Cabinet Care and Cleaning

Daily Cabinet Care

Daily cabinet care consists of cleaning up spills, drips and grease immediately to prevent stains on your cabinet finish. Prolonged exposure to food, water or other liquids can cause permanent discoloration or damage.

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 microfiber cloth.

Avoid using your dishcloth to clean or dry cabinet exteriors, since it may contain remnants of detergents and grease.

Long Term Cabinet Care

Thoroughly clean cabinet exteriors once or twice a year. It’s best to work on one small area at a time, using a damp cloth. Rinse frequently and dry each area immediately after cleaning.

Each cabinet is built with several types of durable, high-performance hardware that will operate smoothly for years. Periodically, you should adjust your hardware. Tighten hinge screws, realign drawers, and adjust runners, because they can move with normal use.

Download Cliq Hardware Adjustment Guide (PDF)

Cabinet Touch-ups

CliqStudios cabinet touch-up kits can be used for minor repairs on cabinets. A complimentary touch-up kit is included with Signature Plus and Craftsman sink base cabinet orders, and are available for purchase with other product line orders. 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.

Please carefully read the touch-up kit instructions before using. 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. 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 place, as it may drip.

Before Installing Your Cabinets

After receiving your cabinets, store them in a secure and dry space until you are ready for installation. The space should have 40 to 50 percent relative humidity. Humidity above 70 percent or below 20 percent is likely to cause problems. Allow 1-2 days for cabinets to acclimate to their final environment before 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.

After Installing Your Cabinets

Once your project is finished, you’ll want to remove all construction dust. Wipe down all exteriors and interiors with a damp, microfiber cloth. Clean one small area at a time, rinsing the cloth frequently and thoroughly. Using a second cloth, dry each area immediately.

Your cabinet hardware may require adjustments after installation, as they become acclimated to the new environment. Complete all door and drawer hardware adjustments before installing knobs and pulls.

Climate, Moisture & Humidity

Indoor climate, moisture and humidity should be maintained year round in vacation homes and primary residences. Kitchens and bathroom should be well-ventilated to keep cabinets dry. Frequent exposure to excessive humidity in poorly vented kitchens and bathrooms may be harmful to your cabinet finish. It is important to keep cabinet surfaces dry. Wipe off any excess moisture on cabinets in areas that experience excessive humidity.

Light

Over time, ultraviolet (UV) light rays present in natural light will affect the appearance of your cabinets. CliqStudios applies UV inhibitors to all cabinetry as part of the finishing process. Depending on the amount and direction of light exposure, the portion of your cabinetry that receives light may fade, darken or discolor.

Oven Self-Cleaning Heat

The self-cleaning setting on most ovens operates at very high temperatures. The high heat could potentially damage the cabinets near the oven. You can minimize this risk by removing the cabinet doors and drawers nearest to your oven before running the self-clean cycle.

Smoke

Prolonged exposure to cooking or tobacco smoke, will discolor the cabinet finish. Because cooking smoke and grease occur in every kitchen, we recommend cleaning cabinets regularly.