As most large kitchen remodeling projects involve a considerable financial investment on the part of the consumer, more and more people are eschewing the pre cut, pre fabricated cabinetry found at the local home improvement store in favor of hiring a carpenter or carpentry company that specializes in custom cabinetry. The logic for most people is that if they are going to be spending thousands of dollars giving their kitchen a facelift then they hardly want the finished product to look like anyone else’s, they want some real bang for their buck.
After all the work is done though, and you have your beautiful new cabinets installed in your kitchen they do require a little tender loving care in order for them to remain as attractive ten years down the road as they were the day they were installed. Here are some useful care tips that apply to almost any wood, including exotics:
• Never allow food or liquid spills to set on your cabinets. Spills will happen in any kitchen but they should be cleaned up as soon as possible to avoid any permanent damage to the wood.
• Always use a soft cloth when cleaning your custom cabinetry. Coarse, abrasive cloths can remove the finish, dull the luster of the wood and leave it vulnerable to scratches and nicks.
• To clean your cabinets use mild soapy water or an all-purpose cleaner without ammonia. There are special wood soap cleaners on the market that contain oils that help preserve the beauty of the wood as well as clean it efficiently that are well worth researching.
• When polishing, choose a furniture polish that does not contain wax or silicone. Wax leaves behind a dulling film on wood surfaces while silicone smudges and highlights fingerprints.
• To remove any grease build up, which is inevitable in any busy kitchen, a simple solution of equal parts of water and white vinegar does an admirable job.
• With everyday use eventually there are going to be areas on your custom cabinetry that will benefit from a touch up. When your cabinets are being designed and installed ask your carpenter about purchasing a touch up kit that you can keep on hand to use when the occasion arises.
• High levels of humidity will cause wooden cabinetry to swell and expand, making cabinet doors hard to close properly. If you live in an area of the country that is prone to such conditions, ensure that you run a dehumidifier occasionally to remove the excess moisture from the air in your kitchen that can cause such damage.
