subject: Easy Rules for Choosing and Maintaining a Kitchen Worktop [print this page] Easy Rules for Choosing and Maintaining a Kitchen Worktop
Many people believe that the beauty of a home remains incomplete if ample time and money is not apportioned for the beautification of the kitchen. Most women and men spend several hours of their lives cooking in their kitchen. It is also the central location of conversations that happen over lunch or supper. If one doesn't lay special emphasis on the functionality and dcor of kitchen essentials such as worktops and sinks, it can be surmised that the time spent in kitchen will not be memorable.
There are some easy rules to follow during the selection of kitchen worktops. Functionality should be accorded maximum priority in worktop selection. The worktop should be at an appropriate height. It should be high enough to provide ease of chopping vegetables without bending too much. At the same time, it can't be too high; else the cook will find it difficult to view the food being cooked. Worktops should be made of durable material that can withstand heat without getting damaged. It should not be made of wood as wood is susceptible to fire and infestation by termites. One can choose between quartz, granite, marble, plastic, laminates etc.
Of course, the price of the material is also a key factor. Depending on the budget and overall dcor of the kitchen, one should ideally conduct a cost-benefit tradeoff analysis before selecting the worktop material. The selection of worktops influences the selection of kitchen sink too. Ideally, both should be made of the same material to maintain visual semblance. Also, the kitchen sink and worktop should have a seamless joint, to avoid infestation by cockroaches and other insects. It also avoids run-off from the worktop seeping into the cupboard below the worktop.
Since the sealant that glues the surface of kitchen sink to the worktop tends to wear off after some years, it is a good practice to get it resealed regularly. The worktop should also be polished at least once a year, to maintain the gloss of its surface. Worktops should be kept clean at all times to ensure hygienic cooking. There are several brands of kitchen cleaning liquids available for cleaning countertops. It is best to use a sterilized wiping cloth to clean the worktops before cooking every day. If some gravy or soup spills on the worktop, it should be immediately wiped with a wet cloth or sponge to ensure that stains do not develop on the surface.
