't. Is it really necessary? Dunno, but at least I know it won't scratch.
Are you wedded to the idea of ceramic tile? I'm thinking if you are worried about falls, that maybe you might also want a more resilient material. Tile is definitely in the "break a hip" category.
I have an induction stove with a glass top. I use dish soap water to wipe clean.
A friend gave me some foam hand soap that cleans off any oily film wonderfully.
Don’t store anything above the cooktop that will crack the glass if it falls.
I had a scare to smarten me up and become aware.
We had ceramic tile in the last house and put wood in this kitchen. Loved the tile except for the grout always looking dirty. Textured will most likely trap dirt too. We have a glass top stove in this house and just use soap and hot water to clean. The special cleaner probably has some protective chemical (silicone) in it but I don't like using specialty cleaners.
I HATE tile floors in kitchen, too.
If he does not want wood, and I would want wood, I would go with either
vinyl plank that is waterproof--some really neat new ones, much better than in previous years or
cork.
I bet you might be able to talk him into cork?
I have porcelain tile in the high traffic areas. Love it! It's been there for years and shows no signs of wear. It replaced glazed ceramic tile which was showing wear and cracking through / losing glaze. The glazed tile was slippery and lasted maybe ten good years, then we hung on two more...
We have hard wood in our vacation home which has been down eight years too. Only signs of age are where Sun shown under a curtain in the kitchen and the color bleached a little. We don't live there full time, but have kids and dogs in residence most times for about six weeks a year. Only one scratch and that was definite damage, not usage. The dogs nails don't have any effect. one dog has "sweaty feet" and leaves prints, the other does not. Not a big deal, though. One must be careful with water, so the dog bowl is in a tray on a towel. I love hard wood...ours is mahogany, if it helps. A friend has something lighter in color and a softer wood, and she's not such a fan...
iris lilies
3-28-18, 11:12pm
I HATE tile floors in kitchen, too.
If he does not want wood, and I would want wood, I would go with either
vinyl plank that is waterproof--some really neat new ones, much better than in previous years or
cork.
I bet you might be able to talk him into cork?
cork is an interesting choice, I’ll look into it.
I doubt that DH “gets” the slippery aspect. Our weekend house house a ridiculously big patio and some fool covered it with ceramic tile. dH seemed surprised that I will be placing strips of no slip material not only on the steps but on the patio floor itself in a random pattern.
Our senior citizen dog who already slides around here at our main house hates this patio, it is just too slippery.
Oddly, our weekend house has hand holds all over the place, holds for steadying oneselve. Cant imagine why they covered oitdoor sirfaces with slick ceramic tile. Even the front porch has it.
Teacher Terry
3-29-18, 2:09pm
In our kitchen and baths we used a pergo that can handle water and I love it. I understand slippery as I have fallen outside a few times and broke my little finger and got a concussion another time. Tile was a dumb choice for outside.
I use a single blade razor to clean burnt on stuff off of my glass top stove. Also use soft scrub.
ToomuchStuff
3-31-18, 1:04pm
There is an engineered flooring that is "waterprooof" (I would correct to water resistant), that is made to look like wood or tile. I don't have a name, but it is available at most of the building centers.
Textured tile, will hold dirt a bit more, but unless your not cleaning/mopping on a regular basis (example compare the dirt coverage under a refrigerator that hasn't been moved to your normal floor), it doesn't take that much more time. I know one person would used different tiles in a room, textured in the walkway and smooth under stuff that wouldn't be moved often. They made it up in a pattern that looked like a rug, and that allowed them to play with some sizes and colors.
There is an engineered flooring that is "waterprooof" (I would correct to water resistant), that is made to look like wood or tile. I don't have a name, but it is available at most of the building centers.
