It’s probably not fashionable these days and possibly not even available, but I love counter tops with a slight rolled, elevated outside edge. It has saved many floor cleanings over the years.
Yeah my dad has a very vintage cast iron sink with drying grooves with that bullnose edge you're talking about. Literally the sink and counter are all one single continuous piece. It's envious.
I'm taking notes. Thank you! Would you make a video about the things that you actually like in your home? Things that make a house easy to maintain. That would really help.
Thanks for this... you brought up points I've never thought of. One thing I learned when my kids were little is if you use a plastic tablecloth and spill it will roll over the table to the other side. If you put an inexpensive washable tablecloth over the plastic one the spill can usually be sopped up before it gets to the other side and put right into the washer.
Been living 50+ years, with 2 kinds of countertop experience. Formica is the best. Rock-solid surface that does not damage easily at all, still easy to clean, and doesn’t damage the OTHER THINGS PLACED ON IT. You cannot act quickly on granite, it might shatter the thing you drop down. It can also break YOU if you fall on it. Worried about that with out son as he got tall enough to accidentally run into it or even walk under the “bar” feature. Also, you cannot easily modify granite at all! We had a large 2-side sink I hated (that’s another issue), and finally replaced it. Luckily they make huge single basins we could drop in there. If we had to put in a smaller one how easily would we fill in the opening? Likewise, if you want the larger sink, how do you open it up? Contractor, period. Handyman husband couldn’t do it. No, I’ll take Formica any day. People just think it’s old-fashioned but my parents house had it for 50+ years, 2 different eras (last is 20 years old) and it is more than adequate, and doesn’t have that grout issue of the tile (really old-fashioned) either. Things go in cycles, anyway. Being prejudiced because it’s old doesn’t fly much with me.
YES about the sizing issues. Our new oven was a tad wider than the old one (even though the dimensions were in theory the same) and my husband had to borrow a special saw from someone to cut a sliver off the granite on one side. Needless to say it was a pain in the rear to deal with.
@@YeshuaKingMessiah Nah - as this film states, too much potential long-term trouble due to having to clean and oil those micro-fissure surfaces. I like them generally, but the effort to prevent real problems is too prevalent for a primary surface.
Let me add tile floors with white grout. My Mom installed it and I got to clean it on hands and knees with a scrub brush growing up. My current kitchen came with super wide, bright white grout and really only looks good after hand scrubbing.
@ Yes, I have scrubbed, rinsed, and then sealed the grout multiple times. Still think white grout in kitchens is only choosen by someone who has never had to keep it clean.
I’m a cleaner. I can’t stand butcher block counters in the kitchen or bathroom. Also roughly cut wood shelves. It looks nice, but It doesn’t ever feel sanitized.
My friend was renting and her countertop was a mess... everything was out of her budget. I suggested something called porcelanato, is a ceramic tile that comes in larger sizes, with 4 tiles she cover the counter top surface with only 3 lines of grout. Porcelanato absorption level is nearly 0 making it high mechanical resistant. It's usually used on office buildings foyers. And because she needed 4 of them, she bought a damage box at retail price. Agree on the black surfaces and might add stainless steel and fingerprints
@@zyxw2000 Yes, but the grout needs to be regularly resealed and it's a pain in the butt. My parents have a tiled kitchen- the larger your kitchen, the bigger pain in the butt.
1. Tile Countertops 2. Sink with sharp corner where sides meet bottom 3. Ceiling Fan 4. Black Countertops 5. Things all over the countertop 6. Black Backsplash 7. Flat gold fixtures 8. Slate tile floor 9. Table with cracks/grooves
Honestly, I hate when people do what you've done. Maybe you think you're doing a favor to watchers, but moreover, you're doing a huge disservice to content creators who rely in views of the WHOLE video to get earnings from it.
We just bought a dining set and I was blown away by how many tables had deep grooves. Honestly, I feel like so many designers do use their own products and then tell people to give over their money on regrettable items.
I'm a professional cleaner as well. For black countertops, a water and rubbing alcohol mixture works great. I've never had streaking. In a normal sized spray bottle I fill it about ⅔ with water, add about ½ a cup of alcohol, and a capful of me. Clean multi surface cleaner but you could also just use a very small drop of dawn. You can use up to 50% rubbing alcohol to 50% water, but I find that I don't need that much.
I moved into a brand new apt this year and it has a flat-bottomed stainless steel kitchen sink which I have never seen in all my years of renting. I hate it. Plus the steel is not brushed and looks very cheap. We have hard water and the spots are horrible. Re: black countertops, in the late 70's my parents bought an old house and my mother had black countertops installed that had the texture of slate tile. I baked a pie from scratch and the flour clean-up was horrible. She never made that mistake again.
I never give unsolicited advice to my clients, but when they ask what makes my job easier I tell them that the more things I have to move to clean, the less time I spend doing actual cleaning. In several of the homes I clean, moving their stuff doubles the time to clean the room. Especially in kitchens and bathrooms. I give this advice freely and often to people with housekeepers who are not my clients.
I agree! According to a comment someone made, that makes us lazy, lol. It is not just moving it is also pucking things up or dirty dishes left in the sink. I love hearing from other cleaners, and reading their comment. Thank you!
And don’t put scraps in the sink to start with. I have lived in three different houses without a garbage disposal, over the last 30-plus years. So I am in the habit of putting scraps in either my compost container or the trash can. Not in the sink.
I interited a dinning table that had two leaves and a vinyl pad cut tot he shape to be used under a table cloth. Expanted it can seat 12! without the leaves about 4-6 depending on width of chairs. The firm pad could be used to put hot serving ware on! The table top was wood grained FORMICA! you can scrub it, clean it and the rest of the table rounded edges, sides, legs were all maple to match. My grandmother got it in the 1960's and it is still fantastic today. I am planning to paint the wood black and keep the dark brown top. It will still be so fresh. What a brilliant idea, but of course not practical for sales... since it has lasted 60+ years so far. Thanks Grandma.
After traveling through Europe and seeing the products they use in the bath/shower areas, my husband and I used a Norwegian laminated, waterproof panel system in our bathrooms when we remodeled. No grout or mold, no water spotting, these panels are wonderful. The only problem we have had is finding contractors who know how to install them. Our son-in-law did the bathrooms in our first house and he did a fantastic job. It’s been harder to find someone to do the work at our current home. The good news that big box stores like Home Depot are starting to sell a similar product We had to import ours). It is well worth any extra expense to not have to clean the bath or shower.
I’ve had ceiling fans in my last 3 homes and have never had issues with cleaning them every few months. Only takes a step stool for the one I have now, a spray bottle of cleaner and some rags. Less than 10 minutes. My two fans in our 2.5 story and 2 story rooms take a tall ladder twice a year. And I have forced air heat, air and 2 cats.
I don't have any of these things, thankfully! However, I did have a slate floor in my kitchen. I absolutely loved it and everyone who came over always commented how great it looked. And it did - but finding the right cleaning products took years or trial and error. The flat microfiber pad type of mop was the only product that stood the test of time against those rough surfaces. Nothing cleaned the grout - even the Crosswave or any other wet wash/vac system. The only thing that worked was hands/knees/with a toothbrush - wiping with a towel after every tile. The products for sealing were excellent when I first put the floor in - and made easy work of cleaning. But that was 25 years ago. About 10 years ago they started changing the formulas and nothing kept the slate and grout sealed properly and for longer than a few months. But the look was better than anything I have come across - so I probably would do it again if I had to do it over again.
Amen. I have a natural flagstone kitchen floor with wide grout lines, and mopping just pushes the dirt into the little ledges and the concrete grout, where it accumulates. I have to wipe it with a towel after scrubbing to lift out the dirt. But it sure looks great!
