On vacation this summer, the rental had one of the cheapest laminate counter tops that I have ever seen. After placing a supermarket plastic bag on the counter, we were surprised to find the reverse image died into the counter. You could clearly make out the name and logo for the store! I watched a number of cleaning products get applied, from window cleaner to Clorox Wipes, but nothing worked. One of my family members eventually covered the entire stain with about half of a bottle of Soft Scrub with Bleach. After the second half of the bottle was applied, the stain was mostly gone. This is not a very cost-effective manner for this type of stain, but I kept my mouth closed. A much cheaper, easier method for removing these cheap laminate stains is to create a mixture of 1 part bleach to 2 parts water in a glass. I always pour my bleach into a container before adding water to reduce splashing and to make sure that the bleach is diluted before I move the mixture to my stain. Next, fold up two paper towels and saturate in the mixture. Wring out the majority of the liquid and fold the towels into the shape and size of the stain. Apply directly to the stain and pat down. As the towels dry, the bleach will remove the stain. Let it work, checking the progress as it goes. It will take a few hours. As always when working with bleach, try a test area of the laminate and use caution to protect yourself, your clothing, and your home!
