How To Renovate And Clean Kitchen Cabinets

 Custom cabinets, according to a top designer-architect quoted in Consumer Reports, should account for approximately half of the cost of your kitchen installation. After sending such a large sum of money, you must exercise extra caution when it comes to maintaining the cabinets. If your cabinets are in need of an upgrade, you can employ some innovative and cost-effective renovation strategies.

Kitchen Cabinet Remodels That Are Economical

While your cabinets may not require significant upgrades, all you want to do is give them a new look. This is easily accomplished through refacing, which entails replacing the doors and drawers. Additionally, veneers can be added to the face frames to complete the new look.

If you want to change more than just the appearance of these storage units, you can also alter their functionality. This can be accomplished easily by installing pull-out drawers and retractable trash cans. Of course, you can also opt for semi-custom units, which cost 30% less than custom units (based on information by Consumer Reports).

Cabinet Management

Proper cabinet maintenance is necessary if you wish to avoid future renovations. Maintenance practices, understandably, would vary according to the material used to construct such storage units.

(I) Cleaning Plywood and High - temperature plastic wrap Cabinets

Thermo foil and laminate cabinets have a bright, shiny appearance that mimics an expensive custom unit. These laminate and Thermo foil finishes complement French country kitchens perfectly.

Although cleaning grease from these surfaces is quite simple, you should always attempt to clean up spills immediately. Such spills may become much more difficult to clean later, necessitating more aggressive measures that may damage the cabinet surface.

Maintaining laminate and Thermo foil is very similar to caring for wooden surfaces, except that you will not need to use wood polish. Simple food spills can be cleaned up easily with mild detergents or soap and water. Greasy spills should be cleaned with a damp cloth and the appropriate cleaner.

When cleaning thermo foil and laminate surfaces, avoid using abrasive substances or powdered agents. Such substances are prone to causing unsightly scratches. Additionally, exercise caution when removing sticky substances such as chewing gum and wax spills, which are best removed by applying a bag of ice until they crumble away.

(ii) How to Clean Wooden Cabinets

Standard cleaning procedures require spills to be cleaned up immediately. If left on for an extended period of time, a previously simple-to-clean spill may become quite difficult to remove. Similarly, you should prevent spreading by beginning at the outer edges and working your way inward.

Cleaning up food and water spills is best accomplished with mild, non-abrasive detergents. Grease, lipstick, and oil stains, on the other hand, should be cleaned with a damp, lint-free cloth before polishing with wood-specific cleaning products.

Scratches, nicks, dents, and burns would necessitate more extensive maintenance strategies. This would necessitate the use of products such as:

- Touch-up markers: An excellent tool for repairing minor scratches.

- Putty sticks: This handy product is ideal for repairing minor dents, scratches, and nail holes.