Wow thank you ao much!!!!. This is the video that I never thought I needed. Your advice is very clear, you explain clearly. And there's something relaxing about cleaning. ❤
I have a 1958 countertop, old, worn out Formica with a metal strip around the edge. Half of the countertop is taken up with a dish drainboard. That leaves an area of about 18 "x 18" for food preparation. I would trade it for any countertop you can name.
I have Corian countertops in my kitchen. It never needs sealing. The coved backsplash and one piece sink make cleaning a breeze. It doesn’t stain and doesn’t get damaged if you set hot pots directly on it
Very smart advice. Some things seem attractive, but they are not decorative, they are functional, and losing so much time and effort is not what most of us want. There is enough objects and materials, which are both pretty and functional. It's like there are acrylic stone counters, which are absolutely lovely at managing them, and there is marble.
I’ve got natural slate tiles in my kitchen. They still look good after 20 years but definitely do require regular cleaning and occasional scrubbing and sealing. I still like them, though. 😊
There is a new grout on the market made by Laticrete. Named: Spectralock 1. It doesn’t fade or mold. It would be better for tile backsplash. Or floors. But I agree tile countertops are a pain. But if you gotta have it I’d use Spectralock 1. It has properties close to commercial epoxy grout. But more user friendly. It comes pre mixed. But that doesn’t mean you can’t stir it. Use a grout paddle on a drill to make it creamy to work easier. Working with it you notice latex build up on the edge of your tools and fingernails! It’s tough to clean off! There’s extra stuff in that grout. It ought to hold up.
I love my black countertops (and black hardwood floors) precisely because they never look clean unless they’re *actually* clean. Oddly enough, it gives me more peace of mind.
i picked a flat bottom kitchen sink seven years ago. i have never regretted it and i fall in love with it all over again every time i have to use someone else's sink. the matte finish helps though, i would never get it if it were shiny (ceramic or stainless) - those drive me crazy, too. so here, now you know one person! 😄
I also love my flat bottom sink. I just clean it when I'm done with dishes. It's exactly the same size as my dishwasher so I know how much will fit all together 😆
@@Madamchief I wondered about that too. But I still wonder because I ve never seen a sink with a non-flat bottom. Except the wash basin in the bathroom. Europe.
My flat bottom sink is the worst mistake we made remodeling our kitchen. I hate it so much! We would have to replace all our quartz to change the sink, but I have checked into it. Nothing wants to go down the drain. I have to keep a squeegee in my sink. It's a RUVATI , with all the accessories and probably the worst $400.00+ we've ever spent.
Great video. First time seeing your channel. Excellent points, plus what I really like is that you don't belabor each point. You just say it and move on.
I have black granite with brownish inclusions that I really like, but I sure recognized those shots of hazy streaking on dark counters. Happens every time I wipe my counters, I have to use a clean cotton towel to buff them away after I clean. It's a little more work, but you get used to it.
We had 4x4 tile countertops in the house I grew up in in the 1960's. It was my job to do the Comet cleanser routine on all of the countertops every three months or so - WHAT a horrible chore! As for the ceiling fans, Harbor Breeze fan blades come off and go back on super easy so you can clean them with Dawn soap which easily takes off all of the gunk. I agree about the black countertops - very impractical! Only keep what you use EVERY DAY on your countertop. I don't like tile floors because of the grout maintenance and because anything breakable that falls on it absolutely breaks every time. No grooves in any table in the house! They're a nightmare to maintain and so are tables with inset glass.
Years ago I worked for a woman who had a ceiling fan and she sat under it watching tv and smoking! Now I work in a house where black and dark green and mirrored doors abound.
Agree. My problem area are slate floors in the kitchen and family rooms. They chip, probably because they need to be sealed more frequently. They are beautiful but not level
i bought my house 7.5 years ago and it had been recently renovated by the previous owners. black countertops and flat bottomed sink. hate them both but don't have the money to change. I'm going to add one that most people will think i'm crazy but gas stove. i can never get the "grills' or the bottom clean enough. i think my next will be a convection stove
Fellow cleaner tuning in for the first time! I can't agree more. 1. Tile countertops ✅ I completely agree and raise you "basically all tile everywhere" 😅. Kitchen countertops are the worst offenders. Followed by shower floors, shower walls, and stove back splashes. Bigger tiles are better than smaller. But they all kinda suck to keep clean. Definitely never *paint* tiles. My house was flipped and they painted the kitchen wall tiles and there are just grease and watermarks everywhere. It's impossible to clean without taking the paint off too. 😭 2. Flat bottom sink ✅ Multiple of my clients have these. The worst is a copper flat bottom sink. It's grungy FOREVER. 3. Ceiling Fans 🤨 I've not encountered a ceiling fan in a kitchen yet. But I can only *imagine * how much of a PITA it would be. Just scrubbing the flat tops of cabinets is so insanely work-intensive. When I remodel, I'd rather have cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling, even if they're empty. The face of a cabinet is easier to clean than the flat top. 4. Black countertops ✅ I agree these look sleek n classy. But unless you're committed to wiping them down every morning and night, they're going to show every crumb. I personally DO wipe my counters twice a day but my clients with black countertops, you can see everything. Dust, crumbs, grease. Speckled brown or gray are the way to go if you're not the most vigilant cleaner. They hide grime. I always fantasized about having a countertop made of the chemically inert black material used in biology and chemistry labs. It seems impervious to damage. 5. Things all over the countertops ✅ YES! My personal counters are completely bare and I can't tell you how much that alone makes them seem clean. Getting a microwave over my stove really changed everything. It helps make it so much easier to wipe down the counters at any time. I've never worked for a client with uncluttered countertops, I pray for the day. 😅 I hear about "appliance garages" a lot which I feel like could possibly split the difference between "empty counter" and "daily appliances accessibility", but have yet to experience them outside of a showroom. 6. Black cupboards ✅ Every client with black cupboards needs to have them be completely smooth/flat *with* handle hardware. I see so much dust on the ones with trim. And so many fingerprints on the ones with no hardware. I'm fastidious but I don't think I could keep up with these in my personal house. 7. Flat gold fixtures 🤷 IMHO, every shiny fixture looks grimey basically immediately. And flat black seems to hide water spots the most. Flat stainless seems OK. 8. Slate tile floors 🤔 I haven't had the displeasure of washing these in kitchens yet, only entryways. They're absolutely terrible to clean. You absolutely *must* vacuum first, then mop. They're like tiles, but the worst kind. That said, I do still like their appearance on entryways. But definitely use a welcome rug. And definitely be prepared to take time cleaning them. I feel like a smooth flat stone of some kind would be just as pretty but less headache. 9. Kitchen table with grooves ✅ FOR REAL. Add to that any surface with grooves or texture or a gap. Wood block countertops make me cringe with how gross they can get. 🎉🎉🎉 Your list is great! Well thought out. I'd add to the kitchen list: 1. Gas stoves, specifically the grates. Get electric or induction smooth top! 2. Hidden trash/recycling cans. This is a catch-22. The cabinet ones are always disgusting. People are sloppy at using them. But not everyone likes looking at their trash bins. And if they're visible, they need to be cleaned to keep up appearances. 3. Floor mounted air vents. If you're doing a remodel, go for wall mounted air vents. So much kitchen food and drinks get spilled in floor vents. 4. On the topic of vents, vents that vent outside are vastly superior to vents that filter and then recirculate inside. Less grease in the house! 5. Any appliance you can't take apart easily to clean. I've seen some offensively dirty kitchen gadgets. Toasters that don't empty, hot water pots that you can't scrub, abused waffle irons.
