Most homes have built in cupboards, bookshelves, desks, or some sort of furniture made from melamine board or other laminated board panels. These decorative panel products, such as PG Bison’s MelaWood boards, are a popular choice as they are durable, inexpensive, and stylish, but they can lose durability when the product is not treated with the proper basic care.
Here are a few basic steps to keeping your decorative panel products clean and cared-for.
- Cleaning: just give it a wipe
It is usually not necessary to use detergents or abrasives to clean your melamine surfaces. A simple wipe with a dry or slightly damp micro-fibre cloth is the best first step when it comes to cleaning laminate surfaces.
Once you have wiped away any dust you can see where dust and dirt might have caked onto the surface. Use a damp cloth or sponge to rub the more stubborn dirt from the board. You will often find that this step is enough to clean your MelaWood board.
- Avoid scratching
Scratches and dents will ruin the look of your wooden surfacing, leaving marks that are hard to rub out. Try to pick up items instead of dragging them across the furniture. Add corner protectors to furniture where people may bump into it and kick plates to the bottom of cupboards and drawers.
- Protect against heat
Heat will slowly weaken your laminate furniture so be sure to use a place mat, coaster, or pot holder on worktops and table tops instead of placing hot items directly onto the surface.
- Keep it dry
Water, when it seeps into the wood, can damage the laminated board panels and lead to mold and mildew. Make sure that your laminate furniture never stands in water, especially in bathrooms and kitchens, and that you do not leave water on the surface for long periods of time.
It can be a good idea to place bathroom cupboards and furniture on feet to lift it out of the way of potential spills. Kick plates are also a good idea – if these are damaged they can easily be replaced without having to replace the entire item of furniture.