Latinas House Cleaning

Tips for Maintaining Wooden Kitchen Cabinets

When you first have your kitchen cabinets installed you are in awe, they look so new, clean, and sparkly. New kitchen cabinets quickly become your beautiful and convenient friend, they are nice to look at and also provide ample storage space. All of the use your cabinets receive on a daily basis can start to take a toll. The last thing you want is for your cabinets to lose their like-new appearance, after all, kitchen cabinets can be a hefty investment and you want to get the most out of them. Here we provide 6 tips for keeping your kitchen cabinets looking great over the long haul, no matter how much you use them!

1.Clean stains as soon as they occur

Never let spills and splatters from food stay for any length of time. They may set and be difficult to remove. Or they may have done the damage already by the time you remove them.
The oils found in greasy foods damage the surface of the cabinet if they stay in contact with it for a considerable length of time. You will see visible discoloration start to appear if it happens time and again. Your cabinet’s gloss finish is then in danger of becoming damaged and losing its beauty. Always wipe clean food spills immediately using a damp piece of cloth. If a damp cloth doesn’t remove them, you can use a homemade or commercial cleaner. Only make sure the commercial cleaner is made for cleaning wooden surfaces.

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2. Keep away heat

Heat easily damages your kitchen cabinet by affecting the delicate finish. It’s important to ensure heat doesn’t escape from especially your oven. If you are using a self-cleaner in the oven chances are the heat generated may reach your cabinet and cause damage. You can avoid this by removing the cabinet drawers before starting the cleaning process. Or you can try to avoid it altogether.

3. Avoid Harsh Chemical Cleaners
Chemical cleaners can be full of abrasive ingredients that actually strip away at your kitchen cabinets. If you scrub hard enough and catch stains when they happen, you won’t need a harsh chemical cleaner to take care of the task. Any cleaning products that contain ammonia will damage your wood finish and prematurely age your cabinets. If you do need harsher chemicals to clean off door handles or cabinet knobs, spray onto a rag and then carefully apply over knobs so that chemicals do not come in contact with the wood surface at all.

4. All Cabinet Doors Close Properly

Make sure that all of your cabinet doors and drawers close properly! If they don’t close all of the ways, dust and dirt will freely float on in and build up inside of your cabinets, after a while, this can create an unsightly, unsanitary, and hard-to-clean mess. Plus, if you have any critters roaming your home, from unwanted bugs to curious house cats, open cabinets invite everyone inside.

5. Avoid Moisture

You want to keep moisture away from your cabinets as much as possible; for example, hanging a wet rag from a wooden cabinet is a huge no-no. You might know that wood and water don’t mix, but sometimes we take the durability of our kitchen cabinets for granted. No matter how many coats of paint or primer a cabinet has, the wood will still wear away and rot if it is continually exposed to water.

6. Use Natural Cleaners

Since tough, harsh chemicals are discouraged when it comes to cleaning your kitchen cabinets, try using a natural cleaner that produces the same sparkling clean results. Simply mix vinegar, water, and a dash of olive oil together for the perfect kitchen cabinet cleaning solution. The vinegar battles bacteria, and fights away built-up grime, while the olive oil leaves behind a glossy shine. You can finish off your ritual by applying a wood finish for an extra coat of protection; just check reviews and ingredients because certain products create a sticky build-up you want to avoid. While you should clean your cabinets regularly, you only need to add wood polish once every 6 months or so.