I love hearing from fellow cleaners! I especially love to hear their thoughts. I encountered my first toaster without a bottom that won't open last week, and I couldn't agree more. We tried so many times to just shake the crumbs out. It didn't do much good. I may have to add some of your ideas to a future video. Thank you!
I have always cleaned my own house, and I agree with all of this. My in laws had a tile countertop when I met my husband. It looked awful. I said no tile in the kitchen or in the shower after that. I’m all for stainless steel appliances. White or black always look dirty.
That's funny because I think stainless always looks dirty. Fingerprints, smears all the time. And you can't just wipe it with a rag, you have to use stainless steel cleaner. Bring back porcelain enamel!
Where we used to live there were those tiny tiles with tons of white grout between in the kitchen and the bathroom, and the shower. It’s very easy for the grease to get stuck there and the mould ti develop. Needs bleaching and cleaning often if you want to keep it nice and clean. I now know not to have that again if I get ti redecorate the current kitchen and bathroom!
I have a brushed chrome faucet in the bathroom and I hate it. There are water stains that simply will not clean off. We bought it because 2 towel racks are brushed chrome and I wanted to match them.
Great video! Thanks so much! (I bought a flat-bottomed bathroom sink because it looked really good, [I'm not usually this dumb] it barely drains! Toothpaste and everything else must be cleaned constantly! Oops.)
what about stainless steel counters and appliances? I grew up with them and they always spotted and had to be polished - maybe they have been improved over the years?
SS shows every single smudge and fingerprint, *even the ones that claim they don't.* The tiniest dent will look like a crater. And they scratch. Easily. Skip it. Skip black, too, for the same reasons. But...if you simply must have SS, wipe WITH THE GRAIN. Don't wipe all over, haphazard, willy nilly, and whatever you do, don't make circles. Go. With. The. Grain.
We remodeled a HUD house and chose gold fixtures in the kitchen and bathrooms. I love them so much. You are correct - they show spots. But in the showers, after EVERY shower, we squeegee all glass and tile and then wipe down everything - including fixtures, with a towel. This eliminates spots. In the kitchen, I wipe frequently, especially around the base of the faucet. I've not encountered any problems there. I've intended to try the wax coating thing, with a candle, but haven't gotten around to it. **What clean product do you recommend for them?*** As for slate floors, we had them in our last house - we put the down ourselves, which was crazy labor intensive, as we had to wash all of the tile before installing it. It does have to be resealed regularly. Otherwise, when you mop, you just mop up slate residue. lol They are beautiful, though.
I would not do the wax trick as this more than likely will just add to the issue. When I comes to cleaning, it is suggested to use white vinegar and water or a soapy water. We like dawn dish soap on stainless steel, we have never used it on a gold fixture though.
Black counters showing more dirt isn't a bad thing for me. I have asthma and I'm allergic to dust so being able to see the dust as soon as it accumulates is useful.
Alright I'm never straying from gray white formica and basic sinks lol. Microfiber mop heads too. I've tried the steam mops but just steam seems gross in an active home. I would end up going over it with a mop and some detergent anyway. Why waste the energy?
When I bought my house last year, it came with tile countertops. They are like the ones you would normally see in a bathroom. The rest of the property made it worth buying the house, but that grout was one of the main things about this kitchen I do not like. It seems that they sealed the grout with something to keep stuff from seeping through, but I also don't like the tile because of the gaps which make rolling dough out more difficult even on top of a rubber mat. Eventually, I plan on fully remodeling the kitchen and those countertops are on my list of things to get rid of. I'll probably also replace the cabinets too because everything is either too high or too low. I wanted some cabinets with fancy grooves on them but someone pointed out difficultly keeping them clean and now I'm wondering what else might work well while still looking stylish. It will be a long time before I can remodel though because there is a wall I'd like to remove as well.
Grooves and fancy embellishments on kitchen cabinets are almost impossible to keep clean. I know from experience. Grease, dust, and any pet hair floating around will get in those grooves. I have to use an old toothbrush to scrub them, and they still don't look 100% clean. One important thing to consider when/if you do replace your lower cabinets is accessibility as you get older or if you are ever disabled. Squatting or kneeling on the floor and bending into the cabinet to reach things isn't a big deal when you're young and healthy, but it becomes a painful chore later in life. If you replace your under-the-counter cabinets with drawers, your future self will be so happy you did :)
@Jamie-h5b Or have the cabinets with drawers IN them. Still have to bend down but at least you're not down on the ground to get something from the back.
IKEA has a nice big one that is reversible and has a stop in the back and a downward facing stop in the front to keep it stable. One side is flat, while the other has a groove around the edge. I love that thing!@@christiner659
Black refrigerators, stoves, and dishwashers are my pet peeve. You can see every fingerprint, streak or spot on them no matter how much you clean them. Also, I can’t stand single basin kitchen sinks or a sink without a sprayer.
If black countertops are so difficult to clean, why do we put them in every lab class in America? What are the lab countertops made out of to give them such durability? I have considered putting them in our remodel.
I don't find keeping my black polished granite worktops (countertops) any more difficult then the laminate we had at home when I was growing up. They were wiped down after every meal and immediately followed with a buffing up with a dry towel while they were still damp. It follows that I thought this was how worktops were kept clean, and when I got the black granite, I used the same technique that I had always used. Since it worked perfectly, I never even considered doing anything different from what I had always done. They are even easier to keep clean than the glass cooking surface on my induction hob - and that is easy! Another dreaded surface is brushed stainless steel. To be honest I have tried more products than I can remember, with not a single one even getting close to what I wanted. In the end I just gave up and wiped it down with a wet cloth with a little washing-up liquid and buffed it up as best as I could. All that I could say was that it was better than easy to stain grout. When my old cotton dishcloths wore out, I replaced them with microfibre ones as I no longer had to worry about them melting (one of the significant advantages with induction) and to my surprise, over a few cleans, the splashback on the wall behind my hob (stove) started to look just like they did in the magazines!
Are they in the kitchen? She was referring to cleaning the kitchen. I have ceiling fans in every room except the kitchen and dining area. I clean the blades every 3 months when I replace my "3 month" air filter.
@@donnahampton3632 yes both kitchen and dining area. and very easy to clean spring, summer, fall and winter. super easy. now we live in a bungalow so maybe that is why it is so easy. we don't have those tall ceilings so many people have today. that would drive me crazy
I’m thinking ones with “sharp” corners that food can glob into. The standard generic stainless type have sort of rounded corners that are easier to clean.
Yes, this confused me since every kitchen sink I’ve ever seen has had a flat bottom (as opposed to what, a rounded bowl? I’ve never seen that in a kitchen setting.) I think it would be more helpful to specify that the problem is sinks where the sides meet the bottom at a 90 degree angle.
Pretty good list, guys. I don't mind my black granite countertops. I find them very easy to clean. Hot soapy water, followed by a dry dishtowel. What's so hard? They do show fingerprints, however. And I have to ask: who the heck puts a ceiling fan in the kitchen? As to gold fixtures, unlacquered brass is the best bet, since Brasso easily cleans it. But other gold finishes, I agree. Hard to keep looking nice. One thing I would add to this list: those faucets that have trough spigots, so the spigot is open on the top. A few days, and you see the hard water stains. Ugly. Also: open shelving. Double ugh.
Both tiled and textured worktops are pet hates, as are textured floorcoverings - my kitchen and bathroom have textured vinyl (rental) and have to be hand scrubbed. Unfortunately my knees don't bend like that these days, so my floors never look as clean as I'd like no matter how long I spend on the them. My partner's parents' kitchen has a lovely tiled worktop, with thick beads of grout in between, and I refuse to use to prepare food on it because it can't be sanitised properly.
