I lived in a house with laminate counters for 13 years and that's basically how I cleaned them. For stains, I used soft scrub with bleach.

I bought a bottle of Lysol for kitchens; for when I get raw meat juice, etc. on the countertops. Little did I know that it cleans great too.

I've always just used soap and water and when I had a stain I'd use a little bleach. Mine are light beige and currently 21 years old. There is a product called Counter Magic, sold at HD that will keep them shiny.

try making a paste with baking soda and water and use an old toothbrush, You can scrub out the stain and it won't scratch. It will look like nothing happened.

I have always used soft scrub once a week, but every night I just wipe them down with soap and water. If I get a stain I use the baking soda also. It works great on red fruit drinks.

Any all purpose cleaner or disinfectant and a cloth is fine. To give them a shine, buff on some Counter Top Magic (sold at Home Depot and most stores).

Thanks for all the advice. I will get that Counter Top Magic next trip to Home Depot.

Thank you for suggesting Countertop Majic. I used it on my new counters and they look beautiful and are so easy to wipe up anything. Water just beads up. I love the stuff.