One of the most common questions kitchen designers are asked is "How do we clean and take care of our cabinets?" and that is an amazing question. The common misconception out there is if you have a #stained cabinet you need to oil them like you would a butcher block top. If you have #painted cabinets then you need to scrub them down with 409. But you shouldn’t do either of those things.
Why you don't oil or bleach your kitchen cabinets
Your #kitchen cabinets are already protected when they come from a manufacturer like Bertch Cabinetry or most other "made in the USA" cabinet manufacturers. The protection that is added is what most people refer to as a clear coat, but there are many different types of clear coat. The clear coat that I am talking about is a catalyzed varnish. I will get into the details of it in another post but, in its simplest form, a catalyzed varnish is a two part finish that is baked on to your cabinetry to give you that beautiful matte or satin finish. This coating also protects and locks in your cabinet’s finish, whether it be a stained or painted finish. Thus, there is no need to oil or wax your cabinetry. A strong cleaner with ammonia or citric acid will ruin the varnish. So stay away from those types of cleaners or you will have a bigger problem on your hands than removing that pesky spaghetti sauce!
What should you use to clean your cabinets?
This answer is a simple one. The best thing you can use to clean your cabinets is a mild dish soap and some warm water sprayed on a rag. Use the soapy rag to attack those scuffs and marks, then dry your cabinet with a clean, dry rag to make sure water does not sit on the surface or in the door panel too long. Once in a while you may need something a little tougher to remove the #crayon and #marker works of art your kids left on your beautiful cabinetry. For those occasions you can use ... drum roll please... TOOTHPASTE!!! That's right. Get a cheap tube of #toothpaste, dab a little on a soft cloth and rub it on the cabinet to take those crayon marks right off. I would not use this method often, but in a pinch it will work and will not damage the varnish on your cabinets.
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