Cabinet Painting › Durability & process
Caring for Painted Cabinets
For cabinet touch up paint, use the exact product, color and sheen already on your cabinets, applied in thin layers with a small artist's brush after cleaning and lightly sanding the chip. A store-bought cabinet touch up paint kit only works if it matches both color and sheen. Day to day, clean painted cabinets with mild dish soap, warm water and a soft cloth.
Freshly painted cabinets need a little care in the first month and very little after that. Most trouble comes from two things: harsh cleaners, and small chips left alone until water works under the edge.
Here's how to treat the finish in the first 30 days, how to clean painted cabinets, and how to use cabinet touch up paint so a chip doesn't show.
The first 30 days
Your cabinets are dry when the doors go back on, but the enamel is still hardening. Cabinet paint generally takes a few weeks to reach full hardness. Until then:
- Open and close doors and drawers gently. Don't let them slam.
- Wipe spills with a damp soft cloth. No scrubbing, no degreasers.
- Keep wet dish towels off door fronts and handles.
- Don't lean heavy pots against doors or push chairs into lower cabinets.
- Wait before adding adhesive bumpers, hooks or labels.
- Run the range hood when cooking to cut down on grease settling on the uppers.
After about a month you can clean normally.
Everyday cleaning
Painted cabinets are easy to keep clean with the right supplies.
- Use: warm water with a few drops of dish soap, a soft microfiber cloth, and a dry cloth to finish.
- For grease near the stove: the same soapy water, just more often. Wipe, then dry.
- Avoid: abrasive pads, melamine sponges, scouring powder, ammonia, bleach and strong solvent or citrus degreasers. They dull the sheen or soften the film.
- Watch the sink base and dishwasher sides. Dry drips right away. Standing water is the main thing that lifts paint.
Handles and knobs take most of the touching. Wiping around them once a week keeps hand oil from building into a dull, grimy patch that's harder to remove later.
Get your cabinet price
$2,500–$4,500 for an average kitchen, 3–4 days, 2-year warranty. Send photos and we reply the same day.
Get a free quoteTouching up a chip
Small chips happen, usually on edges near handles or on lower drawers. A careful touch-up is close to invisible.
- Get the right paint. Use the same product, color and sheen. Our quotes list the exact product, and you'll know the color you picked. If you have leftover finish from the job, use that. A generic cabinet touch up paint kit or paint pen in a "close" white usually shows.
- Clean. Wipe the spot with mild soap and water and let it dry.
- Smooth the edges. Lightly sand around the chip with very fine sandpaper so there's no raised lip.
- Prime bare spots. If wood or laminate shows, dab on a little primer first.
- Fill in thin layers. Use a fine artist's brush or a toothpick. Let each layer dry, and build up until it's level.
- Stop early. Too much paint leaves a bump that catches the light. Slightly low is better than high.
Stir the paint well and test it on the inside of a door first. A sheen difference shows more than a small color difference. For where wear usually starts and why, see are painted cabinets durable.
When to call us
A chip from a dropped pan is a five-minute fix. Other things are worth a call:
- Paint peeling or lifting in sheets, not just chipping.
- Bubbling or wrinkling near the sink, dishwasher or range.
- Chips spreading across many doors.
- Damage to the door itself, such as swelling from a leak. Fix the leak first, since paint can't solve water damage.
- A door that rubs or won't close straight. A hinge adjustment usually sorts this out.
Cabinet painting from Proper Reglazing comes with a 2-year warranty. If something looks wrong, call (650) 660-3050 and have a photo ready. To know what a good finish should do over time, read how long painted kitchen cabinets last, or see our cabinet painting services.
Common questions
What is the best touch up paint for painted cabinets?
The same product, color and sheen used on the cabinets. A close match in a different sheen or brand usually shows.
How do you clean painted kitchen cabinets?
Use warm water with a little dish soap and a soft cloth, then dry. Avoid abrasive pads, melamine sponges, bleach and strong degreasers.
Do cabinet touch up paint kits work?
They can hide tiny chips if the color and sheen match closely. On a painted kitchen, the original product works far better.
How long before I can scrub newly painted cabinets?
Wait about 30 days. Until then, wipe gently with a damp cloth.