Any kitchen design can look ugly if the kitchen is not tidy and clean. As kitchens are the busiest parts of a house, they tend to get dirty quickly. If you want your kitchen to look beautiful without spending the entire time in your kitchen cleaning everything, then you need a low-maintenance kitchen design. If you’re carrying out kitchen remodeling, take these steps to make your kitchen low-maintenance.
Don’t Choose Open Cabinets
Open cabinets are prone to more dust, debris, and grime buildup so you will need to clean the items in the cabinets more often. Moreover, you will have to clean up the cabinets frequently as well. If you want a low-maintenance kitchen, select closed cabinets.
Moreover, some kitchens have open shelves along with closed cabinets. If you have them, get them removed or add doors to them so they can be kept closed when not in use.
Install Cabinets That Go Up To The Ceiling
Usually, the upper surface of the cabinets accumulates the most dust and debris. They are also difficult to access and clean every day, but appear bad if someone notices this overlooked part of the kitchen.
If you don’t want to climb up and clean the upper surface of the cabinets every week, consider cabinets that go up to the ceiling. You will still need to clean the doors of the cabinets that will be way up, but there will no longer be an upper, horizontal surface of the cabinets that would need cleaning.
Install An Undermount Sink
Cleaning dishes and the surrounding areas of the sink is easier if you have an undermount sink. You can simply wipe the food and other things in the direction of the sink.
However, cleaning dishes and counter spaces is difficult in the case of a drop-in sink. Most things will be caught in the trim of the sink which you will have to clean up carefully.
Keep The Grout Lines Of The Backsplash Minimal
Tiles are the norm when it comes to backsplashes. There are some better options for backsplashes, but if you want a tile backsplash and want to keep it low-maintenance, instruct your contractor to leave the least size of grout lines between the tiles.
Moreover, select tiles of bigger sizes. This will ensure fewer grout lines and more of the flat, tile surface that you can easily wipe down.
The Doors And Surface Of The Cabinets Should Be Flat
Flat doors of cabinets are easier to clean than those with patterns that have ridges and grooves. If you don’t want to spend time reaching all the corners of the cabinet door’s design, choose flat doors. The same instruction is for the surface of the cabinets. Flat is better.
Moreover, keep the cabinetry hardware simpler as well. They should not have details that are hard to clean. The hardware should be flat or circular without any other patterns or curves.
But keep in mind that flat cabinets don’t go with every type of kitchen design. If you have a traditional kitchen, look for cabinets that have some designs but are minimal.
Choose Low Maintenance Countertops
Most of the kitchen work goes on the countertops so they require frequent cleaning. Therefore, the countertop material should be stain-resistant and easy to clean. As you want a low-maintenance countertop, don’t choose any natural stone because they are porous and need to be sealed every couple of years.
You need a non-porous surface that doesn’t let moisture seep into the material and cause damage, stains, and bacteria growth. Therefore, go for quartz countertops. They are durable, stain-resistant, non-porous, and available in a huge variety of colors and designs. The cost of quartz counters is almost the same as granite slabs.
Other than quartz, if you need a low-cost option, select laminate countertops. They are not as durable but are non-porous and stain-resistant. Moreover, the color and designs for laminate countertops are virtually limitless. But keep in mind that you will need to replace them often because they are not long-lasting. On the bright side, they are cheap so replacing them won’t cost a fortune.
Look For Low Maintenance Flooring
The kitchen is a high-traffic part of the house so the flooring should be durable. Moreover, for low maintenance, it should also be stain-resistant and easy to clean. Ceramic and porcelain tiles are durable, stain-resistant, and easy to clean. However, the grout lines need refilling every few years, otherwise, cleaning can become difficult. To reduce the frequency of grouting the tiles, choose epoxy grout that is more durable than cement-based grout.
You can also choose stone tiles for your kitchen flooring because of their durability. Apart from these two, you should look into concrete as well. Once sealed, it’s durable and stain-resistant. You will need to reseal it every couple of years.
Wood flooring is favored by most homeowners so if you want wood flooring, seal it regularly to keep it easy to clean. Plus, avoid any textures and designs that can add to the effort required for cleaning the flooring.
Washable Paint For Kitchen Walls
Kitchen walls need to be cleaned more often than other walls of a house. So, you should invest in durable and washable paint that you can wipe down with soapy water. This is the advantage of using washable paint that you can clean it easily. However, if you scrub it too much, it can lead to blotches and a torn finish. So, wipe the walls gently.
However, if you want a paint that can withstand scrubbing, you can go with scrubbable paint. It’s hard to clean when compared to washable paint, but it can take a lot of scrubbing without sustaining any damage.
Choose Colors Wisely
Too dark and too light colors appear dirty more quickly than other colors so you should avoid them. Go for medium colors for flooring and countertops. You don’t need to get the same colors for the counter and the floor but they should not be white or black.
Avoid Highly Polished Faucets And Hardware
Highly polished faucets and hardware show fingerprints and water marks prominently forcing you to clean them every few minutes or hours. So, ditch hardware and fixtures that are too shiny and select ones that are matte or have a brushed finish. A brushed finished stainless steel faucet will appear shiny as well, but not to the point of showing prominent water stains and fingerprints.
Have A Closed Kitchen
If you’re choosing between a closed or an open-plan kitchen, go with a closed kitchen. Open-plan kitchens are considered better and appear spacious but all the walls and furniture collect the grease and fumes that are produced during cooking.
If you choose a closed kitchen, all the mess will be limited to the kitchen and won’t be extended to your living room or other rooms. Your kitchen will still be messy, but you won’t have to clean other rooms as frequently as you clean the kitchen.
Conclusion
A low-maintenance kitchen is the dream of every homeowner because they can enjoy the food and chill for the most part. Implement the above-mentioned tips to keep your kitchen mess-free and easy to clean. For more ideas, get in touch with kitchen remodeling companies Rockville.