If slate floors are hard to keep clean in kitchens, what type of tile-like surface for kitchen floors is easier to keep clean? I will be doing a renovation on my small kitchen soon. It currently has cheap wood floors from the previous owner and I don't think I would ever do kitchen wood floors again because there are so many water sources in the kitchen, including the refrigerator. What types of kitchen floors have you seen in homes that are easier to keep clean? Thanks in advance!
There are many tiles on the market to choose from. Make sure they are a sealed tile that is very hardy. Most importantly, make sure the grout is sealed. We have seen brand new tile floors that the contractor didn't seal, and after just a few short weeks, the grout has already started to darken. I would personally choose a dark grout.
I second her grout color comment. I put travertine in my kitchen 10+ years ago and seriously regret it. I have slate in my entryway. It’s 6 months younger then the travertine do it’s over 10yrs old too. It’s so much easier to sanitize (doggie accidents) and it’s holding up better then every other tile in my house.
We had really good luck with duraceramic tile. Its a tile that gets glued down, is hardy and wears well, is slightly warmer than regular tile, doesn't chip, and...most importantly...doesn't need grout. re-did our basement floors with it years ago and had no regrets.
I will never waste my time worrying about these issues in the kitchen. If my ceiling fans ever look like those in the photos, please call the police! Remember, the (LITS) Life is too short....
I used to have marble floors in my old house. Someone spilled some clear soda when we had people over for a party, we didn't notice until the next day, it etched the marble. Only solution was to pay to polish the floor, which we didn't. Also, marble or travertine counters. Anything acidic, tomato, lemon etc, will eat into them. Folks, there's a reason why Michelangelo used marble to sculpt in, it's very soft. There's actually a statue, I think it's the Pieta, that tourists kiss the foot and it got worn out, rounded, from kissing... Dark floors of any kind and shiny floors. Nightmare to keep clean.
I have not used either brand but similar glass cleaning cloths. I liked it at first, but it was too big of a hassle in the long run. I typically use mine now to help shine up a stainless steel appliance when it is needed.
@ yes I agree about using them for stainless steel. I usually end up cleaning stainless steel with scrubbing bubbles first and going back over with a mystic maid type of cloth. That seems to be the most efficient way to get them as clean and smudge free as possible.
really? I love my stainless steel sinks. we don't get water marks because we dry them down when done with them. are they making them cheaper now, mine are over 50 years old and look great!
I’ve never watched a cleaning video or any video that I agree with this completely. Never choose black furniture, appliances, cars or even pets! The maintenance that goes into keeping black countertops dust free is exhausting. If you have a black dog at the same time you will go insane.
In most cases, I agree. I have some black bookshelves and HATE them. But countertops, IMO, are different. There's no chance for them to get dusty since I clean my countertops daily. You have to in a kitchen. I love my black granite countertops.
I find it interesting that people won’t have something in the house because “it shows the dirt.” Hey, the dirt is there anyway, whether you have black, white, smooth, rough, whatever. The DIRT. IS. THERE. Anyway. So you are basically saying, I don’t care if the dirt is there, as long as i can’t see it. Of course I do get it that rough sawn shelves are going to be harder to clean than smooth ones, and i get it that grout collects more grime. But otherwise, white floors don’t get any dirtier than grey ones, they just show it more.
Agreed. Basically, if a surface "doesn't show dirt," that's because it always looks dirty or dingy even when it's clean. Not a recommendation on my book!
Gonna have to debunk the matte black counter thing, they're far worse than non matte options. Always looks dusty and catches everything, especially if they have texture. Everything doesn't always have to have a perfect streak free shine, as long as it's clean.
I have white cabinets…with black granite…worst of both worlds…came with the condo; you need to clean both of these every single day!!! White shows everything just like black cabinets…and counters show even tiny crumbs or anything else. Also Stainless Steel appliances, all of which easily stain, hold fingerprints, etc.I am tired of this at 73 y.o. Designers are clueless about everyday life.
I hate stainless steel appliances. I can never get them completely clean. I never had that problem with my white or avocado green (shows my age!) ones. Thank goodness we have a white washer and dryer!
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
It’s probably not fashionable these days and possibly not even available, but I love counter tops with a slight rolled, elevated outside edge. It has saved many floor cleanings over the years.
Oh I think those are beautiful! Possibly because it seems they are in higher end homes, the tiles are usually gorgeous.
Yeah my dad has a very vintage cast iron sink with drying grooves with that bullnose edge you're talking about. Literally the sink and counter are all one single continuous piece. It's envious.
I'm taking notes. Thank you! Would you make a video about the things that you actually like in your home? Things that make a house easy to maintain. That would really help.
Thanks for this... you brought up points I've never thought of. One thing I learned when my kids were little is if you use a plastic tablecloth and spill it will roll over the table to the other side. If you put an inexpensive washable tablecloth over the plastic one the spill can usually be sopped up before it gets to the other side and put right into the washer.
Been living 50+ years, with 2 kinds of countertop experience. Formica is the best. Rock-solid surface that does not damage easily at all, still easy to clean, and doesn’t damage the OTHER THINGS PLACED ON IT. You cannot act quickly on granite, it might shatter the thing you drop down. It can also break YOU if you fall on it. Worried about that with out son as he got tall enough to accidentally run into it or even walk under the “bar” feature. Also, you cannot easily modify granite at all! We had a large 2-side sink I hated (that’s another issue), and finally replaced it. Luckily they make huge single basins we could drop in there. If we had to put in a smaller one how easily would we fill in the opening? Likewise, if you want the larger sink, how do you open it up? Contractor, period. Handyman husband couldn’t do it. No, I’ll take Formica any day. People just think it’s old-fashioned but my parents house had it for 50+ years, 2 different eras (last is 20 years old) and it is more than adequate, and doesn’t have that grout issue of the tile (really old-fashioned) either. Things go in cycles, anyway. Being prejudiced because it’s old doesn’t fly much with me.
YES about the sizing issues. Our new oven was a tad wider than the old one (even though the dimensions were in theory the same) and my husband had to borrow a special saw from someone to cut a sliver off the granite on one side. Needless to say it was a pain in the rear to deal with.
Formica is my favorite, too. 🥰
I'm also on team Formica!
Butcher block all the way!!
@@YeshuaKingMessiah Nah - as this film states, too much potential long-term trouble due to having to clean and oil those micro-fissure surfaces. I like them generally, but the effort to prevent real problems is too prevalent for a primary surface.
Let me add tile floors with white grout. My Mom installed it and I got to clean it on hands and knees with a scrub brush growing up. My current kitchen came with super wide, bright white grout and really only looks good after hand scrubbing.
Next time, after cleaning it, seal it with grout sealer.
@ Yes, I have scrubbed, rinsed, and then sealed the grout multiple times. Still think white grout in kitchens is only choosen by someone who has never had to keep it clean.
You can stain the grout darker. Much cheaper than replacing the tile
I also had a parent that forced me to clean the grout in their kitchen floor; the bad memories mean I will never want white grout in the kitchen ever.
I’m a cleaner. I can’t stand butcher block counters in the kitchen or bathroom. Also roughly cut wood shelves. It looks nice, but It doesn’t ever feel sanitized.
I ADORE my butcher block counter tops. To each his own!
Wood also smells unless it's got polyurethane on it.
Why wouldn’t countertops be finished if wood??
wood is antimicrobial tho
@@money-ay wood will be poly-ed
You know how great-grandma kept her tile counter so nice? Her 'real' kitchen was in the garage.
Or the back porch.
