How to clean kitchen furniture facades

Kitchen furniture made from MDF allows you to kill several birds with one stone - its cost is lower than furniture made from solid wood, the material is quite durable, and the variety of colors will appeal to picky housewives. Well, in order for your favorite headset to please the eye for many years, you need to remember once and for all a few simple rules for its maintenance.

Preserving this beauty is not an easy task

How to clean glossy facades?

Although glossy facades come in different types, they are united by a common principle of the final coating. The most important thing to remember is that glossy facades cannot be rubbed with hard sponges or cleaned with abrasives. Otherwise, they will quickly lose their shine and you will see a large number of scratches after the first care.

Method number 1. How to remove fingerprints from glossy facades

The main inconvenience faced by owners of glossy kitchens is fingerprints that remain when touched carelessly. In such cases, it is better to install a handle on the facade than a push-opening mechanism. Fortunately, you can remove such “contaminants” very easily.

One of the methods, which is often recommended on forums, is very simple and has been tested by thousands of housewives. For this we need:

Glass cleaning liquid
2 cotton cloths

It's simple:

From a distance of 20-30 centimeters, apply 2-3 sprays of glass washing liquid on the facade, wipe with one rag, then wipe dry with a second rag. Done, the facade shines again!

Method number 2. How to remove grease stains from a glossy façade

Have you often grabbed the fronts with greasy hands in a hurry while cooking? Perhaps after some time you will find stubborn greasy stains on the doors that cannot be removed using the method described above. In this case, you need to act as soon as possible.

Attention!

No abrasives or strong chemicals! They will save you not only from greasy stains, but also from gloss (and possibly corrode the paint on the facade)

Option 1 (Economy):

The method for removing such stains is quite exotic, but effective. It was also recommended on one of the forums. For this we need:

Ammonia
Cotton cloth
Cotton pad

Everything here is also quite simple. Lightly wet a cotton pad with ammonia and blot the greasy stain. Ammonia has a degreasing effect, so after a minute and a half you can wash it off with a dry cloth.

Option 2:

A more expensive method, because you will need to buy Amway LOK detergent (this is not an advertisement, again advice from the forum). Dilute the product in a small amount of warm water, apply to the stain and after a couple of minutes wipe with a dry cloth. If the first option did not work, this one will help in almost 100% of cases.

The most important thing is that the spots are not too neglected. If film and plastic are difficult to remove, but can be wiped off, then painted facades will most likely have to be sanded and repainted.

General recommendations

The most important rule is: ALWAYS test the cleaner on an inconspicuous area before cleaning your kitchen. Treat it, then wipe clean and dry, wait 1-2 minutes and evaluate whether the color of the coating has changed, whether the shine has disappeared, etc.
A greasy coating on kitchen furniture is a mixture of dust with fumes and a tiny suspension of fat that forms during cooking. The older the plaque, the more difficult it is to get rid of it. Therefore, the optimal schedule for “general” cleaning of the kitchen from grease is 1-2 times a year, “major” cleaning is every 2 months using mild products and, of course, when the need arises.
To clean hard-to-reach areas, crevices, or decorative trim, use a toothbrush dipped in the cleaner from our article. You can also clean narrow crevices with a knife wrapped in cloth.

How to clean film facades made of MDF (not glossy)

In fact, the most difficult thing to care for is glossy facades; everything else is easier. But of course, if the case is advanced, there is always the possibility of not being able to cope with the contamination on your own.

The easiest option is to use laundry soap or a degreasing detergent. Apply, wait, erase. The Amway “LOK” remedy described above also helps well against stubborn dirt. At least housewives often recommend it.

Today, furniture with MDF facades is perhaps the most popular choice of the modern consumer. The production of MDF facades opens up many possibilities for buyers regarding interior solutions and, in addition, affordable prices, high aesthetic values, durability, and practicality are attractive characteristics for the buyer. However, furniture care is not the last issue for the consumer. The façade is the “face” of a furniture structure; it is the first thing that catches your eye, so you want to preserve the pristine beauty and attractiveness of the façade itself and its decoration for a long time.

