How to care for a matte kitchen

Matte kitchen sets with facades made of MDF and plastic are at the height of fashion. In order for the furniture to look like new for many years, it is important to know how to care for a matte kitchen, what cleaning products and items can and should be used, and which ones should absolutely not be used.

There is an opinion that stains, abrasions and damage are more noticeable on glossy surfaces than on matte ones. In part, this is true, but this advantage does not at all exclude timely care of furniture.

General rules for caring for matte kitchens

Greasy deposits on facades, wall panels, and countertops are a mixture of fumes, dust and drops of grease. The less often you wash a matte kitchen, the more difficult the cleaning process is, the more time it takes to restore order. The most important rule comes into play here: the cooking process must be clean!

Think over your personal individual schedule and method of cleaning furniture, taking into account your daily routine, busy schedule, and frequency of cooking;
Carefully read the instructions for caring for the headset. Manufacturers, as a rule, recommend the best option, taking into account the materials and components used;
Test cleaning products on a small area before use;
Wear protective gloves.

Kitchens to order

Pollution prevention

To make the facades “repel” dirt, you can rub them with wax polish. It creates a protective layer on the surface of the furniture, making it easier to keep it clean.

Modular furniture after polishing.

The most difficult thing to regularly care for is modular furniture - a lot of grease, dust and other dirt gets into the cracks between the individual elements, and it is difficult to wash these places. Therefore, it is worth using overlays - connectors for the tabletop. They will protect the side walls of the modules from moisture, dirt, and aggressive chemicals. Of course, if the modular kitchen consists of free-standing parts, then you will just have to regularly wipe the side panels.

How to clean a matte kitchen?

Timely care will require a small investment of time and inexpensive purchases; you will need:

mild detergents that break down fats;
soft cloth napkins (microfiber, flannel);
sponges and disposable paper towels.

When caring for furniture you should not use:

steam cleaners;
accessories and products with abrasive particles containing chlorine, sodium, alkali.

The alcohol solution should be used with caution.

For cleaning plumbing

Washing plumbing requires high-quality cleaning and disinfection . This is especially important for the kitchen.

Dr.Beckmann, Miracle paste 3 in 1

The paste is a universal product in concentrated form, which is suitable for caring for various surfaces.

Pros:

universal product;
high efficiency;
surface polishing;
no unpleasant odor;
can be used even without gloves;
good surface distribution.

Cons: high price. Cost – from 500 rubles. Read reviews here, here and here.

CHISTIN Universal

The universal preparation can be used for cleaning plumbing fixtures and washing floors. The sanitary product contains chlorine.

Advantages:

Disinfection.
Removing rust.
Mold protection.
Affordable price.
Elimination of limescale.
Versatility.

Flaws:

repulsive odor;
it takes a few minutes to take effect.

Price - about 100 rubles on average. Read reviews here, here and here.

Organic People spray Eco

A universal eco-friendly product designed for washing plumbing fixtures and tiles.

Advantages:

versatility;
removes lime deposits;
removes unpleasant odor;
hypoallergenic composition (contains citric acid and soda);
environmentally friendly product.

Minuses:

does not always cope with old stains the first time;
has a pronounced fragrance.

Cost – from 180 rubles. Read reviews here, here and here.

How to clean a matte kitchen

The surfaces of modern kitchen facades are well protected, but require timely and gentle care. To monitor the headset, you will need:

soap, shampoo or gels that gently break down fats;
microfiber, flannel, felt cloths;
soft sponges and disposable paper towels.

Can not use:

scrapers, knives, blades with abrasive inserts, metal brushes;
steam cleaners (suitable for solid wood kitchens);
products containing chlorine, sodium, alkali;
alcohol products (it is allowed to use a weak solution of ethyl alcohol to remove stains and treat plastic facades);
products containing abrasive particles;
home remedies - vinegar, soda, lemon juice (there is a high probability of damage to surfaces if the dosage is incorrect).

Catalog of matte kitchens

How to wash matte kitchens made of MDF in film

Film facades do not tolerate products containing oils and wax. The film loses elasticity and color, swells and peels off. It is recommended to wash matte MDF facades with soap, use an alcohol solution, or silicone-based polishes.

Prepare a mild soap solution and a soft sponge;
To remove stains, add a weak solution of alcohol;
Apply the composition and rinse several times, removing traces of soap;
Wipe the surface dry using a microfiber cloth;
Apply polish for protection.

Kitchens to order

How to wash matte painted MDF kitchens

Experts note that a matte kitchen with painted facades is more practical to maintain than kitchen sets with laminated and varnished components. The paint has high adhesion, but does not tolerate solvents and abrasives.

