( 00: After install )
Look after the room. It will look after you.
( 01: The guides )
Eight routines. One per finish.
Jump to the finish you live with. Each guide is also linked from the welcome pack we send the week we hand over.
- 01Caring for a hand-painted kitchenHand-painted · Weekly
- 02Living with a marble or natural-stone worktopWorktops · Weekly, plus an annual seal
- 03Caring for a quartz or engineered-stone worktopWorktops · Daily wipe-down
- 04Polishing brass and unlacquered bronzeMetalwork · Quarterly polish, weekly dust
- 05Caring for solid oak and walnutWood & veneer · Daily wipe, annual oiling
- 06Cleaning reeded, fluted and antiqued glassGlass · Fortnightly
- 07Maintaining soft-close hinges and runnersHardware · Annual check
- 08Looking after lacquered high-gloss doorsHand-painted · Weekly
( 01: How to clean and protect hand-painted cabinet doors )
Caring for a hand-painted kitchen
Hand-painted cabinetry is a brushed and lacquered finish, not a plastic foil. It is robust, but it is paint. Treat the doors the way you would a piece of fine furniture: a soft cloth, a mild solution, no abrasives. The first few weeks after install are the curing window. Go gently then, and the finish will look right for years.
- Routine
- Weekly
- Time
- 5 minutes
- 01
Dust with a dry microfibre
Once a week, run a clean microfibre over every door and drawer front. Most "marks" are just kitchen dust binding to airborne wax.
- 02
Mix a mild solution
Warm water with a pea-sized drop of pH-neutral washing-up liquid. That is all the cleaning agent a painted door needs. Avoid solvent-based kitchen sprays.
- 03
Wring the cloth nearly dry
A damp cloth, not a wet one. Standing water on the door edge is the one thing that can lift a lacquer seal.
- 04
Wipe with the grain
Follow the brush direction the painter laid down. Cross-grain wiping can show up under raking light once the lacquer has fully cured.
- 05
Buff dry with a second cloth
Take a clean, dry microfibre over the same surface within a minute. This is the step most people skip, and it is the one that keeps the sheen even.
( Don’t )
- Avoid bleach, white spirit and acetone. These solvents will strip or cloud the lacquer.
- Avoid melamine sponges (the "magic eraser" type). They micro-abrade the sheen.
- Wipe up grease, red wine and turmeric within the hour. Pigment can stain a fresh lacquer if it pools.
( 02: How to care for marble, limestone and travertine countertops )
Living with a marble or natural-stone worktop
Marble is a soft, calcium-based stone. It will pick up a patina over time. Small etches where lemon juice or red wine sat are part of the material, not a fault. A weekly seal-aware routine keeps the patina even rather than blotchy, and a yearly impregnator seal keeps the stone food-safe.
- Routine
- Weekly, plus an annual seal
- Time
- 8 minutes
- 01
Blot spills, never wipe them
A flat blot lifts liquid out of the surface. A wipe pushes it sideways into untouched stone and doubles the stain footprint.
- 02
Daily wipe with a pH-neutral spray
A stone-safe spray on a soft cloth. Avoid anything that lists "limescale remover" or "fresh citrus" on the label.
- 03
Re-seal every twelve months
Apply a clear impregnating sealer with a lint-free cloth, leave for a few minutes, then buff dry. The stone should darken briefly and then return to colour, which means the pores are taking the seal.
- 04
Polish hairline etches monthly
A calcium-carbonate polishing powder on a damp pad, in tight circles, for half a minute. Wipe clean and the etch lifts. Anything deeper, give us a call.
- 05
Use heat pads even though it is stone
Marble survives heat, but thermal shock can crack a slab at a vein. Use a trivet for any pan that came straight off a hot hob.
( Don’t )
- Avoid citrus cleaners, descalers and vinegar. Acids etch calcium stone on contact.
- Avoid paper towels for spills. Their fibres can drive pigment into the pores.
- Stand wine bottles and olive-oil bottles on a coaster or tray. Ring marks are the most common cosmetic issue we see at year-one snags.
( 03: How to clean Dekton, Neolith and engineered-quartz surfaces )
Caring for a quartz or engineered-stone worktop
Engineered quartz and surfaces like Dekton and Neolith are the easiest worktops in the kitchen. They are non-porous, scratch-resistant, and need no annual seal. The only routine they ask for is the right cleaner. The wrong cleaner will dull the resin binder, and that is the only failure mode we see.
- Routine
- Daily wipe-down
- Time
- 3 minutes
- 01
Wipe with warm soapy water
pH-neutral washing-up liquid on a soft cloth. This is genuinely all an engineered top needs day-to-day.
- 02
Lift dried-on food with a plastic scraper
A flat-edged plastic scraper at 45° lifts dried pasta sauce or candle wax without touching the surface. Never use a metal blade.
- 03
Polish quarterly on polished finishes
Every three months, a dedicated stone-safe polish brings back the deep shine on polished tops. Skip this on honed or matte finishes; it will leave streaks.
- 04
Treat stubborn marks with a soft cream
A non-abrasive cream cleaner on a soft cloth, light pressure, then rinse fully. Test on an out-of-sight area first.
