How To : Put the Shine back into Your Counter Tops

The day that you move into your brand-new home everything is super sparkly and shiny. For the first couple of a months to a year you painstakingly follow all directions to ensure your home retains it's super-sparkliness.  The reality of it is between juggling kids, job, spouse and life in general, your home tends to find itself a little lackluster sooner than you would think.
The good news is you can have that brand new shine on your kitchen or sink counter-tops in as little as 20 minutes depending on how dull your counter-top is.
First Get it Clean
The first thing to do is to clean the counter top. Generally I use a warm rag dipped into a diluted Mr. Clean solution. Other cleaners work just as well, although I would avoid harsh cleaners that contain bleach, ammonia, and especially acetone. Acetone will leave irrepairable marks on "TrueStone" type counter-tops. After your counter-top is good and clean, wipe it down with a dry rag to re-polish and also dry up any remaining water.
Apply the Shine.

So after polishing many counter-tops and using a variety of products I have come to the conclusion that "Gel-Gloss" is by far the best for re-coating as it leaves the best shine and lasts longest. It is super simple to apply and only takes a few minutes to set before you buff it out.

What you are going to need is a rough application rag (like a dish rag) and a soft application rag (like a piece of old sweatshirt or t-shirt will work. Soft is key, that is what pulls out the shine when you buff out the counter-top.
Wax on, Wax off.
Next, swirl a thin ribbon of Gel-Gloss evenly over the counter top. In a circular motion begin to working the Gel-Gloss into your counter top using your application rag. Think 'Karate Kid' : "Wax on, Wax off". Here you are going to want to use a little elbow grease. The more that you work the Gel-Gloss in the better the scratches and scuffs work out.
Now this is the point that I usually tend to other things that need to be cleaned. In the bathroom I will usually clean the shower and bathtub and also commode, like in this case. Basically you want to give the Gel-Gloss about 15 minutes to set in.

A dull sheen will cover the counter giving it a matte-like appearance. Here is where you take your polishing rag and, like in the previous step where you applied the Gel-Gloss, use a circular pattern to buff out the polish. You are also going to need to use a bit of elbow grease in this step also. Depending on how much Gel-Gloss you use in the previous step you may need several polishing rags to get the desired shine.
The Wow Factor.

In the end you will end up with a beautiful shiny counter top. I have maintained this particular counter-top which is why there is not much difference in the shine. If your counter has not had regular maintenance you should notice a remarkable difference. Try this trick out before your next get together and see how many people think you've have remodeled!