Summarizing

A kitchen set should always be pleasing to the eye; unfortunately, grease and other traditional kitchen contaminants can quickly deprive the set of its attractiveness. But you can easily cope with this problem - just don’t run the kitchen and regularly clean the kitchen furniture.

The video in this article shows a couple of tricks for cleaning kitchen fronts.

In the comments, you can share your recipes for cleaning kitchen furniture.

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The best remedy for pollution is regular care

It is very important to clean dirt regularly, especially if it is light colors and MDF kitchen facade. Drops of grease and dirt can quickly be eaten away and then more aggressive means and efforts on the part of the housewife will be needed to clean the surface. It is worth remembering that abrasive agents and aggressive components have a very negative effect on the finish of the MDF facade; they corrode and damage the paint and film on the plastic coating. Therefore, the rule here is that it is better to wash more often with light products rather than rarely with aggressive and strong ones.

Laminated surface

The laminated door leaf is covered with a thin protective film, which makes maintenance easier.

Alcohol solution - dilute 1 part alcohol in 9 parts warm water. Dampen a soft cloth in this solution and wipe away any dirt. If possible, apply the cloth to the surface for 5 minutes. Then wipe with a dry cloth.
Soap solution - 72% liquid laundry soap is available for sale. It works great on grease stains. Treat the surface with a cloth soaked in soap and rinse with warm water. This must be done quickly so that moisture does not absorb into the door leaf. If you don’t have liquid soap, you can grate half a bar of laundry soap and dilute it with warm water, or simply rub a sponge thickly with soap.

What to wash and how to clean?

Many housewives clean the MDF facade using regular dishwashing detergents. Usually they do not contain overly aggressive solvents, but on the contrary, the manufacturer adds softening components to the product for the skin of the hands; MDF furniture will also be “pleasant” from such components. It is enough to dilute the detergent in water until foam forms and wipe off drops of grease from the surface immediately. If the dirt is already old, there is another trick - apply foam to these areas and wait a while; dirt and old grease will come off the surface much easier.

Flirty sparkle or calm chic? Pros and cons of glossy and matte kitchens

Kitchen fashion has never changed as quickly as it does now. The trend is either muted tones or daring shine. You will inevitably get confused about which kitchen to choose - glossy or matte. These two types of facades are polar opposites. Which one is more practical and easier to clean, and which one looks more impressive? Is it necessary to sacrifice convenience for the sake of beauty - isn’t it possible to get everything at once? This is what we will talk about today.

You shouldn’t cut from the shoulder - carefully weigh your choice. Remember: the entire home atmosphere depends on the type of furniture, because the kitchen is the heart of the home. Mentally imagine two scales - now we will put the arguments for a glossy or matte kitchen façade on them. Also, let’s look at photos of modern interiors and summarize reviews about them.

Each room has its own design

Fashion is not the best adviser in choosing furniture. The main criterion should be the parameters of your premises. So, for the owner of a small kitchen with a low ceiling, it is simply stupid to buy a black matte set that appears on the covers of magazines. The trend will make some noise and go away, but poorly chosen furniture will remain. To avoid getting into trouble, remember the general criteria for selecting a headset:

Glossy kitchen: everything is visible

Here are the undeniable advantages of shiny facades:

creating the illusion of space (especially if the set is white). However, any light surface – both matte and glossy – has this property; what is better - decide for yourself;
reflection of light. Any rays - both solar and electric - are doubled by the gloss. This is a great option if the kitchen windows face the dark side;
the ability to lift your spirits. Glitter has the ability to shake off apathy and keep our psyche in good shape.

But there are also disadvantages:

noticeable fingerprints and dust stains (which, however, are easy to erase);
rapid appearance of scratches (in case of poor-quality coating);
the need to hide small objects, because, reflected from the facades, they create chaos;
the feeling of being on stage, under the spotlight.

However, if you adore publicity, and glare and “bunnies” do not irritate your eyes, the last property of gloss, on the contrary, will suit your taste.