Well, vinyl is "engineered" and is waterproof, and is available in rolls/sheets, tiles, or planks. Some of the patterns on what's called "luxury vinyl tile" are quite lifelike. But vinyl suffers from a lousy public image. Most people would rather take their chances with a picture of wood on laminate and replace it a couple of times than consider vinyl once ... You pays yer money, you makes yer choice *shrug*
There are some laminates which are considered water-resistant and I could see that some urethane-coated engineered-wood floors or site-finished wood floors could be considered water-resistant from the top. The problems occur when liquid seeps past the top layer to either the plank substrate or the floor. Even a water-resistant coating won't help if the raw wood underneath is swelling.
There is an engineered flooring that is "waterprooof" (I would correct to water resistant), that is made to look like wood or tile. I don't have a name, but it is available at most of the building centers.
Is it Pergo? I installed Pergo in my family room, realizing potential buyers down the road would probably frown upon it, but it's very easy to maintain and I haven't seen a scratch. I did buy a top-of-the-line Pergo, and I'm pretty happy with it. DH and I installed it ourselves--it's a floating floor.
IL, in my MILs house, I used bamboo throughout. It's a ranch in which it's one long room going from dining area through the kitchen and into the family room, so I wanted consistent flooring. The bamboo is OK in the kitchen, but I don't think it's the best choice for concerns about water and wear. I wouldn't have many concerns about the Pergo I put in.
I have to say, the bamboo was a strong "likeability factor" when buyers came through. Many remarked on the beauty of it.
Original Pergo was not waterproof or even water-resistant. They now have lines which are (n.b., not all Pergo is water-resistant; the stuff that is is marked for use in kitchens and bathrooms).
This is the vinyl one we just looked at at Home Depot. It's not bad looking, called Lifeproof.
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Flooring-Vinyl-Flooring-Resilient-Flooring-Luxury-Vinyl-Planks/LifeProof/N-5yc1vZbzjzZets?experienceName=inspirational&cm_mmc=SEM%7CG%7CBase%7CD23%7C23-4_VINYL_FLOORING%7CNA%7CDS
This is the vinyl one we just looked at at Home Depot. It's not bad looking, called Lifeproof.
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Flooring-Vinyl-Flooring-Resilient-Flooring-Luxury-Vinyl-Planks/LifeProof/N-5yc1vZbzjzZets?experienceName=inspirational&cm_mmc=SEM%7CG%7CBase%7CD23%7C23-4_VINYL_FLOORING%7CNA%7CDS
That looks nice, Tybee. You made me think of linoleum. I considered linoleum for it's eco factor (much more sustainable than vinyl), and also because it's cool in a retro sort of way. IL, because you love old houses, maybe you'd consider Forbo?
https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-gl/products/linoleum/cmlack
iris lilies
4-1-18, 9:46am
Ths linoleum discussion is useful for me, I will consider it. I think I am steering toward circa 1955 for the decorating feel of our Hermann house, It was built in 1941 with staircase and built-in cabinetry recycled feom a 1885 house. The front addition and siding was put on to look like mid 1950’s house, and there was a 1967 garage renovation into a bedroom. Now, we are going to add big garages and dormers in 2018.
This is a very confused house, but I want to play up the cottagey feel of it. That is also when we were born, mid 1950’s.
I dislike the idea of buying materials that “look like” something else, such as tile that looks like stone, or vinyl that looks like wood, or quartz that looks like cement (although the latter is what I ended up with in our kitchen renovation and I really do like it.) But the “looks like” materials do not age well stylistically, authentic is the key.
so after that long opinionated screed, yeah, linoleum is a possibility for my circa 1955 house.
Teacher Terry
4-1-18, 1:41pm
We put in pergo that looks like wood but is vinyl 6 years ago and it still looks like new even with having 4 dogs.
ToomuchStuff
4-1-18, 8:37pm
I wish linoleum was more available, but I know of no local carriers. (originally linoleum used asbestos) The first "waterproof" flooring I know about was bought by a sibling on closeout for a bathroom (Lowes had enough of a neutral color for the cost of uninstalled vinyl and they could install it themselves on a house they were selling, then changed brands).
The next time I heard about it was a friend, who lives in the country, where my other sibling lives. Power issues caused the sump to stop and the basement to flood, where carpeting was put down, instead of tile, because of budget when the house was built 18 months prior. They were told if that happens again, with this flooring, they could pull it up, let the floor dry out and then put it back down.
