Kashering Formica Counters

I can tell you what not to do.

Don’t ask this most complicated and important question on the internet and expect a one opinion answer.

Rather, go to your Rav or to a respected Rav that you trust and ask him for advice on what to do.

There are opinions that you can pour boiling water on the formica after it’s scrubbed with cleanser and waited 24 hours and there are opinions that you need to keep it covered since you can’t kasher it.

My husband writes the following: I’m a Masgiach who does a lot of kashering and has had a lot of shimush by Dayonim in the city that I live. To kasher counters do the following: 1-Make them treif by dripping hot fleishig liquid on the milky side and drip hot milk on the fleishig side (a drop is enough) 2- Clean the counters that there will not be a “Chatzitza”. 3 Wait 24 Hours 4: Have ready a hot electric iron and a boiling kettle.Pour some water from the kettle (Does not have to boil while pouring)onto the counter and push it along with the hot iron. The iron will push boiling water all over the counter.Add water to the counter when the iron has boiled out the first water. DO NOT LET THE IRON REST ON THE COUNTER KEEP IT MOVING WITH THE WATER, OTHERWISE IT WILL BURN THE COUNTER. Hatzlocho

My husband asked that shaloh to his Dayan the first time he told him to do that. The answer is that there is no issur of mevashel bosor vecholov when one is “Boluah”

I’m not saying your husband did something wrong. The Aruch HaShulchans permits “balua”, but Rabbi Akiva Eiger and the Pri Megadim do not. That is exactly me point. It is not straightforward and each person should ask their own Rav!!!

BTW, treifing the counters is only relevant if one wants to switch a surface from milchig to fleishig or reverse. It is a chumra of the Magen Avraham not to switch items back and forth lest one get confused, and does not apply according to many Poskim when purchasing a new object. IMO not worth getting into a machlokes d’Oraisa over a possible chumra.

If you want my psak, the counters may be changed w/o treifing up first since you are moving into a a new house. Formica may be kashered. DON’T use an electric iron, it is an electrocution hazard. A red hot metal pipe is ideal to roll on the wet counter. DON’T do this yourself, bring someone who knows the Halachos and has lots of experience. And still I think you should ask your own Rav.

I moved into a house with formica counters & asked my Rav how to kasher them. I’d rather not write how he told me to do it, because that’s his p’sak & your Rav may tell you a different way. So, ask your own Rav.