Guide · Deciding
How to clean each finish, and what never to use
The KÜINA team · Updated October 11, 2026
The short answer
For almost everything: warm water, neutral soap and a microfibre cloth, then dry. What ruins a kitchen is not the dirt, it is the products: ammonia, bleach, solvents, abrasive cleaners and green scourers. With those five out of the house, a door lasts as long as it should.
The two-minute rule
What really preserves a kitchen is not how you clean it but when. Steam, grease and water do their damage by accumulation, not in one day.
- Splashes, straight away. Oil and tomato come off with a cloth while they are warm; dry, they have to be scrubbed, and scrubbing is what scratches.
- Steam, by opening the drawer. After the dishwasher runs, leave the door ajar for ten minutes. That steam is what opens the edges of the unit above.
- Water around the sink, dried. The sink base takes more punishment than any other unit in the kitchen, almost always from a drip nobody saw.
- The extractor, on before and after. Two minutes before and ten after. It is what stops grease settling on the doors above.
Each finish, with its product
| Finish | What to use | What NOT to use |
|---|---|---|
| Melamine and laminate | Warm water with neutral soap, microfibre, dry | Abrasives, green scourers, direct steam |
| Matt lacquer | Damp cloth and neutral soap; dry without circular rubbing | Alcohol, acetone, ammonia glass cleaner |
| Gloss lacquer | Clean microfibre and water; dry chamois for shine | Cloths with grit in them, cleaners with particles |
| Anti-fingerprint matt | Water and microfibre only; it barely needs soap | Wax, polishes, silicone |
| Natural timber | Barely damp cloth, always dried | Plenty of water, steam, ammonia products |
| Glass | Ammonia-free glass cleaner, or water with a drop of soap | Scrapers, scourers |
| Stainless steel | Microfibre, following the grain | Bleach, scourers, chlorine cleaners |
Worktops are a different story
| Material | Day to day | What kills it |
|---|---|---|
| Laminate | Neutral soap and dry the edge | Standing water at the sink joint; a hot pan |
| Compact | Neutral soap; takes a mild degreaser | Almost nothing; still, no abrasives |
| Porcelain | Water and soap; takes almost any product | A sharp knock on an edge |
| Quartz | Neutral soap; clean spills while they are fresh | Direct heat and strongly alkaline products |
| Granite and marble | pH-neutral soap, never vinegar or lemon | Acids; marble marks in seconds |
The joint between worktop and wall is where most damp problems start. If the silicone has gone black or is lifting, replace it: twenty minutes, and it saves you replacing a unit.
What voids a guarantee
A commercial guarantee does not cover damage from misuse, and misuse has a more specific definition than people expect:
- Using products expressly forbidden on the manufacturer's care sheet: abrasives, solvents, ammonia.
- Steam-cleaning a unit not made for it. The domestic steam cleaner has killed more kitchen units in recent years than anything else.
- Damage from an unrepaired leak under the sink. If it drips and is left, that is not a defect in the unit.
- Loading a drawer far beyond the maximum load declared on the technical sheet.
- Letting dishwasher steam rise into the unit above without ventilating, repeatedly.
Hardware, twice a year
Ten minutes twice a year and the drawers last twice as long.
- Wipe the runners with a damp cloth to remove grease that traps dust. Do not oil them: modern runners are lubricated at the factory and oil attracts dirt.
- Check every door is aligned. Hinges have three adjustment screws: one raises and lowers, one moves in and out, one tilts.
- Check the soft-close is still slowing the door. If a door has started to bang shut, the damper is worn and it is a replaceable part.
- Check the plinth: if it has come away at one end, clip it back before water gets underneath.
Questions we get asked
Can I clean kitchen units with vinegar?
On melamine and laminate, diluted, yes. On lacquer and natural stone, no: vinegar is acidic and marble marks in seconds. For day to day, neutral soap is better and has no downside.
What removes fingerprints from a matt door?
Water and microfibre, nothing else. If the finish is anti-fingerprint matt you barely need soap. What you should not use are polishes or waxes: they leave a layer that holds grease.
Can I use a steam cleaner in the kitchen?
Not on the units. Pressurised steam forces moisture into the edges and joints, and it causes damage the manufacturer does not cover. On floors and tiles it is fine.
How often should the extractor filter be changed?
The metal grease filter goes through the dishwasher every month to six weeks. The carbon filter, only if the hood recirculates, is replaced every 6 to 12 months depending on use.
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