( Don’t )
- Avoid bleach and oven cleaner. The resin binder discolours permanently.
- Avoid abrasive scouring pads. Matte and honed sheens scuff easily.
- Engineered stone is heat-resistant, not heat-proof. Always use a trivet for pans straight out of the oven.
( 04: How to clean handles, taps and trim without damaging the finish )
Polishing brass and unlacquered bronze
There are two brass families in a typical Posh kitchen, and they need opposite routines. Lacquered brass is sealed. Wipe it with a dry cloth and never polish it. Unlacquered (raw, living) brass tarnishes slowly to a deep amber patina, which is the point. Decide once whether you want the patina or the gleam, and stick to that routine.
- Routine
- Quarterly polish, weekly dust
- Time
- 15 minutes
- 01
Identify the finish
Lacquered brass feels glassy and looks the same on day one and day 100. Unlacquered brass develops a fingerprint sheen within a week. That sheen is the patina starting.
- 02
Dust both with a microfibre
Weekly. A dry cloth on every handle, every tap collar, every hinge. Skip the spray, as water on raw brass speeds up patina unevenly.
- 03
Polish raw brass with beeswax cream
Quarterly. A pea of beeswax on a soft cloth, work in small circles, then buff with a clean cloth. Restores warmth without stripping the patina.
- 04
Spot-clean tarnish gently
For raw brass only and never on food-contact areas, a mild abrasive such as lemon and salt can lift a spot. Rinse and dry immediately, and test on the underside first.
- 05
Call us if a lacquer wears through
Lacquered brass can wear thin at touch points (handles, tap levers) over time. Get in touch before it goes through to bare metal so we can advise on re-lacquering.
( Don’t )
- Never polish lacquered brass. The polish removes the lacquer in patches and the finish goes blotchy.
- Never use vinegar or other acidic "home remedies" near a stone worktop. Run-off can etch the stone.
- Avoid solvent-based metal polishes on anything that touches food. A beeswax-based polish is the safer option.
( 05: How to oil and protect a solid-wood kitchen, island top or shelf )
Caring for solid oak and walnut
Solid timber is alive. It expands in damp summers and contracts in dry winters, gains a deeper colour over its first year, and pulls in moisture from anything that sits on it. The two enemies are pooled water and direct sun. The two friends are a soft cloth and an annual top-up of finishing oil.
- Routine
- Daily wipe, annual oiling
- Time
- 20 minutes for the annual oil
- 01
Wipe daily with a damp cloth
Plain water on a wrung-out cloth, wipe with the grain, dry behind it with a second cloth. Mild soap is fine; spray cleaners are not.
- 02
Sand any raised grain with the lightest paper
After a year, a few spots may feel rough where water raised the grain. A very fine sanding pad, two or three light passes with the grain, then re-oil the affected area.
- 03
Re-oil annually with a hard-wax oil
Wipe down, apply finishing oil thinly with a lint-free cloth, leave for a short time, then buff off any surplus. Ask the studio which oil we used on your commission so the sheen matches.
- 04
Use cup mats for hot mugs
A hot mug on oiled oak leaves a white halo; on lacquered oak it can bubble the finish. A cork or felt coaster solves both.
- 05
Watch humidity in winter
If a centrally heated room drops below 40% relative humidity for weeks, wood can split at the panel. A small humidifier holding 45 to 55% relative humidity keeps movement gentle.
( Don’t )
- Never leave a damp tea-towel folded on an oak top overnight. It leaves a white moisture ring that is hard to lift.
- Direct south-facing sun bleaches walnut to grey in months. Draw the blinds on the longest days.
- Avoid silicone-based polishes. They sit on top and stop the wood breathing for the next oil cycle.
( 06: How to keep textured glass on bar cabinets and media walls clear )
Cleaning reeded, fluted and antiqued glass
Reeded and fluted glass collects dust in the grooves and fingerprints between them. The trick is to work the cloth across the flutes (not along them) and to use a cleaner that flashes off quickly so it does not run into the frame seal.
- Routine
- Fortnightly
- Time
- 10 minutes
- 01
Dust the grooves with a soft brush
A wide make-up brush or a clean photographer’s lens brush, dragged lightly across the flutes. Picks up dust without smearing it.
- 02
Spray the cloth, not the glass
A vinegar-free glass cleaner on a microfibre, never sprayed onto the panel itself. Stops run-off from hitting the frame.
- 03
Wipe across the flutes
Short strokes at 90° to the grooves. One pass, then re-fold the cloth to a clean face for the next pass.
- 04
Polish-dry with a second cloth
Within half a minute, before the cleaner can pool in the channels. A dry microfibre, same cross-flute motion.
( Don’t )
- Avoid ammonia-based glass cleaners on antiqued or lead-finished mirror. They can cloud the silvering from behind.
- Avoid paper towels on bronze or brass frames. They leave fibres in the corners.
- Avoid steam cleaners near sealed-unit glass. The heat can break the perimeter seal.
