Why You Should Be Using Shelf Liners In Your Kitchen Cabinets

When it comes to cleaning your kitchen, oftentimes, it's the areas that are out of sight that need the most love and care. As such, it's not surprising that when some homeowners hop on a stepping stool in order to clean their neglected kitchen cabinets, they discover that their once-pristine cabinets are now scratched, dented, and covered in grime. Unfortunately, a lot can go on in your kitchen cabinets when they're left unprotected. For this reason, investing in quality shelf liners for your kitchen cabinets is a no-brainer.

Shelf liners protect your kitchen cabinet in multiple ways. First, they prevent your cabinets from becoming damaged due to water that's left on your dishes after they're washed. While minor surface damage usually occurs when water comes into contact with your kitchen cabinets for prolonged periods (per Kitchen Magic), water can warp your cabinets' shelving over time. Of course, using shelf liners in your cabinets also comes with the benefits of protecting your cabinets from scratches and ensuring that your cabinets are simple to clean when it's time to wash your shelf liners.

While the protection that shelf liners provide kitchen cabinets is important, their uncanny ability to keep your shelves clean may be even more enticing. Anyone who has ever rented an older apartment from a subpar management company can probably vouch for just how disgusting older cabinets can become over time. Homeowners can prevent this state of affairs from befalling their kitchen cabinets by allowing their shelf liners to absorb grease and water. While you will still want to regularly clean your shelf liners (per Kitchen Magic), cleaning your cabinets will be easier than ever since most of the kitchen grime will be blocked before making contact.

Many shelf liners you can buy also add a degree of physical protection from dents and scratches. This is especially important if your cabinets are made of a material such as melamine (per Laurysen Kitchens) that is easily marred by kitchenware due to its subpar durability. That being said, if you're seeking shelf liners that can protect your shelves from getting scratched up, it's best to invest in a product that offers a little bit of padding. These liners may cost you a little more upfront but are well worth it for some peace of mind.

There are definitely a couple of important things to consider before you go shopping for shelf liners for your kitchen cabinets. First, you probably want to prevent your cabinets from getting dented, so purchasing a shelf liner with a strong adhesive should be out of the question. According to Kitchen Magic, most shelf liners with an incredibly sticky bottom leave a sticky residue on your shelves, which can be incredibly hard to clean. In fact, vigorously scrubbing the residue can actually cause you to damage your cabinets. Luckily, there are plenty of great shelf liners on the market that have no problem staying in place without the use of a strong adhesive. 

Next, you'll want to keep an eye out for shelf liners that are at least slightly absorbent and easy to clean. Luckily, most absorbent shelf liners are machine-washable, so finding a product with both of these qualities should be a piece of cake. Of course, shopping for new shelf liners can also present you with an opportunity to add a new pop of color to your kitchen (per Jam Organizing), so keep an eye out for interesting colors and patterns that bring you joy.