😂😂😂😂
We inherited a black granite countertop when we bought this house. It is the bane of my life!!
carpet in the bathroom or kitchen. Lived in a place that had carpet in the bathroom- what a terrible idea.
Right? So disgusting.
Yeah, terrible idea.
😮😮😮😮😮😮
Add dining room to your list. Ewe.
OMG, I saw the title of this video and the first thing that crossed my mind was tile counter tops!
Same! Definitely regret my tile counter tops.
I have a flat-bottom stainless sink with rounded corners and a spring sprayer faucet. It’s all fantastic.
Same! The key are the rounded corners.
Same!
My friend was renting and her countertop was a mess... everything was out of her budget. I suggested something called porcelanato, is a ceramic tile that comes in larger sizes, with 4 tiles she cover the counter top surface with only 3 lines of grout. Porcelanato absorption level is nearly 0 making it high mechanical resistant. It's usually used on office buildings foyers.
And because she needed 4 of them, she bought a damage box at retail price.
Agree on the black surfaces and might add stainless steel and fingerprints
There's also a grout sealer that makes the grout waterproof.
@@zyxw2000 Yes, but the grout needs to be regularly resealed and it's a pain in the butt. My parents have a tiled kitchen- the larger your kitchen, the bigger pain in the butt.
I purchased a tiled coffee table. It's great bc I never have to worry about water rings or placing hot beverages on it. It's brilliant.
I also think tiled tables can be great.
We used to have one.
Unfortunately it is gone because of fashion. 🙄
I had one too, so sturdy and you didn't have to worry about anything on it.
Tile for a table is fine. Just not for a counter where you are preparing food.
Awesome public service announcement, thank you.
1. Tile Countertops
2. Sink with sharp corner where sides meet bottom
3. Ceiling Fan
4. Black Countertops
5. Things all over the countertop
6. Black Backsplash
7. Flat gold fixtures
8. Slate tile floor
9. Table with cracks/grooves
Honestly, I hate when people do what you've done.
Maybe you think you're doing a favor to watchers, but moreover, you're doing a huge disservice to content creators who rely in views of the WHOLE video to get earnings from it.
Thank you, I appreciate this. 😉
We just bought a dining set and I was blown away by how many tables had deep grooves. Honestly, I feel like so many designers do use their own products and then tell people to give over their money on regrettable items.
I'm a professional cleaner as well. For black countertops, a water and rubbing alcohol mixture works great. I've never had streaking. In a normal sized spray bottle I fill it about ⅔ with water, add about ½ a cup of alcohol, and a capful of me. Clean multi surface cleaner but you could also just use a very small drop of dawn. You can use up to 50% rubbing alcohol to 50% water, but I find that I don't need that much.
Thank you, we will have to try that.
Have you tried Dawn power wash? I ask bc it's soap, water, and alcohol all premixed.
@g0d5m15t4k3 love dawn pawerwash but I think the ratios are what's important. Powerwash is a lot of soap
Thanks for the tip about flat bottom sinks.
I moved into a brand new apt this year and it has a flat-bottomed stainless steel kitchen sink which I have never seen in all my years of renting. I hate it. Plus the steel is not brushed and looks very cheap. We have hard water and the spots are horrible. Re: black countertops, in the late 70's my parents bought an old house and my mother had black countertops installed that had the texture of slate tile. I baked a pie from scratch and the flour clean-up was horrible. She never made that mistake again.
I never give unsolicited advice to my clients, but when they ask what makes my job easier I tell them that the more things I have to move to clean, the less time I spend doing actual cleaning. In several of the homes I clean, moving their stuff doubles the time to clean the room. Especially in kitchens and bathrooms.
I give this advice freely and often to people with housekeepers who are not my clients.
I agree! According to a comment someone made, that makes us lazy, lol. It is not just moving it is also pucking things up or dirty dishes left in the sink. I love hearing from other cleaners, and reading their comment. Thank you!
I do have a ceiling fan in the kitchen, and yes 4 times a year , I clean them. ❤
My condolences
Flat bottom sinks are easier to live with if you unvest in a sprayer nozzle on your faucet.
I have the spring sprayer and it’s great.
It doesn’t go down the drain
It needs to be slightly sloped twd the drain
And don’t put scraps in the sink to start with. I have lived in three different houses without a garbage disposal, over the last 30-plus years. So I am in the habit of putting scraps in either my compost container or the trash can. Not in the sink.
I interited a dinning table that had two leaves and a vinyl pad cut tot he shape to be used under a table cloth. Expanted it can seat 12! without the leaves about 4-6 depending on width of chairs. The firm pad could be used to put hot serving ware on! The table top was wood grained FORMICA! you can scrub it, clean it and the rest of the table rounded edges, sides, legs were all maple to match. My grandmother got it in the 1960's and it is still fantastic today. I am planning to paint the wood black and keep the dark brown top. It will still be so fresh. What a brilliant idea, but of course not practical for sales... since it has lasted 60+ years so far. Thanks Grandma.
Yes hate grout!
Why was the heat resistant top made of?
Murphys oil soap makes facets shine like crazy!!
After traveling through Europe and seeing the products they use in the bath/shower areas, my husband and I used a Norwegian laminated, waterproof panel system in our bathrooms when we remodeled. No grout or mold, no water spotting, these panels are wonderful. The only problem we have had is finding contractors who know how to install them. Our son-in-law did the bathrooms in our first house and he did a fantastic job. It’s been harder to find someone to do the work at our current home.
The good news that big box stores like Home Depot are starting to sell a similar product We had to import ours). It is well worth any extra expense to not have to clean the bath or shower.
Yes, popular in the UK. Easy to buy and fit yourself here.
@@vanessaeden8174 Ditto here in Australia.
I’ve had ceiling fans in my last 3 homes and have never had issues with cleaning them every few months. Only takes a step stool for the one I have now, a spray bottle of cleaner and some rags. Less than 10 minutes. My two fans in our 2.5 story and 2 story rooms take a tall ladder twice a year. And I have forced air heat, air and 2 cats.
Yeah but *specifically in the kitchen*. Have you cleaned your kitchen cabinet tops? 😂
I don't have any of these things, thankfully! However, I did have a slate floor in my kitchen. I absolutely loved it and everyone who came over always commented how great it looked. And it did - but finding the right cleaning products took years or trial and error. The flat microfiber pad type of mop was the only product that stood the test of time against those rough surfaces. Nothing cleaned the grout - even the Crosswave or any other wet wash/vac system. The only thing that worked was hands/knees/with a toothbrush - wiping with a towel after every tile. The products for sealing were excellent when I first put the floor in - and made easy work of cleaning. But that was 25 years ago. About 10 years ago they started changing the formulas and nothing kept the slate and grout sealed properly and for longer than a few months. But the look was better than anything I have come across - so I probably would do it again if I had to do it over again.
Amen. I have a natural flagstone kitchen floor with wide grout lines, and mopping just pushes the dirt into the little ledges and the concrete grout, where it accumulates. I have to wipe it with a towel after scrubbing to lift out the dirt. But it sure looks great!
Wow thank you ao much!!!!. This is the video that I never thought I needed. Your advice is very clear, you explain clearly. And there's something relaxing about cleaning. ❤
I have a 1958 countertop, old, worn out Formica with a metal strip around the edge. Half of the countertop is taken up with a dish drainboard. That leaves an area of about 18 "x 18" for food preparation. I would trade it for any countertop you can name.
I would go with granite any day.
Me too! Never replacing if I can prevent it ❤❤
@@CleaningtheECway It's a rental apartment :-( Other than the kitchen, it's wonderful, with large spacious rooms.
