CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF KITCHEN DOORS AND WORKTOPS
Always wondered how to ensure the correct care and maintenance of kitchen doors and worktops? Here at Gordon’s Makeovers, customers very often ask us for our professional advice on this subject. Indeed, after their installation, the care and maintenance of kitchen doors and worktops is very important to ensure the longevity of your kitchen!
As professionals in the Kitchen Refurbishment Industry we believe there is no such thing as a silly question! We always encourage our customers to ask away. Therefore, this week we thought it useful to include some information here on the blog section of our website, to help all of our customers, old and new. So if you have always wanted to know about the care and maintenance of Kitchen Doors and Worktops, but never asked, then read below for some handy tips!
Care and Maintenance of Kitchen Doors
You should avoid storing or installing any type of door into a newly plastered kitchen, or any room with a high humidity as this can damage the door. We suggest that you clean the doors with a mild detergent. You should avoid any harsh or abrasive cleaners. You can avoid possible heat damage to your doors by following these simple guidelines.
Doors fitted adjacent to any heat source should be protected with heat protector strips which are available for purchase from us. Avoid placing any heat and steam producing appliances (such as toasters, deep fat fryers, kettles, bread makers etc…) directly below your doors as this can cause damage. The correct care will help ensure that your new doors have a long and happy life.
Caring for High Gloss Door Finishes
We suggest removing the protective plastic film to allow for inspection of the doors on delivery. Then re-apply the film as this helps to protect the surface during installation. After your doors have been fitted and the plastic film removed, we suggest not cleaning the doors for 1 week to allow the high gloss surface to ‘cure’.
You should clean the doors with a soft damp cloth with a mild detergent. Never use any harsh or abrasive cleaners as this may damage the gloss surface of the door. Normal cleaning and polishing may leave minor scratches on the surface of the door, which is quite natural.
Care and Maintenance of New Worktops
Melamine resin is the hardest of all synthetically produced organic materials. This is the reason for the high scratch and wear resistance of HPL. The high impact resistance of the material is due to the elasticity of phenolic resin. These properties also explain the high resistance of HPL to chemicals and heat. Burning a cigarette on the surface of HPL is one of the quality tests specified in BS/EN 438, which also determines all the other qualities important for the user.
However, the bottoms of some saucepans can become extremely hot and we recommend using a protective pad.
• Conforming to BS/EN 438. There’s nothing easier than cleaning and caring for your Worktops.
A major advantage of our Worktops is that the HPL surface makes cleaning so simple. Usually a moist cloth is sufficient, but use washing-up liquid to get rid of any grease. Stubborn dirt can be removed with an organic solvent such as methylated spirits or alcohol. Brushes with hard bristles (but not wire brushes) may also be used.
Please do not cut or chop directly on the worktop surface – always use a chopping board or worktop saver.
Always place hot pans, ovenware and irons on a trivet or protective pad to protect the surface from the intense heat which can cause damage to the worktop if placed directly on the surface.
The use of abrasive cleaners and pads, corrosive or aggressive cleaning agents should be avoided as they will have a detrimental effect on the worktop surface.
The use of PVC aprons may affect the durability of the HPL on the post-formed edge of worktops, and could lead to premature wear in high traffic work areas such as in front of the sink and hob.
Kettles, coffee machines, fryers and other heat or damp source should not be positioned directly over worktop joints. Constant changes in temperature could lead to failure of the joint.
Cuts and scratches will be more noticeable on dark decors and gloss finishes.