When dirty, wipe off the dust with a damp cloth and remove greasy stains with mild detergents.

You will not go wrong and will not damage the furniture if you clean matte kitchen facades using a soap solution without adding abrasive particles, silicone polishes for cleaning and protection.

Prepare a soap solution, remove dirt;
Wash several times until the soap marks disappear;
Dry the surface with a fiber cloth or paper towel.

How to clean matte plastic kitchens

To clean plastic facades, it is preferable to choose products that do not contain abrasive particles, acids, or chlorine.

The method of care is delicate, using a soap and alcohol solution to remove greasy stains.

Apply cleaning compound;
Clean the facades from dirt and wipe with a sponge several times until any soap marks disappear;
Wipe the façade dry.

Catalog of matte kitchens

Problem #2. The glossy surface of the furniture has yellowed or faded

Unfortunately, over time, the glossy finish may lose its original color and acquire a yellowish or greenish tint. This usually happens in places exposed to sunlight, and only with cheap facades coated with polyurethane varnishes or PVC films of suspicious quality. Acrylic coatings are more expensive, but they are more UV resistant and will not yellow over time.

Painted MDF facades can also turn yellow over time - if they were coated with alkyd-based paints.

At first, the color of this set was the same as that of the refrigerator.

It is no longer possible to restore the original color using household chemicals. One of the ways to return facades to their “former greatness” is by sanding and painting with high-quality enamel or pasting with a good film (not Chinese). But finding a contractor who will agree to carry out such a restoration will be quite difficult.

An easier option is to completely replace the doors. In this case, based on past mistakes, you can choose a glossy acrylic, plastic or wooden kitchen.

If the yellowness appears as a result of many years of exposure to grease and soot on the furniture, then you can try to clean it:

Mix vinegar or wood cleaner with water in a 1:1 ratio and pour the resulting solution into a spray bottle.
Spray in some inconspicuous place, wipe several times in a circular motion with a soft sponge, after wearing rubber gloves. After making sure that everything is fine with the surface, wipe all yellowed areas.
Rinse the sponge thoroughly with clean water and rinse the solution from the facades.
Wipe everything with a soft, dry cloth.

If this method does not help, you can try a special paste for washing furniture and bathroom fixtures in the kitchen. Also apply a little to an inconspicuous area first to make sure it is safe.

How to remove grease stains

If you cook on the stove, then oil splashes will inevitably fall on the countertop, wall panels and facades. A water solution of liquid detergent helps to clean matte kitchen facades from greasy stains.

Add a few drops of shampoo or gel to a container of water and stir thoroughly;
Apply the composition and see how the stains behave;
Make sure surfaces are clean and dry with a soft cloth.

It's not just grease stains that remain on kitchen furniture. Stains left by:

splashes of water;
tea and coffee;
red wine;
turmeric;
beet and tomato juice;
juices from berries;
tobacco smoke.

Traces are especially noticeable on light-colored facades and countertops; if quickly detected, they can be easily washed off with water. Over time, they eat into the surface, and to remove them requires special means and time. In such cases, it is better and safer to use an alcohol solution.

General recommendations

And now some special recommendations and warnings.

For a wooden kitchen (painted with stain, enamel or other types of paint, unpainted but treated with oil/wax/polish/special impregnations/matte varnish, etc.	For all other kitchens: glossy, varnished, plastic, laminated and painted MDF and chipboard sets
A wooden kitchen requires the most delicate care. Most “folk” remedies like peroxide, ammonia, alcohol or citric acid are contraindicated for it, as well as ordinary alkali-based household chemicals.	Whether you use expensive or cheap household chemicals, the main thing is that it contains alkali. It is the one that most effectively copes with grease and dirt.
Manufacturers of wooden kitchens recommend washing facades only with special products with neutral Ph or a solution of warm water and soap (dishwashing detergent), diluted in a ratio of 5:95. But what if the Fairy solution does not remove old fat and stubborn stains? Ideally, thorough cleaning of the kitchen should be entrusted to special cleaning services, especially if the kitchen is relatively new, with expensive finishes. Our recipes are in most cases safe for wood, but there is still some risk in them.	It is convenient to use a spray bottle to clean the kitchen.
When wiping the kitchen, try to move along the grain of the wood, and not against or across. This will allow you to better clean the pores of the material and act more delicately on the fibers.	Before applying cleaning agent to the contaminated area, moisten it, for example, using a spray bottle. Moisture will speed up the chemical process somewhat. reaction and will make cleaning easier.
The rag should not be too wet. Excess moisture is harmful to wooden surfaces.
After washing and cleaning wooden furniture, do not forget to treat it with protective wax, oil or polish.

garage roof is leaking, how to fix it

How to clean a matte kitchen from stains

If you choose and use the wrong detergents, you often have to clean a matte kitchen from stains. In this case, you need products that gently but effectively break down fats and do not contain ammonia and acids. For care and protection, you can use silicone-based furniture polishes.

