A waxing with paste wax can help.

Where does one find paste wax? I've looked in Walmart and Home Depot (didn't ask, just looked) and I don't see any.

Years ago I purchased a can to wax glossy furnature finish. I didn't do much of that and the old can has gone the way all things not used do..lost.

Try a woodworking supply shop. Or in the floor wax section of a large supermarket.

Wax will absorb stains, get into cracks and look nasty after a while requiring even more work stripping it off.

Jubilee Wax will do the job VERY well!!! I purchase it at the local grocery store!

I use Silicone Glaze on my kitchen counters. It's supposed to be for cars, but it makes my counters really shine. They look new and are very easy to wipe clean.

I found "Countertop Magic" at Menards for just this thing...and it really does a nice job

For all of you using these products on countertops, any comments on food-safety/bacteria-harboring qualities? I would really like to find a product to polish my countertops, which are heavily scratched, and would thus collect the product in certain places. I hate to think of breeding bacteria in these scratches, or transfering something even semi-toxic to my food! I am not sure what to try.

You can't fix formica, you can only try to make it look better. Once it's damaged, it's done. You can't bring back the original finish.

You cant fix formica but a light coat of mineral oil will help add some shine. Its cheap and it wont hurt you if it gets on your food. Some people use it to oil their wooden salad bowls etc.

I wonder if there is a poluurethane or high traffic floor finish that would hold up. I have a black textured formica suface countertop and I polish it but after a few days anywhere that a dish has been set down or a drop of water spilled it removes the lustre. I have hardwood floors and the finish on them really holds up to heavy use.Any Suggestions?

My formica counters are over 15 years old. About twice a year,I wipe with a 50% solution of clorox bleach/water. Rinse well, and be careful handling the mixture.

I agree with Jaybird, Jubilee Kitchen Wax is a jewel to keep on hand. I use it on my Formica counter tops & it helps them to have some lustre again as well as keep it protected from extra stains.

It also cleans plastic parts on appliances & makes them look new again.

Have black formica cabinets with fingerprints that I can't get off.

we used the countertop magic and all it did was, it left alot of strikes that we cant get out

I've used "Countertop Magic" with good results. Gives a matte sheen. Definitely not glossy. Had no problem with strikes or streaks. My only complaint is it has a smell like motor oil, petroleum, you know? Probably not good to breathe in.(It's an aerosol can).

I recently used CounterTop Magic. It cleaned, but no better than other other product. No shine, dull looking and strong odor. Won't buy it again. I have some white blotches on my dark blue formica counter that I had hoped it might remove. Someone said to use either Iron Out or Rust Out to remove these white blotches. Anyone else have this problem?

When i lived in fl, our home had 1980's, dark brown, wood grain laminate countertops and cabinets. All in very good shape, but ugly! We painted the cabinets a golden yellow which actually made the countertops look not half bad. To shine them up, i found a product (actually saw it on an infomercial 1st) called rejuvenate. Found it at Home Depot eventually. It's a polymer coating which really added shine to the countertops. It's applied with a microfiber mitt and u literally paint it on with the mitt. Clean the countertops as directed and then apply the polish. Work quickly and in one direction. It looks great. It does not last forever, have to reapply every 1-3 months. Plan to use it now on not quite as ugly blue marble laminate. Good shape, but older. HD still carries it, check cleaning product aisle or kitchen remodeling dept. u can check availability of inventory for HD right on line for ur closest store. I've also had great luck filling small dings in laminate with wood putty and/or a magic marker or paint(paint must match exactly, of course). Rustoleum also makes a countertop paint which works well(not as shiny as new) but it does chip with heavy use, so I used polyurethane (spar) to topcoat. Took a long time to dry, but very durable.

I'll try mineral oil. Thinking using car polish on a food surface doesn't seem like a good idea.

My light tan Formica counters get dark scuff marks when I set down any kind of metal. The marks look like large graphite marks. To clean I use Bar Keepers Friend, which is an abrasive and it cleans very well. It doesn’t dull the Formica anymore than it was already. I wonder what I can use to seal the Formica, after I clean it so it will resist those kinds of marks? One might say, ”Don’t put metal pots, trays, etc., down on the counters,” but it’s a very small, narrow kitchen with no other surfaces.