Custom cabinets are built to last, but a few simple habits will keep them looking right for years. None of this is complicated.
Day to day cleaning
For everyday cleaning, a soft cloth and warm water is usually enough. If you need a little more cleaning power, a small amount of mild dish soap in water works on both painted and stained finishes. Wipe down with the damp cloth, then dry with a clean soft cloth.
Avoid:
- Abrasive scrubbing pads
- Powdered cleansers
- Bleach
- Ammonia-based cleaners
- “Magic eraser” type melamine sponges
- Heavy degreasers and oven cleaners
These can dull, scratch, or strip a finish over time, especially on painted cabinets near a cooktop or sink.
Spills, splatters, and grease
Wipe spills and splatters as soon as you notice them, especially:
- Around the cooktop and range
- Around the sink and dishwasher
- Around the coffee station
- On bathroom vanities near the sink
Liquid sitting on a finish for a long time is much harder on the finish than a spill that gets wiped up quickly.
Humidity
Real wood moves with the seasons. The single biggest thing you can do for your cabinets is keep the indoor humidity in a reasonable range. In Chicago that usually means running a humidifier in the winter so the air does not get too dry, and not over-drying the house in general. Roughly 35 to 50 percent indoor humidity is a good target. If you have a humidifier on your furnace, keeping that running through the heating season helps a lot.
Hardware
Tighten cabinet door and drawer hardware every so often. A little hand-tightening once or twice a year keeps knobs and pulls solid. Do not over-tighten, especially on painted doors.
Soft close drawers and hinges
Soft close hinges and drawer slides do not need much from you. If a door starts to sit slightly off or a drawer feels different, hinges and slides are usually adjustable. If you are not sure, send us a photo or give us a call.
Touch-ups
For painted cabinets, small touch-ups are part of long-term ownership. Touch-up paint can be matched to your specific finish. If you ever need a touch-up, reach out and we can help.
If the finish has worn to the point where touch-ups are no longer practical, a full refinish may be the better path. See our cabinet refinishing and color update service for more on when refinishing makes sense.
When to call us
If something feels off, an unusual gap, a door that does not sit right, a hairline somewhere unexpected, give us a call before trying to fix it yourself. We would rather hear about something small than have it get bigger.