Kitchen cupboard hygiene: five easy steps - By: Warren Campbell

Investing in new kitchen cabinets is a sure-fire way of improving the general look and feel of your kitchen area and simultaneously raising the value of your property (whether it is your home or office space) considerably. Choosing the kitchen cupboards for your home or office is one thing, keeping them in a good condition is quite another. I have put together some tips that will help you to keep your cabinetry as good as new with the minimum of fuss.

1. Clean regularly: Kitchens are a breeding ground for all kinds of nasty moulds and bacteria, and keeping your surface areas and kitchen cabinets clean will go a long way to ensuring a hygienic food preparation area. While surface areas require daily cleaning, kitchen cupboards only need a thorough scrubbing once every two weeks. Keeping up with this schedule will ensure that your cabinets do not become dull and ‘gummy’, as untended kitchen furniture is prone to do.

2. Match your cleaning product to your surface type: Most modern-day kitchen cupboards are finished with a catalysed conversion varnish. This type of varnish is the easiest to clean and only require the occasional wipe with a damp cloth. If there is a stain that is particularly hard to get out, you might try a bit of soapy water, but steer clear of any abrasives of waxy products – these will just shorten the lifespan of the surfaces.

Metal inserts and joinery can be cleaned using mild soap and water. Most of the metal parts found on contemporary kitchen cabinets are manufactured with a coating that protects against corrosion and abrasion and cleaning the joinery with harsh chemicals will strip it of this protective layer. Simply give it a thorough wiping with a damp cloth once a week.

3. Raid the pantry: Television- and magazine advertisements will have us all think that we need a variety of costly cleaning products to keep our homes clean. In fact, most of what you need is already in your pantry. Baking soda, for instance, is suitable for removing most common household stains from cabinet surfaces. Use two or three tablespoons of baking soda per cup of warm water and gently remove grease and stubborn splatters with a sponge. Afterwards, rinse down with cold water and dab with a paper towel. Alternatively, use a combination of equal parts vinegar and warm water and get rid of food build-up in no time.

4. A stitch in time saves nine: Keeping your kitchen clean does not need to take long if you keep on top of things. Here are a few hints that will cut your cleaning time in half:
• Clean spills and liquids immediately.
• Do not leave newspapers and other printed media on cabinet surfaces, the ink can seep into the surface finishing and in time, leave unattractive (and stubborn) marks.
• Instead of sliding objects across surfaces, pick it up and minimise the risk of scratching.

5. Be gentle: It’s understandable that you might want to break out a scrubbing brush or steel wool pad at the first sign of a stain, but rather refrain – often, a simple wiping with a damp cloth will have the same effect, while keeping your kitchen cabinets’ protective surfaces intact.

And there you have it. Follow these few simple guidelines and keep your kitchen cupboards and other office furniture looking brand new without spending the earth.

About the Author

Martin Johnson is an industrial designer that specialises in ergonomic office furniture. He recently completed a design for user-friendly kitchen cabinets.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Warren-Campbell/54208

Additional Articles From - Home | Home & family | Home improvement