Care and Cleaning

Enviroment:

Many environmental factors can damage your cabinets, such as moisture, light, temperature, smoke, and time. The following steps can be taken to help protect your cabinets.

Always:

• Dry surfaces where water or excess moisture has accumulated immediately. Pay special attention to the areas around your sink, range, dishwasher, toe spaces, and base-boards. When cleaning water off your cabinets use a blotting action rather than a wiping action. If wiping, wipe with the grain.
• Keep your home climate controlled, a non-climate controlled home or building will be susceptible to damage from humidity and temperature fluctuations.
• Remove the doors and drawers of all cabinets adjacent, below and above the oven during the cleaning cycle of self-cleaning appliances. The cleaning cycle generates excessive heat that could affect the finish and/or surface of the cabinets. We also recommend a de-lamination shield to be placed between the oven cabinet and any adjacent cabinets.
• Use protective pads for hot dishes, hot & cold beverages, flower pots & vases, or anything that could accumulate moisture or heat onto your cabinets.
• Rotate accessories on cabinets periodically so they do not sit in the same spot all the time.
• Treat your cabinets as if it were furniture to avoid damage. The cabinets are constructed with the same grade wood as most furniture and require the same care. Use protective pads when writing with a ball point pen or similar. Use care when placing anything on top of a finished product such as book-ends, vases, cups. And remember to lift them and not drag them over the surface. Please keep in mind some rubber products and/or plastic products can damage the cabinetry or furniture finish and these should be avoided. Never overload the drawers with more than 75 pounds of weight and don’t hang or apply weight onto doors as both scenarios will damage your cabinets.

Never:

• Expose the back edges of thermo-foil cabinetry to excessive moisture. Over time, prolonged wetness can result in de-lamination.
• Place cabinets in direct sunlight, or artificial sunlight. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight may cause your cabinets to change color.
• Hang wet dish towels on cabinets or cabinet doors and/or drawers.
• Allow frequent exposure to excessive or extreme changes in humidity or temperature. Never allow prolonged exposure to smoke from cooking, tobacco or any other source in a non-vented or poorly vented room. This will discolor the cabinet finish.

Cleaning Products:

Use:

• Wood stained finishes – Use a mild wood cleanser such as original Murphy Oil Soap diluted with warm water. Work one small area at a time, using a well rung out lightly damp lint free cloth, rinsing the cloth frequently and drying each area immediately after cleaning.
• Painted, Thermo-foil, or Melamine finishes – Only use a mild cleaner such as Ivory Soap diluted with warm water. Work one small area at a time, using a well rung out lightly damp lint free cloth, rinsing the cloth frequently and drying each area immediately after cleaning.
• Thermo-foil (RTF) finishes ONLY – 409 can be used, apply to a damp lint free cloth (do NOT apply directly on the cabinets) start in a small area first to determine if the desired result is achieved before applying to the whole cabinet. Dry each area immediately after cleaning, working one area at a time.
• Omnova Matte Luxe RTF Thermo-foil ONLY  – Clorox Clean-Up All Purpose Cleaner with Bleach can be used, apply to a damp lint free cloth, start in a small area first to determine if the desired result is achieved before applying to the whole cabinet.  Dry each area immediately after cleaning, working one area at a time.  For persistent stains apply directly to the door or drawer and let sit for 5 minutes and then wash off with a damp lint free cloth.

Avoid:

• Harsh detergents, strong soaps, abrasive cleaning products, scouring powder or pads, steel wool or self-polishing waxes, melamine foam (Magic Eraser).
• Solvent-based or petroleum-based products such as mineral spirits, acetone, paint thinners.
• Ammonia or cleaning products that contain ammonia.
• Silicone-based cleaning, waxing, or polishing products.

General Care

For more in-depth care and cleaning instructions check out our Care and Cleaning Guide PDF.