I have Corian countertops in my kitchen. It never needs sealing. The coved backsplash and one piece sink make cleaning a breeze. It doesn’t stain and doesn’t get damaged if you set hot pots directly on it
Corian.
Youbhave very wise words with knowledge. I agree with all of your warnings!
My soapstone doesn’t do what you are saying. I love them.
Thanks its so usefull specially if someone is going through renovations or buying a house
I had a flat bottom sink and absolutely hated it. I had a sprayer too. Mold would grow in the corners and a total pain to rinse out.
I had a coffee table with grooves. I gave it away after a short while. The dirt in the grooves drove me crazy.
Very smart advice. Some things seem attractive, but they are not decorative, they are functional, and losing so much time and effort is not what most of us want. There is enough objects and materials, which are both pretty and functional.
It's like there are acrylic stone counters, which are absolutely lovely at managing them, and there is marble.
I’ve got natural slate tiles in my kitchen. They still look good after 20 years but definitely do require regular cleaning and occasional scrubbing and sealing. I still like them, though. 😊
There is a new grout on the market made by Laticrete.
Named: Spectralock 1.
It doesn’t fade or mold.
It would be better for tile backsplash. Or floors.
But I agree tile countertops are a pain.
But if you gotta have it I’d use Spectralock 1.
It has properties close to commercial epoxy grout. But more user friendly. It comes pre mixed. But that doesn’t mean you can’t stir it.
Use a grout paddle on a drill to make it creamy to work easier.
Working with it you notice latex build up on the edge of your tools and fingernails! It’s tough to clean off!
There’s extra stuff in that grout. It ought to hold up.
I love my black countertops (and black hardwood floors) precisely because they never look clean unless they’re *actually* clean. Oddly enough, it gives me more peace of mind.
Streaks doesn't mean it's not clean.
i picked a flat bottom kitchen sink seven years ago. i have never regretted it and i fall in love with it all over again every time i have to use someone else's sink. the matte finish helps though, i would never get it if it were shiny (ceramic or stainless) - those drive me crazy, too. so here, now you know one person! 😄
I also love my flat bottom sink. I just clean it when I'm done with dishes. It's exactly the same size as my dishwasher so I know how much will fit all together 😆
What is a flat bottom sink?
@@libbyreed8588 instead of a rounded sink that drains by gravity. You can set a glass in the bottom of the flat one and it doesn't tip over
I love mine too and wouldn’t change it for the world.
@@Madamchief I wondered about that too. But I still wonder because I ve never seen a sink with a non-flat bottom. Except the wash basin in the bathroom. Europe.
I need this for a bathroom or at least a tiny home edition. Taking in all the info I can get
I would add dark floors, tiles or any other material.Every little bit of dust or hair is visible on dark floors
Yes!
So helpful. ❤
My flat bottom sink is the worst mistake we made remodeling our kitchen. I hate it so much! We would have to replace all our quartz to change the sink, but I have checked into it. Nothing wants to go down the drain. I have to keep a squeegee in my sink. It's a RUVATI , with all the accessories and probably the worst $400.00+ we've ever spent.
Same here. Never again!
Are the flat bottom sinks with really tight boxy corners what you mean? If so, those are the biggest pains to clean.
Yes.
Great video. First time seeing your channel. Excellent points, plus what I really like is that you don't belabor each point. You just say it and move on.
New sub. Thank you!!!
I have black granite with brownish inclusions that I really like, but I sure recognized those shots of hazy streaking on dark counters. Happens every time I wipe my counters, I have to use a clean cotton towel to buff them away after I clean. It's a little more work, but you get used to it.
Buy a granite spray cleaner . No more smears
We had 4x4 tile countertops in the house I grew up in in the 1960's. It was my job to do the Comet cleanser routine on all of the countertops every three months or so - WHAT a horrible chore! As for the ceiling fans, Harbor Breeze fan blades come off and go back on super easy so you can clean them with Dawn soap which easily takes off all of the gunk. I agree about the black countertops - very impractical! Only keep what you use EVERY DAY on your countertop. I don't like tile floors because of the grout maintenance and because anything breakable that falls on it absolutely breaks every time. No grooves in any table in the house! They're a nightmare to maintain and so are tables with inset glass.
Years ago I worked for a woman who had a ceiling fan and she sat under it watching tv and smoking! Now I work in a house where black and dark green and mirrored doors abound.
Agree. My problem area are slate floors in the kitchen and family rooms. They chip, probably because they need to be sealed more frequently. They are beautiful but not level
i bought my house 7.5 years ago and it had been recently renovated by the previous owners. black countertops and flat bottomed sink. hate them both but don't have the money to change.
I'm going to add one that most people will think i'm crazy but gas stove. i can never get the "grills' or the bottom clean enough. i think my next will be a convection stove
I don't think you're crazy. Flat cooktops are far easier to clean.
Fellow cleaner tuning in for the first time! I can't agree more.
1. Tile countertops ✅ I completely agree and raise you "basically all tile everywhere" 😅. Kitchen countertops are the worst offenders. Followed by shower floors, shower walls, and stove back splashes. Bigger tiles are better than smaller. But they all kinda suck to keep clean. Definitely never *paint* tiles. My house was flipped and they painted the kitchen wall tiles and there are just grease and watermarks everywhere. It's impossible to clean without taking the paint off too. 😭
2. Flat bottom sink ✅ Multiple of my clients have these. The worst is a copper flat bottom sink. It's grungy FOREVER.
3. Ceiling Fans 🤨 I've not encountered a ceiling fan in a kitchen yet. But I can only *imagine * how much of a PITA it would be. Just scrubbing the flat tops of cabinets is so insanely work-intensive. When I remodel, I'd rather have cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling, even if they're empty. The face of a cabinet is easier to clean than the flat top.
4. Black countertops ✅ I agree these look sleek n classy. But unless you're committed to wiping them down every morning and night, they're going to show every crumb. I personally DO wipe my counters twice a day but my clients with black countertops, you can see everything. Dust, crumbs, grease. Speckled brown or gray are the way to go if you're not the most vigilant cleaner. They hide grime. I always fantasized about having a countertop made of the chemically inert black material used in biology and chemistry labs. It seems impervious to damage.
5. Things all over the countertops ✅ YES! My personal counters are completely bare and I can't tell you how much that alone makes them seem clean. Getting a microwave over my stove really changed everything. It helps make it so much easier to wipe down the counters at any time. I've never worked for a client with uncluttered countertops, I pray for the day. 😅 I hear about "appliance garages" a lot which I feel like could possibly split the difference between "empty counter" and "daily appliances accessibility", but have yet to experience them outside of a showroom.
6. Black cupboards ✅ Every client with black cupboards needs to have them be completely smooth/flat *with* handle hardware. I see so much dust on the ones with trim. And so many fingerprints on the ones with no hardware. I'm fastidious but I don't think I could keep up with these in my personal house.
7. Flat gold fixtures 🤷 IMHO, every shiny fixture looks grimey basically immediately. And flat black seems to hide water spots the most. Flat stainless seems OK.
8. Slate tile floors 🤔 I haven't had the displeasure of washing these in kitchens yet, only entryways. They're absolutely terrible to clean. You absolutely *must* vacuum first, then mop. They're like tiles, but the worst kind. That said, I do still like their appearance on entryways. But definitely use a welcome rug. And definitely be prepared to take time cleaning them. I feel like a smooth flat stone of some kind would be just as pretty but less headache.
9. Kitchen table with grooves ✅ FOR REAL. Add to that any surface with grooves or texture or a gap. Wood block countertops make me cringe with how gross they can get.
