Cabinets, countertops, and drawers in the kitchen make the entire cooking space appear sparkling and elegant.
They will drive you to keep them clean and maintained so that your kitchen can remain spectacular and lovely to stay in as you prepare meals or even eat.
You may also want to keep away anything that can stain or damage your spaces in the kitchen, considering that the kitchen is among the few rooms with a lot of activity.
Among the many culprits of damaging cabinets is the frequent steam that is usually produced while cooking, boiling water, or using automatic washing machines.
If you have kitchenware equipment like a dishwasher and a coffee maker, you will notice a lot of steam production when using them.
So, How Can You Protect Kitchen Cabinets From Dishwasher And Coffee Maker Steam?
To keep your cabinets safe from steam produced in the kitchen. Secondly, you should avoid placing steam-producing items just below the cabinets or installing insulators on the cabinets. These are just a few ways of protecting kitchen cabinets from steam.
For instance, if your kitchen has white cabinets, a dishwasher, and a coffee maker, you will have regular steam-related issues, especially if you have poor ventilation.
If you wish to protect your cabinets from steam produced by the coffee maker or dishwasher, keep reading to find tips for protection and more concerning steam and cabinets.
How Does Steam Damage Kitchen Cabinets?
While cooking in a stove pot, preparing a cup of coffee with a coffee maker, or washing using the dishwasher, you will see hot air fumes.
These hot fumes are generally referred to as steam, and when they hit one point for an extended period, they can easily damage that place.
The most likely part of the kitchen to be affected by steam is the underside of a cabinet. If not controlled, it can damage the cabinet base very severely.
The effect on your painted kitchen cabinets will only get adverse to the outer layers.
This is similar to laminated or coated cabinets.
However, if the cabinets are old and their wood is neither painted nor coated, then cabinet wood will get damaged.
Even though most old kitchen cabinets are made of pure wood, it doesn’t mean they are heat resistant.
In most kitchens, the coffee maker is usually placed on the countertop, just below the cabinets.
When preparing coffee, all the steam produced directly hits the cabinet’s underside.
During the first few weeks, you may not notice any damage, but with continued exposure of under cabinets to steam, the damage will be evident.
Dishwashers also produce high steam when in use, and if poorly placed or installed, the steam will settle on cabinets as vapor, and if not wiped out, the cabinets will eventually shade off their color and coat.
Four Tips For Protecting Your Cabinets From Dishwasher Steam
Here are a few essential tips you may consider to keep your cabinets protected from dishwasher steam.
1. Buy Dishwashers With A Gasket
Most modern dishwashers come with a gasket or foil designed to lower the quantity of steam escaping into the surrounding area.
The gasket forms a moisture barrier around the dishwasher’s door, thus preventing steam from escaping when the machine is in use.
In case of leakages around the gasket, it is advisable to replace it immediately to prevent any steam particles from getting into the air.
2. Check Your Ventilation
Check your vents to ensure that they direct steam to the outside of the kitchen.
If ducts are installed poorly, they can cause significant harm to adjacent surfaces like the cabinets.
Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when installing dishwashers to ensure you are not blocking vents.
3. Laminate Using Melamine Material
Melamine laminate is a synthetic waterproof material usually attached to particleboard to make it water-resistant and scratch-resistant.
If your cabinets are made of this material, they will allow dishwasher steam to gather moisture in little globules that can be dried out with a simple wipe using a dry towel.
4. Use Adhesive Sheets Or Contact Papers
Both adhesive sheets and contact papers are waterproof and easy to clean.
They also rhyme easily in the room aesthetics, with their carefully made patterns that add beauty to your kitchen.
You can easily place the adhesive sheets on the bottom of your cabinets by following a simple installation guide.
Moreover, they are cost-effective and can serve you for quite some time before you require any replacement.
5. Install The Dishwasher In The Correct Way
Your cabinets can be more or less exposed to hot air from a dishwasher, depending on where you position them.
You can put a dishwasher where it does not directly emit steam to the cabinets.
While installing a dishwasher, it is advisable to ensure that the body( not the door) is flush with your cabinets.
This way, a minimal amount of steam will get to the cabinets.
Four Tips To Protect Your Cabinets From Appliance Steam
A coffee maker is also a commonly used equipment in the kitchen, producing quite a large amount of steam.
If you wish to protect your kitchen cabinets from steam, you can consider the following tips.
1. Check Ventilation
A well-ventilated kitchen has limited to no moisture accumulation.
The hot air produced when using a coffee maker will be driven away through vents leaving the entire kitchen with everything in it free from moisture.
You can open all the windows and doors of the kitchen to help boost the existing vents whenever you use a coffee maker.
Installing an air conditioner or fan in the kitchen may help save your cabinets from steam.
2. Use Heat Shields
Heat shields are thermal barriers designed to keep items from getting overheated.
Installing them on your kitchen cabinets can divert steam from the coffee maker away from the cabinetry, leaving them safe and dry of water vapor.
3. Relocate The Coffee Maker
If possible, keep your coffee maker away from the cabinets when using it.
However, if your kitchen is small, with compact countertop spaces, it may be hard for you to frequently move the coffee maker.
In such a case, you must ensure the equipment is not directly under the cabinets.
You can use extension cords to create more power outlets far from the cabinets and shelves.
4. Regularly Wipe And Dry The Cabinets
When you notice coffee maker steam escaping and settling on the cabinets or countertops nearby, pick a dry towel and wipe out the moisture.
Leaving the moisture to accumulate and settle on the cabinet’s surface for a long time increases the decomposition speed of the material used to make these cabinets.
Conclusion
Kitchen cabinets contribute to the aesthetic and design value of the entire kitchen.
However, they are highly susceptible to damage caused by steam that is regularly produced while preparing meals, making hot drinks, and using automated washers.
If you are concerned about protecting your cabinetry from the coffee maker and dishwasher steam, hope the tips mentioned in this article will help you.
