The latest trend in indoor and outdoor furniture design elements, epoxy resin, is quickly becoming the material to use – and for a good reason. The material itself is durable, moisture & flame-resistant and is pretty tolerant to a variety of chemical spills and reactions. It makes it a perfect material for harsh laboratory settings and the labs that handle various chemicals and potential fires. However, like every other material out there, epoxy resin isn’t self-cleaning, and to keep it “in good health” you need to know the basics of how to clean and maintain epoxy resin surfaces.
A clean lab is a safe lab, and to make sure your epoxy resin countertops last long, learn the following cleaning tricks:
Don’t Use Abrasives
Cleaning your epoxy resin countertops with abrasives is the first No-No rule of epoxy resin countertop maintenance. Forget all about scouring pads and all-purpose cleaners as they’ll only dull the surface of the countertops and leave you with a damaged, weird-looking countertop surface you’ll have to replace soon after. Further, avoid polishes that contain wax or wax itself.
Don’t Use Alcohol
Some people believe alcohol is the best disinfectant for anything and everything. Unfortunately, when it comes to cleaning epoxy resin countertops, you can only use alcohol to clean off any epoxy resin from any surface. So, don’t use it.
Opt For the Right Type of Cleaner
Most of the non-abrasive household cleaners mixed with some mild dish soap and water will do the trick for most epoxy resin countertops. To maintain the epoxy resin surface in its best shape, use mineral or Murphy’s Oil conservatively for weekly or monthly cleaning. Avoid using too much of it as it’ll cause the surface to go dull and hazy. In the event of a significant spill, use acetone or paint thinner to clean the surface and make sure that the surface is super clean and safe for future use.
Use the Recommended Type of Cloth
Don’t wait until accidental spills and leaks have soaked into the surface of your countertop and then move heaven and earth to clean it – do some damage control and clean any stains you spot immediately! A towel or a rag will do just fine, as will a chamois cloth as well. These types of fabric are gentle to the surface and highly absorbent.
Steam Cleaning Is Okay
When applying the mix of water and heat on your epoxy resin, you’ll see no damage made to the surface; if anything, they loosen the stain structure, making it easy to wipe off. You can use different types of steam cleaning equipment when cleaning epoxy resin countertops. Whether you’ll be using a small steam cleaner or a larger one usually depends on the size of the surfaces you want to clean.
Proper maintenance and cleaning are essential to the longevity of your epoxy resin lab countertops. As long as you are sticking to the above-listed cleaning and care instructions you’ll not only have long-lasting lab countertops but functional and shiny ones as well. For any further advice, consult with a reputable company to help you out.
