How do I clean a laminate desktop without damaging the edge?

Keep water away from the edge banding and the cut-outs — the surface is tough but the joints are where a composite core takes up moisture and swells.

A laminate surface will take almost any household cleaner and a damp cloth without complaint. The vulnerable parts are elsewhere: the edge banding, the grommet holes and any cut-out, all of which expose the composite core underneath.

So the method is a damp cloth rather than a wet one, wrung out properly, wiped toward the middle of the desk rather than off the edge, and dried behind. Water left standing along the banding wicks into the core, and a swollen edge is permanent — it does not come back down.

Avoid abrasive pads and anything described as a cream cleaner, which dull the finish in a way that shows under a desk lamp. For something sticky, a little warm water and patience beats a stronger product, and a plastic scraper beats a knife. Alcohol wipes are generally fine on the laminate face itself, less so on painted legs or the desk’s control handset — alcohol wipes on a desk or chair sorts out which parts tolerate them.

Prevention is cheaper than repair. The edge under the keyboard and the corner where a drink stands take the most water. A desk pad over the working area, a coaster, and a quick check that the edge banding is still sealed — a lifted corner is where water gets in first — keep a laminate top intact for years. If the banding has started to lift, re-gluing it with a little wood glue and clamping it overnight, once the core is fully dry, stops it getting worse.