Wood Finishes        

Dusting
Dust cabinets frequently with a soft lint-free cloth. You can dampen the cloth slightly with water or a spray-type dust remover.

Spills
Clean spills immediately. Use a clean cloth and mild soap if necessary. Wipe dry with a clean soft cloth.

Cleaning
There are a number of products available for your wood cleaning needs. Custom HouseWorks recommends Guardsman. Their products are available at many stores nationwide, including Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Wal-Mart and Ace Hardware. A more economical way to remove grease build-up from cabinets is to use Fantastik. Apply and remove quickly, then wash your cabinets with a mild soap. After washing, dry thoroughly and apply a silicone-free polish.

Polishing
Custom houseWorks recommends that you wash and polish cabinets once or twice each year. Use a light coat of quality furniture polish after cleaning the cabinets.

Don’ts
Never use detergents, soap pads, or steel wool on your cabinetry. These harsh abrasives will mar the wood finish. Additionally, we recommend that you avoid the use of paste wax and polishes that contain silicone; the wax build up is difficult to remove and will leave a residue that attracts dust.

Laminate
Melamine and Vinyl

Periodically clean the interior and exterior surfaces of the door using a damp, soft cloth. Tough stains may be cleaned using a soft cloth dampened with a “Formula 409” or “Simple Green” type cleanser.

Glass Doors

You can use any commercial glass cleaner to clean the glass. Additionally, the glass can be cleaned while mounted on the door, or in some cabinets the glass can be removed for easier access. To remove the glass panel, carefully loosen the screws and lift the panel out. The door glass is tempered to resist chipping and shattering. However, all glass is fragile so handle carefully.

While cleaning mounted glass, be careful not to damage the finish of the door and cabinet parts while cleaning.

Do not spray glass cleaner directly onto glass or cabinet parts. Glass cleaner seeping into areas behind the mullions may discolor the wood. Instead, spray a small amount of cleaner onto a lint-free cloth or paper towel, then wipe the glass.

Preventative Care

If you have a self-cleaning oven

Self-cleaning ovens are cleaned through the use of intense heat. If the heat gasket does not seal properly, heat may escape from the oven.

Cabinets installed near a self-cleaning oven can suffer finish or surface damage. To minimize the risk of damage during cleaning cycles, we recommend that you open doors and drawers of cabinets that are above and adjacent to a self-cleaning oven.

Regarding placement of heat producing appliances

We recommend that you do not mount heat-producing appliances, such as coffee makers and toaster ovens, beneath cabinets. Excess heat and moisture from these appliances can damage cabinets.

UV Effects

The following applies to all wood cabinetry and in general any wood product exposed to direct sunlight.

Over time, Ultra Violet light rays in natural sunlight may affect the appearance of your cabinets. Most cabinet manufacturers apply UV inhibitors to all wood cabinetry as part of the finishing process. The finish on your cabinetry will not change, but the wood may depending on its natural characteristics, the amount and direction of light exposure, and the portion of the cabinet that receives light.