Easylife Kitchens: Simple Care Tips For Easy Entertaining

The festive season is fast approaching and it’s the perfect season to entertain and create sumptuous meals to be shared with friends. Ensure that your kitchen is ready for those memorable moments these holidays. Easy entertaining is simple with Easylife Kitchens.

Here we share some great care and maintenance guidelines to ensure your kitchen is pristine and a proud centre point of your home. Help keep your kitchen looking fantastic throughout the summer months and beyond.

Hi-Gloss Doors and Panels

We love the luxe look of modern hi-gloss doors and panels but proper care will go a long way towards easy entertaining and effortless style. Clean your hi-gloss doors and panels with a damp, soft cloth such as a micro-fibre anti-scratch cloth. Wipe dry after cleaning. Don’t use any cleaning products containing alcohol or solvents. Don’t use abrasive cleaners, acetone, petrol or glass cleaners as this will damage the surface of the doors.

Work surfaces:

A practical kitchen has ample work space for you to whip up those amazing meals. Your work surfaces can become damaged if mistreated so be sure to look after them properly to ensure long-term use. We would recommend that you:

• Always use a chopping board.
• Place hot pans or casserole dishes on protective mats or trivets.
• Mop up spills immediately, particularly on joins and around sink and hob cut-out areas.

Laminated work surfaces:

Ensure the longevity of your laminated surfaces. Wipe clean with a moist cloth and mild detergent. For more stubborn marks, leave the detergent to soak for a short while before rinsing thoroughly.

Solid wood:

Wood offers a rich and powerful tone to any stylish kitchen but must be looked after. Always mop up spills straight away and don’t leave wet crockery to stand for any length of time on solid wood surfaces. Attention should be paid to the sink area where water gathers. Wipe water up to avoid damage. Make sure the surfaces don’t have prolonged contact with metals, such as iron and steel, as these can cause black staining of the timber. Wipe clean using a well wrung out cloth dipped in warm soapy water.

Solid wood work surfaces require slightly more maintenance than other tops as they need to be oiled regularly. We recommend using Danish oil to keep the wood supple and prevent cracking. Always follow the grain when applying oil and use a soft dry cloth.

Granite and Composite surfaces:

Stone work surfaces are pre-treated with a liquid silicone sealer which reduces their natural porosity and provides a protective coating. Clean with water containing soap or a mild or neutral detergent using a soft cloth or sponge. Rinse off with clean water.

Polish dry with a soft cloth or a micro-fibre surface cloth. Avoid use of abrasive cleaning materials including scouring powders, steel wool or metal brushes. Never use bleach and other chlorine-based cleaners, acids, photographic development liquid, alkalis (caustic soda) and concentrated disinfectants on stone surfaces.

Solid surfaces:

Use soapy water, ammonia-based cleaners (not window cleaners as they can leave a waxy build up that may dull the surface) or commercially available solid surface cleaners. These will remove most dirt and residue from all types of finishes although stubborn residue will require a little stronger cleaner.

To avoid water marks, clean up spills before they dry. To disinfect, wipe surfaces with very diluted household bleach. If any handles or knobs are loose they should be tightened with a screwdriver. If any are broken they should be replaced since they can not only be unsightly but hazardous as well.

Cabinet door hinges should be checked regularly for signs of wear, especially if the door is not closing properly. The hinges may be tightened with a screwdriver and may be replaced if they are excessively worn.

These small steps can allow your kitchen cabinet doors to maintain their functionality and appearance over many years.

Stainless Steel:

For general cleaning, only use a 5% liquid soap and 95% water solution. Wipe down with a damp cloth (not wet) and dry with a soft clean cloth, or alternatively use a stainless steel cleaner such as ‘Inox crème’. Dust with a soft clean cloth only. Don’t use cleaning products that contain alcohol or solvents. Don’t use abrasive cleaners, acetone, petrol or glass cleaners as this will damage the surface. Use a micro fibre anti-scratch cloth when cleaning. A light coat of baby oil can be used to enhance the appearance if required. It makes it look, and stay, looking fantastic. There are various aerosol stainless steel cleaners on the market that can be used.

Ensure that your kitchen is ready for easy entertaining. Find out more and visit Easylife Kitchens.