Cabinet Care Guide

Your new kitchen cabinets have been installed, now what’s next? Here are simple dos and don’ts to keeping your new kitchen cabinets looking marvelous.

Cabinet Care Dos:

• Dust them periodically, keep them clean by using a soft lint-free cloth, – or a microfiber cloth for laminate and high gloss cabinetry.
• For extra grime fighting, a mild solution of dishwashing liquid (not dishwasher products) mixed with fresh, clean, warm water will take care of dirt and grease. 5% dishwashing liquid to 95% water is a good ratio.
• After cleaning your stained or painted cabinets, wipe them down with a clean, damp cloth and be sure to dry wet/damp surfaces with another clean soft cloth.
• Laminates and high gloss materials MUST be dried with a microfiber cloth to avoid scratches.
• Wipe up splatters and spills quickly! Prolonged exposure to food, water and other liquids, as well as grease and oil splatters can cause permanent damage or discoloration to your cabinet’s finish. Don’t forget to dry after cleaning, using a soft, clean cloth for stained and painted cabinetry. Dry laminates and high gloss cabinets with a microfiber cloth.
• Glass Door Care – Clean the glass by spraying an ammonia-free glass cleaner on a clean, soft, lint-free cloth or paper towel, and wiping down the glass.
• Dry wet surfaces immediately using a soft, clean cloth.
• Maintain consistent temperature and humidity level in your home. Wood will expand and contract based on the level of moisturizer in your home.
• Minimize the risk of cabinet damage by removing cabinet doors and drawers closest to the oven before using the self-cleaning feature. Heat from the self-cleaning oven feature is much greater than normal cooking temperatures, and could potentially damage surrounding cabinetry.
• Use drapes or blinds to shield cabinetry from direct sunlight. Direct sunlight tends to darken the color of natural wood products, with the exception of walnut, which will lighten. Painted wood surfaces and laminates, including high gloss are also suspect to fading or discoloration.
• Keep Hardware Clean – Periodically use mild soap and warm water to clean door and drawer hardware. After cleaning, dry and buff hardware with a clean, soft cloth.

Cabinet Care Don’ts:

• Polish or wax – waxing and polishing compounds may build up on cabinet surfaces forming a hazy, streaked or yellowed appearance. Wax builds up and is really hard to remove.
• Spray glass cleaner directly on the glass doors to avoid seepage behind mullions or dividers, which could cause damage to the wood or other materials.
• Drape damp dishtowels or clothes over your cabinet doors. Moisture can cause permanent damage, like peeling and discoloration to the cabinet finish.
• Clean laminates and high gloss materials in direct sunlight. They are more suspect to fading or discoloration when cleaned in direct sunlight.
• Use any harsh detergents, strong soaps, multi-purpose and abrasive cleaning products such as: tub and sink cleaners, scouring powders and scouring pads or steel wool or self-polishing waxes.
• Use sponges or dish cloths. They could contain particles that could scratch your cabinets, as well as food, oil residue or remnants of harsh cleaning solutions.
• Use paper towels or similar products especially for high gloss cabinetry, due to the ease of scratching.
• Use solvent based on petroleum-based products such as mineral spirits, nail-polish removers or paint thinners.
• Use ammonia, bleach or cleaning products that contain either ammonia or bleach.
• Use silicone-based cleaning, waxing or polishing products.
• Use brass or silver polishes for your hardware.