How Often Should You Be Cleaning Your Kitchen Cabinets

Your kitchen cabinet gets exposed to a lot of things: water, grease, dust, food particles, and even air exposure can chip away at your kitchen cabinets in time. That's where regular cleaning comes in handy - by cleaning your kitchen cabinets regularly, you're able to keep a clean cabinet that can keep away harmful bacteria from your food. Aside from being in good condition, a clean cabinet just looks better - especially if it's wood cabinetry.

But how often should you be cleaning your kitchen cabinets? Most experts advise that you do regular maintenance and cleaning of your kitchen cabinets every 3 to 5 months, though you should wipe away cooking residues, food smudges, and other stains from the cabinet surface or faces every week. Weekly cleaning of your kitchen cabinet can help keep your entire kitchen clean, and your home that much more sanitary.

Why Kitchen Cabinets Need Cleaning

Kitchen cabinets see a lot of wear and tear over their lifetime. As primary storage of food items, they can get a buildup of food particles; our frequent opening and closing can invite heavy dust buildup on cabinets; their exposure to things like the heat from cooking and the water from the kitchen sink can damage the cabinet exteriors. Even if your cabinet materials are sturdy, there are also other things like cabinet hardware (handles, knobs, hinges, and the like) to consider with their use.

It's not necessarily a daunting task to clean your cabinets - it's more of a consistency problem. Sure, you can do a quick wipe every now and then, but for particularly tough stains that need a deep clean, you'll need to do a little more. Even just following the basic maintenance tips can prevent your cabinet from being a ground for bacteria, and keeping your cabinetry pristine long-term.

But unless you're using cabinet-cleaning services, you'll most have to rely on cleaning your cabinet on your own. Fortunately, more than a few handy guides exist on how to keep your cabinet clean - the only thing you need to remember is the frequency.

The Ideal Kitchen Cabinet Cleaning Schedule

When thinking about how often you should clean your cabinet, the first thing you should remember is that the parts of your cabinet don't experience dirt or use the same way. Obviously, the parts of your cabinet that are exposed to the air should be cleaned a lot more, while you can take a little more liberty with the parts that are inside.

However, this will also rely on what exactly you're keeping inside your kitchen cabinet, as well as how frequently you use your kitchen. A good rule of thumb is the more frequent you use your kitchen, the more you'll have to clean.

The Outside Of Your Cabinet: Every Two Weeks

The outside of your kitchen cabinet includes the cabinet door, any cabinet hardware like handles, knobs, or sliders, and the frame and underbody if it's a hanging cabinet. These should always be cleaned every two weeks since they're the parts that get exposed the most.

Here are things you need to keep in mind when cleaning the outside of your cabinet:

• Antibacterial spray can help keep bacteria and other microorganisms (which sometimes can be transferred from uncooked food) from spreading on the surface
• Do not use overly abrasive cleaners or chemicals if you're trying to preserve the finish of your cabinets
• Also clean cabinet hardware like knobs and handles, since you touch them frequently
• Remember to get rid of any accumulation of dust before you start wiping
• A polishing cloth can make your finish look better, but only after you've finished the majority of the cleaning
• Tough stains like water or vinegar can be removed with all-purpose cleaners, but be careful to not damage the outside of the cabinet

The specific type of cleaner you'll use will also depend on the material of your cabinet: a metal or a glass cabinet can tolerate harsh chemicals when used in moderation, but you need to be especially careful with wooden cabinets since they can erode. When in doubt, just use a mildly damp cloth mixed with a bit of dish soap for a cursory cleaning.

The Inside Of Your Cabinet: Every Three To Five Months

The inside of your kitchen cabinet may not seem like it requires a lot of cleaning, but it's actually possible for dust and other bits of debris to get in there when you open and close it. Dust mites in particular can be a huge issue for a dirty kitchen cabinet interior, and can even affect the quality of the food that you store there.

Here are the things you need to keep in mind when cleaning the inside of your kitchen cabinet:

• Always make sure the insides are in dry conditions to avoid mold from forming
• Take out everything from the inside of the cabinets before you clean so you can reach hidden spots
• Check the expiry dates of anything before you put them back inside to avoid bacteria growth
• You can use bath towels or other cloth covers as a way to collect settling dust in the future for easier cleaning
• Give your cabinets ample time to "breathe" or air out after cleaning for at least 1 to 2 hours
• Remember to remove any bits of plastic or wrappings from food
• Check cabinet walls for any signs of mold or insects that may be nesting there
• If you need to wipe down the inside, use a microfiber cloth to collect as much dust/dirt as you can without damaging the insides

The insides of your kitchen cabinet may not require frequent cleaning, but they do require deep cleaning to make sure that your food storage is safe and sanitary. This also applies to keeping any utensils like dishes inside of them, since bacteria and dirt can still cling to their surfaces.

Quality Wooden Furnishings And Floorings From Zothex

Your cabinet - like most things in your kitchen - deserves a good clean every now and then, but it's also important to make sure that you do it properly. As food containers and stockpiles of the things we use every day, kitchen cabinets need to be in clean conditions so you avoid getting sick, making a mess in your kitchen, or otherwise destroying your cabinet surfaces.

Zothex has plenty of experience with kitchen cabinets and other essential furnishings in the house. While we can't exactly help you clean your cabinets, we can help you renovate, replace, or upgrade them if they're starting to get old or damaged. We have an extensive inventory of wood kitchen cabinets, different cabinet types, and other essential fixtures for your home.

Call us now at (916) 925 - 1958 to learn more about our products and services.

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