Keeping a kitchen clean, functional, and a happy place to be will depend on how much effort is needed to keep it that way. Maintenance on your cabinets, countertops, appliances, flooring and more will all determine how your kitchen looks and feels on a day-to-day basis. For homeowners that are looking for a low maintenance kitchen, there are some solutions that can be implemented to make that dream a reality.
Low maintenance kitchens can help you enjoy being in the kitchen and give your home a better sense of ease. Below are Rasmussen Custom Cabinetry’s tips to help ensure that you have a low maintenance kitchen.
1- Keep The Stove Away From Lighting Fixtures
Cooking and baking produce lots of grease, oils, dirt, and other build-ups that can cling to the wall and appliance. If your lighting is near the stove it can start to accumulate this build-up and steam residue that reduces the light they emit to your kitchen.
The best option for the kitchen lighting is having hanging lights away from the range like over the island or in a breakfast nook. Can or recessed lighting is a good option to brighten the room and avoid grease stains.
2- Invest In Easy Clean Cabinets
The amount of cleaning that takes place in your kitchen varies from day to day, but the cleaning can add up when each element of your kitchen requires so much attention. Choosing cabinets that are easy to clean will help protect the items that are stored in them and will save you time on household chores.
Flat cabinet doors or those with a small amount of detail will be easier to clean. Cleaning in crown molding, deep lines, or decorative elements can be difficult and time-consuming. Anything with ridges can hold crumbs and dust and can’t be wiped away with a damp cloth. If you want your cabinets to stay bright and avoid scratches, install easy-to-clean cabinets.
3- Build Your Cabinets All The Way To The Ceiling
Dusting the top of cabinets is not at the top of anyone’s list of fun activities. You can avoid this task and create a low maintenance kitchen by building cabinets all the way to the ceiling. This avoids a gap between the ceiling and the top of the cabinet that will require cleaning.
If you are wanting even less maintenance, avoid including upper cabinets at all. Wiping down a flat wall is much easier than wiping down cabinets, but forgoing upper cabinets will reduce the amount of storage in your kitchen.
4- Install An Induction Option For Your Cooktop
Most homeowners choose between a gas or electric cooktop, but induction cooktops are much safer and easier to maintain. Induction cooktops are flat and easily wipable with light cleaner and a microfiber cloth. They also only heat up when an induction metal is placed on the heating element, this means that small children or even adults won’t get burned when touching the cooktop. Induction cooktops can prevent injury, fire, and burnt food particles and help create a low maintenance kitchen.
5- Avoid Open Shelving
Using open shelving instead of traditional cabinetry has become a more common storage solution in modern homes. Open shelving is actually much harder to maintain and clean than regular cabinets. While properly styled shelving can look appealing, you will need to keep it styled and dust free in order to get the full effect. Open shelving needs cleaning almost daily, to avoid dust and grime build-up that can make them lose their luster.
Kitchen Solutions With Rasmussen Custom Cabinetry
Building a quality kitchen increases the value of your home and makes living in your home more enjoyable. Kitchens see a lot of use and a variety of different activities occurring in the space. Low maintenance kitchens will add monetary value to your home while saving you time and money while you live there. We want your kitchen to be a place you love to be in, want others to see, and don’t give you a bad feeling when you see it. Proper cabinet solutions, quality appliances, and correctly installed accessories will help make this possible.
RCC offers the best materials at the most affordable prices. Our team can help your design any dream and make it a reality in your home. Each member of our team looks forward to helping improve homes in the community and giving homeowners the freedom to enjoy their homes. Contact Rasmussen to get started on your next home project today!