Lye Marks on my bench top?

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Hi All,

I had a few splashes and drips of the soap batter on my kitchen bench top. I wiped it up, but it has left marks that will not come off.

Any tips for getting rid of these marks? The bench top is Formica.

Looks like I might have to invest in a silicone baking sheet to lay down before soaping in future.
IMG_0512.jpeg
 
I use a table cloth when I soap, and even when I cut. I think I caused a few little pock marks in a cherry table once when I staged fresh-cut soap for photos.
 
I too use something underneath to protect surfaces. I do soap on my countertop but I have tile. I still lay paper towels down for my spoons, stickblender etc.

Probably not going to be able to get the marks off.
 
Hi All,

I had a few splashes and drips of the soap batter on my kitchen bench top. I wiped it up, but it has left marks that will not come off.

Any tips for getting rid of these marks? The bench top is Formica.

Looks like I might have to invest in a silicone baking sheet to lay down before soaping in future.
View attachment 34064

It looks like the formica's plastic surface has reacted with the caustic batter and started to cloud, which means cleaning won't remove the marks.

1/ If the clouding has come from miniscule pitting of the bench surface (this happens to old glass too), you can check if just applying a surface coat would work. This can be checked by lightly wetting a small area of clouding with sweet almond oil ... if the clouding disappears or is reduced when you do this, it will also be reduced when the surface receives a coating (the holes will be filled and the reflections that cause the cloudy look will be minimized). You'd need to clean the surface thoroughly before adding any coating (especially after adding oil), and check that the coating will bond with the formica (some varnishes will not, and some will require sanding to bond - see step 2).

2/ If the clouding is a uniform reaction that hasn't gone too deep into the surface, you might be able to very finely sand the top and apply a few layers of very thin, clear epoxy over the top. Sanding itself also causes more clouding, so it cannot be done without the coating step, and removes some of the surface plastic, which flattens out the texture. Sanding too deep into the formica can also cause damage (by going past the surface plastic and into the structure). Doing a little test spot well out of sight first would be a good idea (to check whether the finish is better or worse than you already have). To add texture, see step 3.

3/ Stippling can be achieved using a fairly stiff brush and dabbing it on the surface. Replicating the stippled surface of textured formica is quite difficult to do after manufacture, but you can get closer in look to the original than a fully flat surface (less is more when doing this - stop before you think you've added enough stippling is more likely to give a pleasing result that over-stippling). Timing stippling can be tricky - the surface needs to be tacky enough to lift with the bristles, but not so much that the bristles leave indentations ... the idea is that the epoxy lifts slightly with the bristles as you remove the brush, and the stipple is created according to the volume, thickness and stiffness of your brush.

4/ Or you can fully re-coat the surface with a new finish - done well this can look like a new benchtop.

Personally I'd try the sweet almond oil test, and if that works (the clouding clears up a little) I'd consider adding a light epoxy coat, but if it didn't work I wouldn't bother doing anything else (unless it's important for you to minimize the damaged look).

... and a mat :thumbs:
 
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So sorry this has happened to you. I thought laminex was tougher than that.
You can buy chemical resistant laminex if putting in a new bench top.

I am a messy soaper and haven’t had a problem but I do generally put my soapy things on a silicone sheet and I clean my bench top regularly. I will be more careful from now on. Big ones of these are available an AliExpress for about $3 USD 500x500mm.

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32955...d=6947amp-rkd_tPMSZWDqIHdp8exn2w1545165758021

60cm x 40cm $3.40 US (the small one is $1.18 US)
https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32956...d=7184amp-rkd_tPMSZWDqIHdp8exn2w1545166881826
 
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Hi All,

I had a few splashes and drips of the soap batter on my kitchen bench top. I wiped it up, but it has left marks that will not come off.

Any tips for getting rid of these marks? The bench top is Formica.

Looks like I might have to invest in a silicone baking sheet to lay down before soaping in future.
View attachment 34064

Iv been using an old wooden desk that needs a good skim anyways but once that happens and gets treated iv a wooden slab ill put down to protect it oil seems to be the worst thing for me splashing onto the worktop. Also the block of wood is the perfect thing to sit on my hob burners to make more space but iv a gas hob at the moment
 
I tend to use cling film on all surfaces I’m using, because I’m messy. I usually have a tea towel underneath the lye pot as well incase of eruption. When you’ve finished just throw the cling film away
 
I have a table in my soaping area that I don't care about mucking up, but I still put down a piece of freezer paper when I make soap. Nothing leaks through it, and I just leave my wiped off empty bowls, spatulas, etc. sitting on it overnight. I save paper that shipped items come wrapped in and use that when I cut my soap. More to keep the soap off the table top than worries about the table.

I hope you can save your counter (bench) top.
 
I have 3 large wooden chopping blocks that I have used for 14 years -- one goes next to the sink for mixing lye; 1 next to the microwave; 1 holds all the ingredients needed for the batch.

I'm so sorry your formica counter top was damaged. You may want to do some research on line. There may be a product or technique to fix it. Years ago, my cousin, the carpenter, asked if he could try a new technique on the formica counters in our old home that we were going to replace before selling. It involved "wet sanding" with a special sand paper and then painting with a special paint formulated for just that purpose. We ended up not having to replace the tops, but sold the house shortly after. Not sure how it held up, but might be worth investigating?
 

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