Moisten a soft cloth with a small amount of product;
Clean the facade from dirt and immediately polish it with a dry cloth.

Catalog of matte kitchens

Conclusion

Buying matte kitchen furniture, especially custom-made ones, is an opportunity to decorate the space beautifully and comfortably, taking into account your preferences. Practicality, the ability of furniture to maintain its appearance at minimal cost is an important point that should be paid attention to when developing a design project.

Ask the experts which facades are easier to care for, choose an option based on color, texture - find a solution so that during the most ordinary cleaning it will be easier for you to wash the matte surface of the kitchen unit and easily return it to its proper appearance.

How to polish gloss

To give a glossy shine, the surface is polished after washing. It is better to use wax-free products with an antistatic agent, as they protect cabinets from the accumulation of static electricity and dust deposits.

The most popular polishing products are “Cinderella”, “Pronto”, “Homestar”, “Mebelux”. The selected polish is applied to the washed kitchen unit with a clean microfiber or cotton cloth. After drying, the product is gently rubbed in until shine appears and streaks disappear.

Polishing is the final stage of cleaning

Let's protect the beauty of the kitchen - how to maintain MDF kitchen sets

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

Friends and enemies of MDF

Before purchasing a batch of cleaning products, we will decide what will suit us and what will not.

You should immediately exclude:

any alcohol-based cleaning products;

Note! An exception to this rule is ethyl alcohol; it will not damage the protective coating of the MDF set.

Cleaning old stains with steam works well, but in the case of MDF it’s better to forget about a steam cleaner . Even if the coating is not damaged externally, peeling of the film and other problems may occur in this area in the future;

The steam cleaner is suitable for metal and tiles, but not for delicate MDF

such folk remedies as vegetable oil, toothpaste, soda (the last 2 are abrasives, so we exclude them). You can make a good cleaning product with your own hands, but this requires special care; more about “traditional medicine” below;
all substances containing acids, alkalis, sodium and chlorine . Usually on the packaging the manufacturer indicates the area of application of the cleaning product; if the list does not include MDF furniture, then it is better not to take risks.

As for household chemicals, furniture cleaning products are quite suitable; their composition is most often neutral, there are no abrasive particles, so the set will remain intact. If small scratches do occur, polish can help.

PVC film

Another way to cover kitchen facades is by gluing PVC film using a vacuum press. Such kitchens, just like plastic ones, are considered an economical option.

The film is quite resistant to mechanical stress and is able to maintain color brightness for a long time.

However, such a coating may peel off due to excess moisture. Therefore, when cleaning facades covered with film, you need to carefully wring out the cloth.

You can use either soap or glass cleaner for cleaning.

Mustard

You can also remove grease stains with mustard. To do this you need:

mix mustard with water to a paste;
apply the resulting mixture to the dirt;
leave for a few minutes;
wash off the composition with a sponge moistened with warm water.

Do not press too hard on the sponge, as the gloss is susceptible to scratches.

What kills MDF

In store windows, the shiny surfaces of any, even the cheapest, headset attracts the eye. But it often happens that after a couple of years of use, not a trace remains of its former shine and beauty. And even if the price of the furniture is not too high compared to its solid wood counterpart, this is still no reason to treat it carelessly.

There are several ways to ruin MDF headsets:

use cleaning agents containing alkalis, acids, and solvents. Although MDF is protected by several layers of paint or enamel or PVC film, this coating will quickly lose its original appearance when exposed to certain types of household chemicals;
use abrasive cleaning products - the appearance will suffer, scratches will look especially sloppy on a glossy, shiny surface;

Note! Even wiping the surface of MDF is better with a soft cloth; we immediately exclude scrapers and brushes (even with soft bristles) from our arsenal.

MDF is not 100% protected from moisture. If water gets on the headset, but immediately blot it and wipe the surface dry, then nothing bad will happen. It is much worse if moisture gets into hard-to-reach places, for example, between the kitchen wall and the back wall of furniture. Over time, the material will swell and it will be impossible to restore its former shape;
Even an accidental blow of moderate force can leave a mark on the surface. If the shape of an MDF kitchen set does not fit perfectly into the kitchen space, then marks will most likely appear on the interfering part in the future.

MDF can be easily damaged