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Cleaning your kitchen cabinets can seem like a tedious task, but what if we told you it’s not? We have compiled this blog to tell you everything you must know about cleaning your kitchen cabinets. Take cues and make your kitchen look new again!
Did you know that a kitchen can be a breeding ground for a host of germs because a lot of outside contaminants enter this space from the food that’s prepared here?
Yes! Even vegetarian food can contain salmonella, mould spores and more from exposure or mishandling at farms.
And therefore your kitchen is one area of the home that needs to be cleaned regularly just as we do for the bathroom.
Besides kitchens are designed with lots of cupboards and drawers, open shelves and surfaces where dust, dirt, grease that accumulates over time. If left unchecked, this can form a sticky residue that gets harder to clean as time goes by making it an ideal environment for bacteria and mould to grow.
Hence it is important to know how to clean your kitchen cabinets in a way that keeps your family safe and at the same time not be too corrosive to your furniture and appliances.
How Often Should I Clean My Kitchen Cupboards?
A good rule of thumb will be to clean your cupboards once a week or once in two weeks. The surfaces of shutters, inside of cabinets, countertops, dado tiles and appliances must be given a quick rundown with a cloth. This may seem like a long and tedious task, especially if it requires moving your cutlery and utensils. Hence it is wise to do this systematically, one cabinet at a time, when you have dishes in the sink. This will save the hassle of moving them for cleaning.
What Is The Most Effective Way To Clean?
To effectively clean any surface, you will require a cleaning method that best suits the kind of dirt or grime you’re trying to clean. Cupboards with shutters that are infrequently used will have accumulated only dust on the surface that can be removed using a feather or microfiber duster that attracts dust and dry particles using electrostatic forces. These are inexpensive and you don’t have to charge them to use them as they are operated manually. Now for cupboards or surfaces that see a lot usage like dish racks, spice and bottle pull-outs there may be surface stains of liquids that may have dropped out from wet dishes, oils, sauces. These cannot be cleaned using just a duster. These surfaces will require a wet cloth or sponge soaked in a mild detergent or cleaning solution to get rid of the stains.
What Are The Best Cleaning Products I Must Use?
The market today has an endless selection when it comes to cleaning products for your kitchen. Depending on the finish of your modular kitchen, there are a few things to keep in mind. If you have natural wood cupboards, remember to use mild cleaning agents that won’t damage or discolour them. Wood soaks up water and using excessive water or strong cleaning agents (bleach or acids) can severely damage them.
Now if you own a modular kitchen and from a reputed brand then it will most likely be constructed with HYDMR wood or Hydro-Density High Moisture Resistant wood panels that are engineered to tolerate high moisture and temperatures often found in kitchens. These cupboards are then sealed with finishes like laminate, acrylic, veneers or lacquered glass.
So if you have a kitchen cupboard that’s finished with laminate, acrylic or lacquered glass, you may use your standard kitchen cleaning products to maintain them. Veneers are a little more sensitive to harsh chemicals as they are thin sheets of natural wood glued to HYDMR. They are applied with a coat of varnish to protect them. However they don’t do well when exposed to strong cleaning agents.
How Do I Clean My Kitchen Cupboards?
As mentioned above, when cleaning your kitchen cupboards you will have to clean a variety of materials and surfaces. All of which have slightly varying techniques. If you’re not sure of the strength of your cleaning solution do test it on a spot that is out of sight. Remember the concentration, duration and the force you apply will greatly affect the surface you’re cleaning.
STEP 1: Start off by cleaning the wall-mounted cupboards first by gently dusting the insides. This is a good idea as dust and liquids while cleaning can drop onto your base cabinets. Dusting helps get rid of food, crumbs, cobwebs or any other unfortunate little critter that found a home in your cupboards. Alternatively, you can also use a vacuum with a bristle brush nozzle.
STEP 2: Once the dry cleaning is done wet a cloth soaked in mild detergent. Now use this to wipe the surfaces of your shutters along with the insides of your cupboards.
STEP 3: The bottom of your cupboard on the outside may have a lot of grease build-up depending on the efficiency of your chimney and the kind of cooking you do. This area is a bit tricky to clean, given that it’s upside down. Use a soft brush and cleaning solution that can dissolve oils and grease to clean it effectively. This is why cleaning once a week is important as cleaning grease that has built up over the months will require use of stronger cleaning solutions and more force with brushes to get rid of them.
STEP 4: Rinse your cleaning cloth in clean water after you clean each cupboard. If you do not rinse frequently, you will end up covering your cupboards in a layer of dirt and grime that will become visible as stains when the surface dries.
STEP 5: Use stronger solutions to clean metallic surfaces that may have accumulated from drippings of oil or curries. Remember not to be too aggressive as it can leave scratches on the surface that will ruin its lustre but also become a home for bacteria to breed.
STEP 6: The last step is to clean the surfaces with a dry cloth, as this will help remove residue from soap or cleaning solution.
Cleaning anything can be a tedious and boring task. Still, regular cleaning will not only make the job easier and less strenuous but also increase the durability of your kitchen furniture.
We hope this helps you keep your kitchen cabinets clean and tidy at all times!
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