( 07: How to keep cabinet doors and drawers gliding smoothly )
Maintaining soft-close hinges and runners
Posh Design fits Blum and Häfele soft-close mechanisms as standard. They are tuned at install and almost never need adjusting in year one. The two things that derail them are kitchen grease working into the hinge cup and the wrong cleaner finding its way in. Both are easy to manage.
- Routine
- Annual check
- Time
- 30 minutes for the annual check
- 01
Open every door fully each quarter
A full swing keeps the hinge geometry fresh. Doors that only open halfway, because of a fridge in front of them, are the ones that bind first.
- 02
Vacuum the runner channels
Once a year, use a small brush head on the vacuum and run it through the channel of each drawer. Dust and crumbs are what eventually catch a soft-close damper.
- 03
Wipe the hinge arms with a dry cloth
Dry only. Never use a wet cloth or a degreaser on the hinge itself. Just pick up surface dust.
- 04
Call before adjusting
Every hinge has three small adjustment screws. Turning the wrong one can bind the door against the cabinet. We can tune it in a few minutes on a check-in visit; it is part of the guarantee.
( Don’t )
- Avoid solvent-based "release" sprays on hinges. They can strip factory grease and leave the joint stiffer over time.
- Avoid slam-testing a soft-close drawer. The damper is hydraulic and repeated full slams shorten its life.
- Heavy fronts (solid oak, stone-faced, mirrored) sometimes need a hinge adjustment after a year as the cabinet settles. This is normal. Call the studio and we will tune it.
( 08: How to clean and de-mark gloss kitchen and wardrobe fronts )
Looking after lacquered high-gloss doors
High-gloss lacquer is a mirror. Every fingerprint, every cooking splash, every smear telegraphs in side light. The good news is that the surface is sealed, so the cleaning routine is straightforward. The discipline is consistency, not intensity.
- Routine
- Weekly
- Time
- 5 minutes
- 01
Dust with a soft cotton cloth
A folded cotton flour-sack cloth, dry, no spray. Light pressure, long strokes.
- 02
Spritz a glass-style cleaner onto the cloth
A vinegar-free, alcohol-light glass cleaner on the cloth (not on the door). Wipe in long top-to-bottom passes so gravity carries any drips down the door rather than across it.
- 03
Buff dry immediately
Within twenty seconds, with a clean dry cotton. Standing droplets are the main source of long-term spotting on gloss.
( Don’t )
- Counter-intuitively, dry microfibre on gloss can leave fine swirl marks. A high-thread-count cotton cloth is safer.
- Avoid abrasive creams, even mild ones. They can cloud the gloss permanently.
- In hard-water areas, drips off the tap can leave mineral spots on dark gloss. Wipe drips before they dry.
( 09: The welcome kit )
Everything we hand you
on the last day of install.
A small wooden box, labelled with your project name. Inside is the kit you need to keep every finish in the room looking the way it did the morning we left.
- 01
Microfibre cloth set
Two for daily wiping, one reserved as a "dry buff" cloth that never touches cleaner.
- 02
pH-neutral stone spray
For marble, limestone, travertine and granite. Anything labelled "natural-stone safe".
- 03
Hard-wax oil for solid timber
For solid oak and walnut. Ask the studio which brand and sheen we used on your commission.
- 04
Beeswax brass polish
For unlacquered brass only. A small tin lasts years if you stick to a quarterly routine.
- 05
pH-neutral washing-up liquid
The main cleaning agent for painted doors. Diluted to a pea per warm-water bowl.
- 06
Soft cotton flour-sack cloth
For high-gloss and clear-lacquered surfaces. Less likely to leave swirl marks than microfibre.
( 10: Frequently asked )
The other things
clients ask.
If your question isn’t here, ring the studio. The workshop holds every paint, lacquer and oil batch we’ve used for a decade.
- How long after install before I can use my new kitchen normally?
- Cabinets are fully usable on handover day. Hand-painted finishes are still curing for a few weeks, so go gentle on the doors during that window with no scrubbing and no abrasive cloths. Worktops are ready immediately, although we recommend a fresh impregnator seal on natural stone at the twelve-month mark.
- I have lost the cleaning sheet you walked us through at handover. Can I get another copy?
- Yes. Email info@poshdesignltd.co.uk with your project name and we will resend the relevant guides, plus a note of the specific paint, lacquer or oil specification used on your commission.
- Something has been damaged, a chip, a watermark, a stuck drawer. Is it covered?
- Every Posh Design commission carries a ten-year guarantee on cabinetry, finishes and moving parts. Snag-style issues (drawer adjustments, hinge tuning, finish touch-ups) are typically handled in our scheduled check-in visits at six months, one year and five years. If something cannot wait, call the studio.
- Do you visit the home after the install to fine-tune anything?
- Yes. We check in at six months, one year and five years as standard, which gives us a chance to tune any hinges that have settled, re-seal stone, refresh wood finishes and address any small marks. If something needs attention sooner, please get in touch.
( 11: Ten years of cover )
Looked after. On the work, and on the day.
Every Posh Design commission carries a ten-year guarantee on cabinetry, finishes and moving parts, plus scheduled check-in visits at six months, one year and five years. If something needs attention sooner, please get in touch.