Cabinet Care and Maintenance

To prolong the life and beauty of your new cabinetry, please read and follow the product care and maintenance instructions. While we take great care in building quality cabinetry and ensuring that cabinets arrive in excellent condition, normal everyday use will result in the need for small touch-ups and adjustments.

Unpacking Your Cabinets

After receiving your cabinets, store them in a secure and dry space until you are ready for installation. We recommend waiting to remove your existing cabinetry until your new cabinets are delivered and inspected. With two people, remove the cabinets from their boxes to inspect them. Store cabinets in their boxes until installation. Please recycle the cardboard boxes.

General Cabinet Care

All CliqStudios cabinets undergo rigorous testing to ensure they will be structurally sound and beautiful through years of everyday use. As with fine furniture, you will want to use common sense and basic maintenance to keep them looking their best.

After Installation: Wipe Down the Finish

Note: Complete all door and drawer hardware adjustments before installing knobs and pulls.

After your cabinetry has been installed, wipe down the cabinets with a clean, damp lint-free cloth. Clean one small area at a time and immediately wipe dry to avoid moisture damage.

Caution: Heat and Humidity

Be careful with your cabinetry around appliances that emit high heat, such as self-cleaning ovens. To avoid damage from heat exposure, we recommend removing cabinet doors and drawers during oven cleaning cycles. It is important to always keep cabinet surfaces dry. In areas that experience excessive humidity, such as bathrooms, be conscious of moisture build-up that, if not wiped off, can damage the cabinets’ finish.

Cleaners to Avoid

Harsh abrasives will mar the finish on CliqStudios cabinets. We recommend avoiding:

• Commercial detergents
• Powdered cleansers
• Scouring sponge pads
• “Magic” eraser pads
• Steel wool
• Spray polishes containing silicones or petroleum solvents
• Paste, wax or products containing silicone, which attracts dust and can build up over time
• Bleach
• Ammonia

Note: Exposure to Light

Over time, ultraviolet (UV) light present in natural sunlight will affect the appearance of your cabinets. CliqStudios applies UV inhibitors to all Signature and Signature Plus cabinetry as part of the finishing process. The finish on your cabinetry will not change with exposure to UV light, but, due to its natural characteristics, the appearance of the wood itself may change. Depending on the amount and direction of light exposure, the portion of your cabinetry that receives light may change in appearance.

Daily Care and Maintenance

Daily cabinet care and maintenance for your cabinets is simple and easy. The key is to wipe up spills and water marks when they occur. Be especially attentive in the sink and dishwasher areas. Avoid hanging wet dish towels over the cabinet doors. Over time, this moisture exposure can cause irreversible damage to the cabinet and finish. Dust cabinets frequently with a slightly dampened cloth or a spray-type dust remover.

Long-Term Care

We recommend that you wash and polish cabinets once or twice each year depending on use. Use a light coat of a high quality, oil-based furniture polish. Do not use paste, wax, or polishes that contain silicone. The build-up is difficult to remove and will leave a residue that attracts dust.

Touch-Up

CliqStudios provides a complimentary touch-up kit with every order for minor scratches and nicks. Before touching up damage, establish whether it will be a substantial repair. If the damage is significant, please protect your investment by consulting a professional refinisher.

Be advised that paint is more difficult to repair and blend than stained products. Practice on a small, concealed area of your cabinets before making any repair. If you have any concerns, please consult a professional refinisher.

If the damage is minor and you want to do the repair yourself, please read the instructions for the putty stick and stain marker before attempting the repair. For easy fill application, soften the putty stick by carefully heating the end with your hand. Fill in the recess with an even back-and-forth motion. After the fill is complete, use light, even strokes with the stain marker pen. Use your fingertips or a  soft cloth to blend the colors. Do not allow the stain marker fluid to accumulate in one space as it may drip.