Custom Kitchen Cabinets – Tips for maintaining

Kitchen cabinets play an essential role in making the kitchen look stylish, and they help in keeping the kitchen well-organized. You can set a particular theme of your kitchen with a specific kind of kitchen cabinets since there are a variety of different cabinet surfaces. Installing new custom kitchen cabinets in your kitchen can help in upgrading the look of your kitchen, but you can’t just leave them uncared for after installation. If you don’t maintain your kitchen cabinets, then your kitchen will start looking unorganized and dirty. 

Cleaning Schedule 

It is crucial to carry out a regular cleaning schedule for your kitchen cabinets to make sure that they remain dust-free. Clean your kitchen cabinets at least two times a week. Since there are different cabinet surfaces, therefore you need to know that every kind of cabinet surface requires a different cleaning technique. If you have stained wood cabinets, then make sure to clean and oil your kitchen cabinets two times a year by using a mixture of dish soap, distilled white vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Use a microfiber cloth to clean your stained wood cabinets. It is essential to use a gentle cleanser to clean your painted cabinets; otherwise, the paint would be removed. Laminate cabinets can be easily cleaned by using a damp microfiber cloth. 

Clean the handles 

Cleaning the handles and the area around them can be tricky since they tend to be sticky. Mix hand soap with rubbing alcohol to clean these sticky areas. You can use a toothbrush to clean the areas around the handles, whereas a damp microfiber cloth would work correctly for cleaning the stems of the custom kitchen cabinets. 

Clean the nooks and crannies of your kitchen cabinets

It is hard to reach the nooks and crannies of kitchen cabinets which cause buildup to develop in those areas. Extra attention is required to clean the nooks and crannies of custom kitchen cabinets. You can wrap a microfiber cloth on a table knife and use it to clean the flat areas, whereas a toothpick would be ideal for cleaning tight corners. 

Clean cabinets around the stove

The kitchen cabinets placed around the furnace are prone to get splattered with oil and get greasy, which is why it is essential to clean them quickly. You can use the mixture of vodka and castile soap to remove grease from the kitchen cabinets; however, don’t forget to wipe them with a damp microfiber cloth afterwards. 

Protect the kitchen cabinets by using the proper tools 

It is essential to protect your kitchen cabinets from scratches since damaged kitchen cabinets can lessen the appeal of your kitchen. Now the question arises what can you protect your kitchen cabinets from accidental damages. This can be done by using the proper tools to clean your kitchen cabinets. The ideal tools for cleaning your kitchen cabinets are soft cloths and brushes without any doubt. You should not use any cleaners that contain ammonia or those that are in a powder form. It is always a great idea to use natural products to create your cleanser at home since they will protect your cabinet finish from getting scratches. You can use a grease-cutting hand washing dish soap as a cleaner for your custom kitchen cabinets. Other than this, you can make a mixture of dish soap and warm water and use a sponge to clean the kitchen cabinets. 

Cleaners not to use on your kitchen cabinets

There are specific cleaners that can be harsh for the surface of kitchen cabinets and can damage their texture. We would recommend you not to use commercial detergents, scouring sponge pads, powdered cleansers, steel wool, bleach, spray polishes that contain silicone or detergents containing ammonia to clean your custom kitchen cabinets. 

Use cleaning cloths 

Using lint-free soft cloths is the ideal choice for cleaning your kitchen cabinets. You can use your old t-shirts, flannel shirts or dishtowels for this purpose. The older the fabric is, the better it would clean your kitchen cabinets. 

Start by cleaning the upper cabinets

One of the essential tips for maintaining your kitchen cabinets is always to start cleaning from the upper cabinets. Doing so will make your job much more comfortable. If you clean the lower cabinets first and then move on to the upper cabinets, then the dirt that is dusted off from the upper cabinets would fall on the lower cabinets making them dirty again due to which you will have to wipe the lower cabinets for the second time. Therefore, when you clean the upper cabinets first, you save a lot of time and effort. 

Clean glass-fronted custom kitchen cabinets

There is no doubt in the fact that glass-fronted custom kitchen cabinets require special care as compared to the basic ones. Take a mild cleaner and put a little amount of it on a soft cloth. Gently rub the soft cloth on inside and outside of the glass front of the kitchen cabinets. You should avoid spraying directly on the glass since the liquid would start to drip on the door frame. 

Polish the kitchen cabinets 

If you want to make sure that your wooden custom kitchen cabinets look shiny, then you need to polish the cabinets using a furniture polish after cleaning the cabinets. Put the polish on a soft cloth and buff it on the wood cabinet to make your wood kitchen cabinets look shiny. If you can’t find a furniture polish at any store, then you can always make one at your home. Mix olive oil with lemon juice to make your homemade furniture polish. 

Protect the kitchen cabinets from heat and humidity 

It is incredibly important to be careful with your kitchen cabinets around electronics that emit heat, including ovens, furnaces etc. Heat exposure can damage your kitchen cabinets, whereas humidity can make them wet, which is not suitable for wood cabinets. It is essential for kitchen cabinets to be dry at all times so that moisture does not get build up.

Avoid exposure to light 

As mentioned above, heat is not suitable for kitchen cabinets; therefore, you need to protect your kitchen cabinets from every source of heat. Everyone knows that the sun is the primary source of heat since it releases ultraviolet rays that can harm the appearance of your kitchen cabinets. It depends on the direction and amount of ultraviolet rays that reach the custom kitchen cabinets to determine how much damage is done.

Protection from moisture

As discussed earlier moisture is not good for the appearance of kitchen cabinets, either this means that you must protect them from moisture at all costs. Yes, you can use a little amount of warm water along with mild soap to clean your custom kitchen cabinets, but it is crucial to know that using too much water to clean your kitchen cabinets can damage them. Wood cabinets or cabinets with a wood finish are the ones that are most affected by too much water, which is why you need to be careful around them. This is the reason why soft cloths and sponges are preferred for cleaning kitchen cabinets since they can absorb most of the moisture in them. Too much water results in leaving stains on the custom kitchen cabinets, which makes them look less appealing.

Daily cleaning tips

If you want to make sure that your custom kitchen cabinets look their best at all times, then you need to clean them daily. You can clean your kitchen cabinets daily by using a soft cloth. Kitchen cabinets tend to get spills or water spots, which is why you can use a soft cloth to wipe these spots and make your kitchen cabinets look clean. Other than this, the kitchen cabinets around the furnace tend to get greasy. To make sure that grease does not get build up on your kitchen cabinets and destroy their appearance, it is essential to clean them daily. However, don’t use any harsh cleanser.

Make sure to check our gallery of cabinets our cabinet makers have done for other people. Click here to check out our gallery.

Not convinced yet? Click here to see what other people have said about our work.