Maintaining your kitchen cabinets - 10 Wood Care Tips

If you are like many homeowners, your kitchen is the central gathering place and “activity center” of your home. It is the place of cooking, eating, homework, crafts, entertaining, etc.

Your kitchen cabinetry is the centerpiece of your kitchen. It defines your personal style and says a lot about you. Your cabinets were a large expense and a good investment! And, like with any good investment, they require regular and proper care.

In order to understand how to care for your wood cabinetry or any of your fine wood furniture, it is important to understand some fundamentals of wood care. It’s important to remember that when you’re cleaning your wood furniture, you’re not really touching the wood. You are touching the finish.

Finish is applied to wood for several reasons. First, it helps keep the wood clean. Wood is porous. Without a finish, it accumulates all sorts of contaminates like dirt, grease, grime, and food. The finish gets between those things and the wood. Secondly, finishing wood also keeps it stable. Once raw wood is exposed, its hydroscopic properties will cause it to shrink and swell with changes in surrounding temperature and humidity. A finish will help stabilize this kind of movement in the wood so it won’t split or crack as badly. Finally, finish is used to beautify wood and add to its cosmetic appeal. Providing proper care to the wood finish will further all of these reasons why finish is used. It will help keep the wood clean, stable, and beautiful.

So, how do we maintain the finish on our cabinetry? First, keep your cabinets clean. Every day, common elements such as grease, finger oils, food, dust and dirt accumulate on the surface of the finish. If not removed, these contaminants will contribute to the deterioration of the wood’s finish. Even dust can act like an abrasive on the wood’s finish, causing small scratches and wear and tear. When cleaning wood, one should use mild soap and water and use a lint-free rag – the point of cleaning is to remove debris, not introduce it.

It is also recommended to create an environment conducive to wood beauty and longevity. If your home is dry in winter, it’s important to use a humidifier. A humidifier promotes equilibrium in your wood. It can slow the moisture exchange so that the wood won’t expand and contract as much and possibly crack and split. In addition, it’s important to use a ventilating fan when cooking. Grease and other deposits can cause a finish to break down and deteriorate prematurely. Therefore, you want to try to remove them before they even land on your wood. Finally, it’s important to minimize the exposure of wood to direct sunlight. The ultraviolet rays of the sun can make the molecules in a finish speed up and cause premature checking and cracking of the finish. The sun can also bleach out the color on most wood species, causing a faded and washed out look.

What about beautifying wood? We recommend not using wax or silicone. Waxes can be susceptible to water rings and silicone-based products can seep through the finish into the wood, which may cause permanent damage over time. We recommend a regular regiment of cleaning with a furniture cream polish. Good quality cream polishes will both clean and polish your wood.

Here are some tips to follow to help you maintain the life and beauty of your cabinets and other fine furniture:

Top 10 Wood Care Tips

1. Clean up spills immediately with water or mild detergent. Use a clean lint-free cloth. Dry the area completely afterward. Note: Base cabinets below the sink are very susceptible to water damage.
2. Fit cabinet doors and drawer fronts with hardware and encourage family members to use. They’re not only decorative, but they serve to protect the wood’s finish from finger oils, dirt and scratching.
3. Do not expose any portion of your cabinets to direct sunlight. Use window treatments to block the harmful direct UV rays.
4. Dust regularly in the direction of the wood grain with a clean, damp (not wet) lint-free cloth.
5. Regulate temperature and humidity levels. Correct environmental conditions will add longevity to the life of your cabinets and all your fine furniture.
6. Condition your cabinets every 3 months with a quality furniture cream polish. Do not use wax, silicone or petroleum-based products.
7. Use a ventilation fan when cooking to reduce deposits on your wood surfaces.
8. Cover and protect nicks, gouges, and scratches so that bare wood is not exposed.
9. Do not drape wet towels over the doors or end panels.
10. Make sure to always use hot pads or coasters when placing pans or glasses on furniture.

Not to worry, if you’ve missed the window of opportunity of maintaining your cabinets. That’s where Kitchen Tune-Up® can help. We offer a variety of services to maintain wood finishing or to restore worn and damaged finishes to their original luster. If you don’t have the time or your wood needs more than everyday maintenance, contact us for a free consultation.

Remember that proper care of your cabinetry will reward you with long-lasting beauty for years to come.