🎉🎉🎉
Your list is great! Well thought out. I'd add to the kitchen list:
1. Gas stoves, specifically the grates. Get electric or induction smooth top!
2. Hidden trash/recycling cans. This is a catch-22. The cabinet ones are always disgusting. People are sloppy at using them. But not everyone likes looking at their trash bins. And if they're visible, they need to be cleaned to keep up appearances.
3. Floor mounted air vents. If you're doing a remodel, go for wall mounted air vents. So much kitchen food and drinks get spilled in floor vents.
4. On the topic of vents, vents that vent outside are vastly superior to vents that filter and then recirculate inside. Less grease in the house!
5. Any appliance you can't take apart easily to clean. I've seen some offensively dirty kitchen gadgets. Toasters that don't empty, hot water pots that you can't scrub, abused waffle irons.
I love hearing from fellow cleaners! I especially love to hear their thoughts. I encountered my first toaster without a bottom that won't open last week, and I couldn't agree more. We tried so many times to just shake the crumbs out. It didn't do much good. I may have to add some of your ideas to a future video. Thank you!
Excellent ! Thank you!❤❤
I have always cleaned my own house, and I agree with all of this. My in laws had a tile countertop when I met my husband. It looked awful. I said no tile in the kitchen or in the shower after that. I’m all for stainless steel appliances. White or black always look dirty.
Love my older black appliances and they always look clean and shiny.
That's funny because I think stainless always looks dirty. Fingerprints, smears all the time. And you can't just wipe it with a rag, you have to use stainless steel cleaner. Bring back porcelain enamel!
Where we used to live there were those tiny tiles with tons of white grout between in the kitchen and the bathroom, and the shower. It’s very easy for the grease to get stuck there and the mould ti develop. Needs bleaching and cleaning often if you want to keep it nice and clean. I now know not to have that again if I get ti redecorate the current kitchen and bathroom!
Mosaic tiles in floors is done for safety. Large format tiles in the toilet are dangerously slippery. Get rid of them or put a runner on them.
EXCELLENT video!!!!🌸
I have a brushed chrome faucet in the bathroom and I hate it. There are water stains that simply will not clean off. We bought it because 2 towel racks are brushed chrome and I wanted to match them.
I agree with everything you said!
Great video! Thanks so much! (I bought a flat-bottomed bathroom sink because it looked really good, [I'm not usually this dumb] it barely drains! Toothpaste and everything else must be cleaned constantly! Oops.)
what about stainless steel counters and appliances? I grew up with them and they always spotted and had to be polished - maybe they have been improved over the years?
If we were to choose, we would go with fingerless stainless steel.
SS shows every single smudge and fingerprint, *even the ones that claim they don't.* The tiniest dent will look like a crater. And they scratch. Easily. Skip it.
Skip black, too, for the same reasons.
But...if you simply must have SS, wipe WITH THE GRAIN. Don't wipe all over, haphazard, willy nilly, and whatever you do, don't make circles. Go. With. The. Grain.
I have stainless steel. I use a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol. Cleans it perfectly in a split second.
No, they still suck.
@@user-ii3vn8tn3q Rubbing alcohol is flammable. That seems problematic in a kitchen.
I concur with the tile in the kitchen, especially if the grout is white.
Use a steamer with a brush attachment to clean and sterilize counter tile grout or bathroom grout.
We remodeled a HUD house and chose gold fixtures in the kitchen and bathrooms. I love them so much. You are correct - they show spots. But in the showers, after EVERY shower, we squeegee all glass and tile and then wipe down everything - including fixtures, with a towel. This eliminates spots. In the kitchen, I wipe frequently, especially around the base of the faucet. I've not encountered any problems there. I've intended to try the wax coating thing, with a candle, but haven't gotten around to it. **What clean product do you recommend for them?*** As for slate floors, we had them in our last house - we put the down ourselves, which was crazy labor intensive, as we had to wash all of the tile before installing it. It does have to be resealed regularly. Otherwise, when you mop, you just mop up slate residue. lol They are beautiful, though.
I would not do the wax trick as this more than likely will just add to the issue. When I comes to cleaning, it is suggested to use white vinegar and water or a soapy water. We like dawn dish soap on stainless steel, we have never used it on a gold fixture though.
@@CleaningtheECway Is white vinegar and water what you use?
Great video! Thank you!
Thank you so much for your video.
Square bathroom ceramic sinks. Brushed stainless steel fridges.
Black counters showing more dirt isn't a bad thing for me. I have asthma and I'm allergic to dust so being able to see the dust as soon as it accumulates is useful.
Im going with black worktops in my kitchen but not shiny finish. This video was helpful when im thinking about what i want in my kitchen. Thanks.
Alright I'm never straying from gray white formica and basic sinks lol. Microfiber mop heads too. I've tried the steam mops but just steam seems gross in an active home. I would end up going over it with a mop and some detergent anyway. Why waste the energy?
Thank you
When I bought my house last year, it came with tile countertops. They are like the ones you would normally see in a bathroom. The rest of the property made it worth buying the house, but that grout was one of the main things about this kitchen I do not like. It seems that they sealed the grout with something to keep stuff from seeping through, but I also don't like the tile because of the gaps which make rolling dough out more difficult even on top of a rubber mat.
Eventually, I plan on fully remodeling the kitchen and those countertops are on my list of things to get rid of. I'll probably also replace the cabinets too because everything is either too high or too low. I wanted some cabinets with fancy grooves on them but someone pointed out difficultly keeping them clean and now I'm wondering what else might work well while still looking stylish.
It will be a long time before I can remodel though because there is a wall I'd like to remove as well.
Grooves and fancy embellishments on kitchen cabinets are almost impossible to keep clean. I know from experience.
Grease, dust, and any pet hair floating around will get in those grooves. I have to use an old toothbrush to scrub them, and they still don't look 100% clean.
One important thing to consider when/if you do replace your lower cabinets is accessibility as you get older or if you are ever disabled.
Squatting or kneeling on the floor and bending into the cabinet to reach things isn't a big deal when you're young and healthy, but it becomes a painful chore later in life. If you replace your under-the-counter cabinets with drawers, your future self will be so happy you did :)
@Jamie-h5b
Or have the cabinets with drawers IN them. Still have to bend down but at least you're not down on the ground to get something from the back.
I roll out on a huge cutting board- mom always did that.
IKEA has a nice big one that is reversible and has a stop in the back and a downward facing stop in the front to keep it stable. One side is flat, while the other has a groove around the edge. I love that thing!@@christiner659
I agree with every one of these.
I have always found the flat bottom is helpful in keeping the food out of my drain as the garbage disposal is not a feature I want in my home.
Thanks
Black refrigerators, stoves, and dishwashers are my pet peeve. You can see every fingerprint, streak or spot on them no matter how much you clean them.
Also, I can’t stand single basin kitchen sinks or a sink without a sprayer.
If black countertops are so difficult to clean, why do we put them in every lab class in America?
What are the lab countertops made out of to give them such durability?
I have considered putting them in our remodel.
soapstone
Black countertops show streak, so they require more work to ensure they look clean.
I don't find keeping my black polished granite worktops (countertops) any more difficult then the laminate we had at home when I was growing up.
They were wiped down after every meal and immediately followed with a buffing up with a dry towel while they were still damp.
It follows that I thought this was how worktops were kept clean, and when I got the black granite, I used the same technique that I had always used. Since it worked perfectly, I never even considered doing anything different from what I had always done. They are even easier to keep clean than the glass cooking surface on my induction hob - and that is easy!
Another dreaded surface is brushed stainless steel. To be honest I have tried more products than I can remember, with not a single one even getting close to what I wanted. In the end I just gave up and wiped it down with a wet cloth with a little washing-up liquid and buffed it up as best as I could. All that I could say was that it was better than easy to stain grout.
