Clean liquid spills as they occur. Areas around the sink and dishwasher may need cleaning more often. Never drape wet dish clothes or dishtowels over your cabinet door/s. Eventually, the excessive moisture will cause permanent damage to your cabinet door/s. Clean cabinet interiors with warm water and a very small amount of mild dish detergent solution. We recommend that you dry with a soft cloth immediately after washing. Due to the nature of wood core products, excessive water left behind may seep into seams and damage this material.
Avoid Excessive Heat caused by Cooking Appliances
Never operate Range or Cooktop burners unless there is cookware on the burner/s to absorb the generated heat. Failure to do so, may allow excessive radiant heat to damage materials or the finish of adjacent cabinetry.
Self-cleaning appliances create a great deal of heat during their self-cleaning process. Since there is a chance that some of this heat may escape through seals or gaskets, we recommend you either pull your oven out approximately 15cm (6”) or remove adjacent cabinet doors and drawers while the self-cleaning feature is in use.
Wood Cabinetry and Relative Humidity
Products manufactured from wood have a tendency to increase their moisture content during the humid season (generally Spring and Summer in North America) causing the wood to expand. However, during the dry season (generally Fall and Winter in North America) wood has a tendency to relinquish moisture content causing the wood to contract. Maintaining the Relative Humidity of your homes air within the range of 35 to 45% throughout the year will almost eliminate the issues and problems arising from expansion/contraction of wood products.
Floor Washing near the Bottoms of Cabinetry
When washing the floors near the bottoms of your cabinets avoid puddles of water. These puddles can be absorbed upwards into toe kicks, pilasters and panels causing excessive swelling and damage to the cabinetry finish. The best method is to wash close to the cabinetry with a dampened mop or cloth. After washing this area, wipe with a dry cloth removing any residual moisture.
Cleaning of Wood Cabinetry
As mentioned above, it is imperative that you avoid excessive moisture while cleaning your cabinetry. Simply wipe cabinetry with a clean, dampened cloth from a solution of warm water and a small amount of mild dish detergent. Wipe dry immediately with a dry, soft cloth. We recommend that you use a 100% cotton cloth. We recommend you clean then dry small areas at a time. This will reduce the amount of time moisture from the damp cloth will be on the wood. For best cleaning results, wipe in the direction of the wood grain, rather than in a circular motion. Avoid harsh cleaning products containing ammonia, bleach, wax, or silicone. The use of these products may damage the finish of wood cabinets.
Cleaning of Laminate (LPL & HPL) and Painted Cabinetry
Clean with a solution of warm water and a small amount of mild dish detergent. Simply wipe clean with a cloth dampened in the water/detergent solution and dry immediately with a soft cloth to avoid streaking. Cabinetry damage from excessive water seeping into seams may occur, therefore, make sure all cabinetry is properly wiped dry with a dry cloth after washing. Avoid harsh cleaning products containing ammonia, bleach, wax, or silicone. The use of these products may damage the finish of the cabinets.
Cleaning Cabinet Hardware
Clean pull hardware with a damp cloth using a solution of warm water and a small amount of mild dish detergent. Dry the pull hardware and surrounding area immediately after cleaning. Clean hinges with a damp cloth or a damp cotton-tipped swab. Do not use brass or silver cleaners to clean pull hardware. Some of these solutions may contain harsh chemicals that will damage the finish on pull hardware.