I hate to say this, but I am kind of hoping a big enough storm hits that I know if that theory work or not.
I wish linoleum was more available, but I know of no local carriers.
True linoleum is hard to find. Armstrong and Forbo make most of it, and there are some smaller manufacturers, like Nova. IKEA carried linoleum floor tiles for a while, but discontinued them.
Part of it is that lino pretty much offers the same pattern in different colors; it will never look like wood or stone the way vinyl and ceramic can. Part is that it does require maintenance. It should be "waxed" every year to protect it and keep it looking its best; it can look pretty good even quite neglected, but most people don't want to maintain floors beyond vacuuming/sweeping. And another issue with lino is that installing the roll product requires someone who actually knows what they're doing. It does not lay out quite like vinyl flooring, is seam-welded differently, etc. There are DIY linoleum planks, but that eliminates one of the better selling points of linoleum -- the liquid-proof monolithic surface. So it's a niche choice.
I dislike the idea of buying materials that “look like” something else
Me too. We have some sort of wood laminate Pergo type stuff in the basement and I hate it. It clicks when you walk on it and seems to have a static quality that holds dust and debris.
Me too. We have some sort of wood laminate Pergo type stuff in the basement and I hate it. It clicks when you walk on it and seems to have a static quality that holds dust and debris.
Interesting....we used a maple Pergo in our entire cabin except bathroom and a slate tile entry. We LOVE it!!!! 14yo and looks brand new!
iris lilies
4-9-18, 4:37pm
The Pergo we have in our weekend house was poor,y attached over vinyl. It is loose and crackly. But that is fine, we will be tearing it up eventually. One of the upstairs bedrooms also has this Pergo type stuff and that seems to be holding on well. This house in its original state is so confusing, it has a beautiful oak plank floor with inlays in the living room, fancy! Needs refinishng, but easy to do.
the downstairs bedroom original to the house has wide pine planks, in nice condition, just needs refinishing.
One upstairs bedroom, original to the house, has crappy narrow plank wood floors, painted. Presumably oak. But they are in bad shape with pieces missng or replaced, I wouldnt refinish these floors. The bedroom with Pergo stuff, dont know what is under that flooring.
All of these wood plank floors, 3 different types, are all part of the original house. Dont know why the flooring material is all so different. Then add in Pergo in some rooms, then vinyl in the hallway. Whoah, lots of surfaces.
I'm afraid of the multiple flooring issue for when we sell our house. It always had 4 different flooring types: hardwood in the living areas, upstairs, and in the bedrooms (it was ALL covered in shag carpet--imagine our delight to find untouched hardwood when we pulled up that shag!). Then there's parquet off the kitchen/dining area (which is now my home office), and the entry hall/family room had horrible vinyl tiles. And the kitchen had a different vinyl pattern.
Unfortunately, instead of making it cohesive, we just replaced a different flooring over each original:
We pulled up the shag to get the hardwood.
We then covered the kitchen vinyl with ceramic tile. We covered the family room and hall with the Pergo dark colored engineered wood. Another probable mistake: I didn't do the same light color as the 1st floor hardwood because I was afraid a mismatch would look worse than an intentional contrast--but I think I should have gone for a closer match. And, we still haven't done anything to the parquet.
I plan on refinishing the hardwood before we sell, but I don't plan on replacing all the flooring to make it consistent. Maybe that's a mistake. One of my realtors suggested staining the hardwood dark.
I'm afraid of the multiple flooring issue for when we sell our house. It always had 4 different flooring types: hardwood in the living areas, upstairs, and in the bedrooms (it was ALL covered in shag carpet--imagine our delight to find untouched hardwood when we pulled up that shag!). Then there's parquet off the kitchen/dining area (which is now my home office), and the entry hall/family room had horrible vinyl tiles. And the kitchen had a different vinyl pattern.
