Caring for freshly painted cabinets

A cabinet-grade enamel is touch-dry within hours, but curing — the chemical process that gives it its final hardness — continues for two to four weeks. Treating a two-day-old finish like a fully cured one is the most common way people mark a brand-new kitchen.

The first thirty days

• Close doors and drawers gently; the film is still softening under pressure.
• Avoid adhesive hooks, contact paper or shelf liner against painted surfaces.
• Wipe spills promptly with a soft damp cloth — no scrubbing.
• Skip all cleaning products for the first month; water alone is enough.
• Keep heavy items off painted shelf faces until fully cured.

Long-term cleaning

Once cured, the finish is genuinely scrubbable — but the enemies are abrasives and solvents, not water. A soft cloth with warm water and a drop of dish soap handles almost everything a kitchen produces.

Manage steam and heat

The cabinets above a kettle, dishwasher or cooktop take the most punishment. Run your extractor whenever you cook, and crack the dishwasher open only after the steam cycle has settled — sustained steam on a door edge is what eventually lifts a finish.

Handled this way, a properly applied cabinet finish will stay smooth and washable for many years. Every cabinet project we complete is covered by our 2-year workmanship warranty.