By: Mark Maupin

When you first move into a new home, you may be in love with the look of everything. It's all so new and fresh looking. Initially, many are afraid to touch anything as they want to keep it looking clean and new as long as possible. But then the reality sets in. You are going to live here, which means you have to touch things, do things and get to work in the kitchen to create meals.

When it comes to wear and tear, the kitchen is often the most overworked room in the house. Just consider what it takes to prepare a meal and this is not a surprise. Then add in all the cooking done in this room and there is always moisture and grease in the air from that cooking and you can understand how the cabinets and countertops can take a beating.

But before you give up hope, this does not mean you can't have them looking like new. With the right maintenance techniques, you can keep your cabinets clean and fresh looking for many years.

Cooking

Ready to get cooking in the kitchen? When preparing food, never use sharp and metal utensils directly on the counter top. We all have moments when we are lazy and think if we are careful we can make the cut, but all it takes is one miss to regret it for years to come. It's best to pull out the cutting board, every time.

Cleaning

You should set up a regular cleaning schedule for your cabinets and countertops. The more frequently you clean them the better, as you are not giving dirt, dust and residue time to build up. You should use care when cleaning. Many cabinets and countertops are somewhat soft surfaces. While they will hold up to you preparing meals on the surface, they can scratch if you are too rough on them. For this reason, you should use a mild detergent that is not abrasive on the surfaces.

Another thing to keep in mind is all that water that gets all over the place when you are cleaning your countertops. Make sure to take a little extra time to dry it up. If you leave just a little bit of water near the back of your countertop it may find a way to seep in between the backsplash and calking and start to rot away part of your counter.

Caring

Regularly check your cabinets for wear and tear. Being opened and closed all the time is a lot of work. It is not uncommon to have hinge and knob screws loosen a little bit on newer cabinetry items. You should check them and tighten any screws as needed. Ignoring this problem can cause damage to the cabinets as they are pulling against loose screws.

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995 South Main

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800-942-6394

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