Unfortunately, instead of making it cohesive, we just replaced a different flooring over each original:
We pulled up the shag to get the hardwood.
We then covered the kitchen vinyl with ceramic tile. We covered the family room and hall with the Pergo dark colored engineered wood. Another probable mistake: I didn't do the same light color as the 1st floor hardwood because I was afraid a mismatch would look worse than an intentional contrast--but I think I should have gone for a closer match. And, we still haven't done anything to the parquet.
I plan on refinishing the hardwood before we sell, but I don't plan on replacing all the flooring to make it consistent. Maybe that's a mistake. One of my realtors suggested staining the hardwood dark.
We'll have a similar problem. I paid out of pocket so flooring was discontinued before I got everything done. I still have the upstairs to redo the carpet (large music room and bedroom). So currently I have tile laundry, vinyl bathrooms, laminate bedrooms, laminate hall/living (different), laminate dining kitchen (different again) and the stupid carpet upstairs. Oh and the stairs going up are still builder grade suitable for an attic which it used to be.
Gardenarian
4-11-18, 1:37pm
I also dislike faux floors. The vinyl in my kitchen and bathrooms is hideous. I'd love to have hardwood (like the rest of the house) but I think that would raise the floor an inch or so - not sure.
Glass cooktops - after scrubbing down, rub on a bit of oil (olive, coconut, whatever.) It makes the dull spots vanish, and makes future cleanups easier.
I also dislike faux floors. The vinyl in my kitchen and bathrooms is hideous. I'd love to have hardwood (like the rest of the house) but I think that would raise the floor an inch or so - not sure.
We have vinyl flooring in our kitchen. I did not want ceramic or stone (too hard on feet and dropped objects), I dislike intensely laminate floors (even when they're not looking like something they're not), linoleum was a little too expensive, and wood in a kitchen just seems odd to me (though that belief is losing its grip). It was difficult to find vinyl flooring that did not look like ceramic, stone, or wood, or that had some garish pattern that did not fit our sense of esthetics and the era of the house. We went to some length to find abstract patterns that fit. We've been lucky enough to do it twice. But, yes, sometimes I look at a floor pattern and wonder what people were thinking...
Gardenarian, you could go with engineered wood, which would be around 3/8 inch high. That still might necessitate messing with cabinets and doors, however. To my knowledge, however, all engineered wood flooring is prefinished; that is, it is not finished on-site with a monolithic coat of urethane or something else to make it spillproof. You would have to look for engineered flooring with a water-resistant substrate. I don't know if such a beast exists.
Glass cooktops - after scrubbing down, rub on a bit of oil (olive, coconut, whatever.) It makes the dull spots vanish, and makes future cleanups easier.
Thanks for that tip! I'll try it.
Of course Laminate was not my first choice but it was something I could do myself on small budget. I'm pretty handy with a tape measure and miter saw. Underlayment is key on laminates. The first laminate I put down is 10" wide grooved and 16 years later looks as good as day one. For a household with 2 with allergies my goal was to get up the carpets asap. I only have one area corner of living room by hall where the piano sits where I should of leveled the floor more with that epoxy but the hall is wide enough I just sat a huge pot there so no one will step on the one piece that moves a bit. We don't call this cabin quirky for nothing!
rosarugosa
4-13-18, 8:57pm
Thanks for that tip! I'll try it.
Of course Laminate was not my first choice but it was something I could do myself on small budget. I'm pretty handy with a tape measure and miter saw. Underlayment is key on laminates. The first laminate I put down is 10" wide grooved and 16 years later looks as good as day one. For a household with 2 with allergies my goal was to get up the carpets asap. I only have one area corner of living room by hall where the piano sits where I should of leveled the floor more with that epoxy but the hall is wide enough I just sat a huge pot there so no one will step on the one piece that moves a bit. We don't call this cabin quirky for nothing!
I'm so glad I'm not the only one living in a quirky place! But it is home and I love it.
Teacher Terry
4-14-18, 6:06pm
Most old homes are quirky in some way which I love. IL: how is your weekend house coming?
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