I have seen many different kinds of cabinets in my day and, as in most things in my life, I have developed very strong opinions about what kind are best and which kind of kitchen cabinets are easiest to keep looking clean! It should be noted before we dive in that perhaps the easiest cabinet to keep looking clean may not be the cabinets that are actually the easiest to clean—by nature of being harder to keep clean the cabinet may just be showing the dirt more.
Design
From a style and design point of view I think the two classics are white and wooden cabinets.
What Is the Material of Your Cabinet?
Before we get to the many different finishes of cabinets, let’s talk about what the cabinets themselves are made of. Few cabinets today are made out of solid wood, and you will pay a pretty penny for cabinets made out of solid wood. However, these do last the longest. Many cabinets are made out of a sturdy particleboard and then overlaid with wood to form the style of front that you want. Lastly, some cabinets are made out of particleboard, then overlaid with a plastic veneer to give them the desired finish.
All of that has to do with doors—there’s the box of the cabinet too. The box of the cabinet refers to what the doors and drawers fasten into. Here again, some are made out of solid wood, and others are made out of particleboard. Wood will definitely hold up better and be easier to repair if it gets damaged (think toddler denting it by hitting it with a toy block or a puppy chewing the wood) but particleboard is much cheaper. Weigh your options and factor in how often you plan to update your kitchen when making this decision.
Finishes
Now for the finish of the cabinets. There are several different finishes including: natural stained wood, painted wood, and plastic veneer overlay.
Wood
Wood is the easiest to keep looking clean. Since wood has natural movement in it, drips and stains blend in making wooden cabinets look cleaner than they often are. You still want to still check your cabinets regularly to make sure you don’t get any marks on them that stain the wood. Wood wipes off pretty easily but often requires soap and water rather than just a one-step spray to clean.
Paint
Painted cabinets are the hardest to keep looking clean. Especially white cabinets. I know, I’m sorry but it’s the truth! All painted cabinets show dirt as there is no variation in the color for stain and marks to blend in with. If you want painted cabinets go for it! I did paint in my own kitchen but beware, you will have to spend some time wiping down door fronts in order to keep them looking pristine.
Also do not think that only white and light shades of paint show dirt—they all do. In fact, a very dark shade of cabinet shows just about as much dirt as white since few materials tend to be very light or very dark, falling rather in the middle of the color spectrum. Painted cabinets tend to wipe down pretty easily, and depending on the finish, sometimes more easily than wooden cabinets.
Veneer Cabinet Finishes
Veneers come in all colors but what I am talking about here as far as ease of cleaning goes is how easy this finish wipes down. A veneer is usually a plastic coating covering the wood (or most likely particleboard) of the cabinet. Due to the plastic coating it is the easiest to quickly wipe down. Be warned though, tough stains such as coffee drips not wiped regularly or red wine marks can permanently stain this finish easier than some of the other finishes. On the plus side, this finish tends to be considerably cheaper than wood or paint so it is much more reasonably replaced if it doesn’t wear well.
One other thing to consider with a veneer-covered cabinet is heat exposure. Will a coffeemaker be sitting on the counter sending hot steam up the front of the cabinet? A toaster? An oven? A veneer can partially melt in the heat, discoloring or even peeling it off the frame of the cabinet door. Once again buyer beware…
The Style of Your Cabinet Front
The style of your door will affect how easy it is too clean. Take the most popular cabinet style, the Shaker style, in which all the edges are raised leaving a rectangular inset in the door-front. It looks like you glued wood in a frame around the edges of the door creating a 90 degree angle for the inset. What that means for you is that there is a perfect ledge where dirt can collect. If you slide your cloth from right to left or visa-versa you are going to end up with dirt wedged in the corner of your cabinet door which is next to impossible to clean. For my cabinets I opted for an inlay that had a 45 angle and is much easier to clean.
Lastly, some cabinets have a bead board inlay. I love bead-board but think long and hard about whether you want it in your cabinet door. Why? Well, how do you feel about scraping dried spaghetti sauce out of each little line in the bead-board… I thought not too!
Glazes
Lastly, many cabinet doors can be finished with a glaze in which a dark paint is sprayed on then wiped off to leave a dark outline in any of the grooves of your cabinet. This adds some character to your door and is a great option to consider when going with a painted door as it helps to camouflage any marks your door may collect. It is usually an additional charge but I think it is well worth it!
I hope this helps give you a few things to think about when selecting a cabinet door! If you find this information useful please share it with a friend!
Disclaimer:
All of these cleaning tips have come from my personal experience and that of the clients whom I serve. While the information here should be applicable and safe in most circumstances if you have any doubts be sure to check with the manufacturer for the product which you are cleaning and always test a cleaning product or procedure in an inconspicuous area first!