When my old cotton dishcloths wore out, I replaced them with microfibre ones as I no longer had to worry about them melting (one of the significant advantages with induction) and to my surprise, over a few cleans, the splashback on the wall behind my hob (stove) started to look just like they did in the magazines!
we like our ceiling fans and only have to clean them seasonally not a big issue for us. everything else i agree with.
Are they in the kitchen?
She was referring to cleaning the kitchen.
I have ceiling fans in every room except the kitchen and dining area.
I clean the blades every 3 months when I replace my "3 month" air filter.
@@donnahampton3632 yes both kitchen and dining area. and very easy to clean spring, summer, fall and winter. super easy. now we live in a bungalow so maybe that is why it is so easy. we don't have those tall ceilings so many people have today. that would drive me crazy
What is a flat bottom sink?
I’m thinking ones with “sharp” corners that food can glob into. The standard generic stainless type have sort of rounded corners that are easier to clean.
Yes, this confused me since every kitchen sink I’ve ever seen has had a flat bottom (as opposed to what, a rounded bowl? I’ve never seen that in a kitchen setting.) I think it would be more helpful to specify that the problem is sinks where the sides meet the bottom at a 90 degree angle.
Pretty good list, guys. I don't mind my black granite countertops. I find them very easy to clean. Hot soapy water, followed by a dry dishtowel. What's so hard? They do show fingerprints, however. And I have to ask: who the heck puts a ceiling fan in the kitchen? As to gold fixtures, unlacquered brass is the best bet, since Brasso easily cleans it. But other gold finishes, I agree. Hard to keep looking nice. One thing I would add to this list: those faucets that have trough spigots, so the spigot is open on the top. A few days, and you see the hard water stains. Ugly. Also: open shelving. Double ugh.
What's the opposite of flat bottom sink?
The sides and the bottom have a slight curve. This allows the water to easily go down the drain.
@CleaningtheECway ah ok! Thank you!
Both tiled and textured worktops are pet hates, as are textured floorcoverings - my kitchen and bathroom have textured vinyl (rental) and have to be hand scrubbed. Unfortunately my knees don't bend like that these days, so my floors never look as clean as I'd like no matter how long I spend on the them. My partner's parents' kitchen has a lovely tiled worktop, with thick beads of grout in between, and I refuse to use to prepare food on it because it can't be sanitised properly.
My cupboards are navy and with all the work ive had done inc putting in the said kitchen, they do get very dusty
We rented a flat once with a fake slate kitchen floor, complete with ridges and uneven texture. It was awful to clean, and always looked filthy.
If slate floors are hard to keep clean in kitchens, what type of tile-like surface for kitchen floors is easier to keep clean? I will be doing a renovation on my small kitchen soon. It currently has cheap wood floors from the previous owner and I don't think I would ever do kitchen wood floors again because there are so many water sources in the kitchen, including the refrigerator. What types of kitchen floors have you seen in homes that are easier to keep clean? Thanks in advance!
There are many tiles on the market to choose from. Make sure they are a sealed tile that is very hardy. Most importantly, make sure the grout is sealed. We have seen brand new tile floors that the contractor didn't seal, and after just a few short weeks, the grout has already started to darken. I would personally choose a dark grout.
I second her grout color comment.
I put travertine in my kitchen 10+ years ago and seriously regret it.
I have slate in my entryway. It’s 6 months younger then the travertine do it’s over 10yrs old too. It’s so much easier to sanitize (doggie accidents) and it’s holding up better then every other tile in my house.
@@CleaningtheECway Thanks so much for the info!
We had really good luck with duraceramic tile. Its a tile that gets glued down, is hardy and wears well, is slightly warmer than regular tile, doesn't chip, and...most importantly...doesn't need grout. re-did our basement floors with it years ago and had no regrets.
@@aceofspades9503 Thank you for the suggestion. I'll look into duracerramic tile!
I will never waste my time worrying about these issues in the kitchen. If my ceiling fans ever look like those in the photos, please call the police! Remember, the (LITS)
Life is too short....
lol just shuddering at every mention of ‘flat bottom sink’
I used to have marble floors in my old house. Someone spilled some clear soda when we had people over for a party, we didn't notice until the next day, it etched the marble. Only solution was to pay to polish the floor, which we didn't. Also, marble or travertine counters. Anything acidic, tomato, lemon etc, will eat into them. Folks, there's a reason why Michelangelo used marble to sculpt in, it's very soft. There's actually a statue, I think it's the Pieta, that tourists kiss the foot and it got worn out, rounded, from kissing...
Dark floors of any kind and shiny floors. Nightmare to keep clean.
Has anybody used mystic maid cloths, and or Norweck cloths? If so, which do you prefer?
I have not used either brand but similar glass cleaning cloths. I liked it at first, but it was too big of a hassle in the long run. I typically use mine now to help shine up a stainless steel appliance when it is needed.
@ yes I agree about using them for stainless steel. I usually end up cleaning stainless steel with scrubbing bubbles first and going back over with a mystic maid type of cloth. That seems to be the most efficient way to get them as clean and smudge free as possible.
Stainless steel sinks: impossible to keep looking clean, always spotted with water marks.
Good tip!
Would you rather go back to the old white porcelain ones?
@@zyxw2000 YES
@@zyxw2000I would. Hate the "stainless" sink. It rusts!
really? I love my stainless steel sinks. we don't get water marks because we dry them down when done with them. are they making them cheaper now, mine are over 50 years old and look great!
Black countertops hide mouse dumplings
Become a minimalist. Totally clear countertops and sparsely filled cabinets and drawers will change your life.
I have never seen a ceiling fan in a kitchen. That has to be a DIY thing.
Toaster ovens.
My number one pet hate, is grout... arrgghhh.
I’ve never watched a cleaning video or any video that I agree with this completely. Never choose black furniture, appliances, cars or even pets! The maintenance that goes into keeping black countertops dust free is exhausting. If you have a black dog at the same time you will go insane.
In most cases, I agree. I have some black bookshelves and HATE them. But countertops, IMO, are different. There's no chance for them to get dusty since I clean my countertops daily. You have to in a kitchen. I love my black granite countertops.
A tile floor is terrible. It's so hard to stand on for hours that you'll definitely regret it as you get older!
I find it interesting that people won’t have something in the house because “it shows the dirt.” Hey, the dirt is there anyway, whether you have black, white, smooth, rough, whatever. The DIRT. IS. THERE. Anyway. So you are basically saying, I don’t care if the dirt is there, as long as i can’t see it. Of course I do get it that rough sawn shelves are going to be harder to clean than smooth ones, and i get it that grout collects more grime. But otherwise, white floors don’t get any dirtier than grey ones, they just show it more.
Agreed. Basically, if a surface "doesn't show dirt," that's because it always looks dirty or dingy even when it's clean. Not a recommendation on my book!
Gonna have to debunk the matte black counter thing, they're far worse than non matte options. Always looks dusty and catches everything, especially if they have texture. Everything doesn't always have to have a perfect streak free shine, as long as it's clean.
I have white cabinets…with black granite…worst of both worlds…came with the condo; you need to clean both of these every single day!!! White shows everything just like black cabinets…and counters show even tiny crumbs or anything else.
Also Stainless Steel appliances, all of which easily stain, hold fingerprints, etc.I am tired of this at 73 y.o. Designers are clueless about everyday life.
I hate stainless steel appliances. I can never get them completely clean. I never had that problem with my white or avocado green (shows my age!) ones. Thank goodness we have a white washer and dryer!
Just wondering...why wouldn't you clean your countertops every day? If you cook at all, you need to.