Matte set: anti-stress furniture

If we summarize all the positive reviews about muted-tone facades, the following come to the fore:

practicality and ease of cleaning (you just need to choose a gentle detergent);
calm, not flashy chic;
intimacy and comfort (it has been noticed that being in such a kitchen relieves the stress of a hectic day);
pleasant to the touch and warmer surface than gloss.

Not without a fly in the ointment. In the case of a matte set it is:

a more modest palette of shades than gloss;
visual reduction of space. However, by choosing light furniture and a glass apron, this minus can be neutralized;
sometimes there is a need for additional lamps, because the matte surface absorbs light. Here is a good option for illuminating a matte headset:

What if you combine both textures?

For those who can’t decide which is better – extravagance or modesty, there is a third solution: combining the two materials together. This eliminates the question of which kitchen set to choose - glossy or matte. The main condition is that the pattern and color of the facades match (this will hide the difference in their textures). In the photo you see a spectacular duo living together in the same kitchen: the top is glossy, the bottom is matte:

This is an excellent solution for a family with children. The lower cabinets will not be covered with fingerprints every now and then, and the whole kitchen will look neat.

Let's sum it up

We looked at the situation in which kitchen is better - glossy or matte - and came up with three alternatives:

The first solution - the matte surface of the facades - is optimal for a spacious kitchen in the style of classic, country, shabby chic, French Provence. The room exudes elegance and comfort.
The second solution - gloss - is the best solution for a small kitchen; It will appeal to lovers of glamor, modern, and loft.
The third solution is a combination of matte and glossy facades in the kitchen - a kind of golden mean. Playful brilliance is balanced by philosophical calm.

Folk remedies for caring for MDF facades

For some reason, when people mention folk cleaning products, they immediately start reaching for water or salt. In the case of MDF, such a recipe will definitely not work, because it is an abrasive. But with the help of mustard you can prepare a good fat remover. To do this, you need to mix mustard with water to a paste consistency, apply it to the stains and wash it off after a while.

The following will also help:

vodka and alcohol mixed one to one with water;
ammonia (1 tablespoon per liter of water), you only need to leave this product for a few minutes, especially when it comes to glossy surfaces;
lemon zest or juice combined with vinegar and alcohol;
Regular or apple cider vinegar diluted with vodka can be used regularly to wipe the facades with the composition so that dirt does not have time to accumulate on them.

Summing up, we can confidently say that MDF facades do not require any special complex care or the purchase of expensive chemicals; everything you need can be easily found at hand at home!

Method 1. Express cleaning and polishing for advanced cases (soda + vegetable oil)

PURPOSE: wooden UNpainted kitchens and countertops (coated with matte varnish, oil, wax, polish, any impregnations), varnished and laminated kitchens made of MDF and chipboard, aprons made of any materials.

This recipe is especially helpful if you need to bring an old kitchen or countertop back to life with minimal time and money.

With its help, you can, firstly, easily remove tightly adhered drops of fat, plaque and stains. Secondly, to “seal” the pores of the wood, protecting it from moisture and dirt. And thirdly, to give the facades a natural shine and brightness. Essentially, this old homemade recipe replaces both cleaner and furniture polish.

CAUTION: Painted wood kitchens and light wood kitchens (oil may yellow slightly).

CLEANING FREQUENCY: It is important that cleaning with soda-oil cleaner is carried out regularly - at least every 2 months. The fact is that oil tends to oxidize and lose its protective properties, possibly changing color.

Step 1. Mix 1.5 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (you can use more in a ratio of 1.5:1).

Step 2. Apply the resulting “scrub” to contaminated surfaces, paying special attention to cabinets in the stove area. The soda will crumble a little, and the oil will be absorbed like polish. You will see that the tree will become cleaner and a little brighter before your eyes.

Step 3: Wipe treated areas with a clean, damp microfiber or soft cloth.

Step 4. Wipe the remaining cabinets from dust and light dirt with a damp cloth. If necessary, you can treat the entire kitchen with an oil-soda solution.

Required Tools

To wash plastic from nicotine deposits, grease, dust and other contaminants, you need to use only soft, gentle products and tools.

To care for plastic panels you will need:

Attention! To preserve plastic products for as long as possible, it is recommended to use self-prepared cleaning solutions.