Porcelain is one of the most preferred kitchen materials thanks to its durability, heat-resistance, stain-resistance, and versatility, among other perks. Whether you want to upgrade your kitchen with some tweaks or completely change its face with new cabinetry, you may want to consider porcelain. Despite looking fragile, it’s actually easy to clean and care for. Let’s discover four of the most common contexts when you might prefer porcelain over ceramics, plastics, concrete, and other materials.
Worktops
The countertops are usually the kitchen’s focal point, so installing porcelain ones to elevate your home’s appeal and value makes all the sense. Practically speaking, these can take the heat as well as marble can, which is why they’re so popular. Porcelain worktops and handle hot pots and pans without burning, smoking, or eliminating any smell or hazardous substances. Despite sounding fragile, porcelain countertops are easily cleanable and maintainable. Porcelain worktop manufacturing technology has evolved a lot in recent years, an achievement that contributes to their spreading popularity in kitchens worldwide.
Porcelain is sturdy and long-lasting, assuming you don’t use textures and practices that can damage it. One of the most threatening things to avoid using are ceramic knives, so if you can’t kiss your favourite ceramic knife goodbye as advised, then ensure the chopper is large enough to minimize the risk of letting the utensil hit the porcelain’s surface. The harsh blade nature can make it easier to scratch the countertop.
If not long ago, people would fear porcelain worktops due to concerns that the materials are easy to tarnish but hard to clean, leaving stains behind; this woe no longer holds today. If you want white porcelain, you can regularly clean it with a not-so-harsh scourer or cloth – these surfaces have scratches. Nevertheless, don’t overdo it using too abrasive cleaning materials, which might dull the countertop’s polish. Use some soapy water and rinse the surface afterwards. Once the dirt’s gone, wipe it clean to ensure there are no stains. On the other hand, as elegant as white can be, dirt and grim can be more easily seen on these countertops compared to different colours. You can opt for stylish cream kitchen countertops that can look just as refined, airy, and chic while drastically reducing the surfaces’ potential to reflect spills, dust, or any other unwanted detail.
Tiles
Porcelain is one of the most sought-after materials for tiles on walls, floors, or countertops. They bring comfortable allure and lasting quality to any household that can put minimal upkeep effort. As with worktops, it can ensure a decades-long lifespan. Similarly, it can be cleaned with mild soap and warm water, which is enough if you want to maintain porcelain floors. You can also utilize mild, daily multipurpose cleaners or sprays to eliminate mildew, hard water deposits, and soap scum.
Noteworthy, avoid using products with ammonia, acids, or other bleach-based or harsh chemicals. Don’t use detergents and wax products with oil, as they might be detrimental to the tile’s integrity. Last but not least, skip cleaning products with colouring agents or dies if you plan on installing unglazed tiles, as they might change the surfaces’ reflections or discolour them. It’s best to clean unglazed tiles regularly with concentrated tile detergents with a neutral pH. These products work better in eliminating oils, grease, or spills from unglazed objects.
Grouts
Grouts can be some of the most challenging kitchen parts to clean—all the more so if they’re wide and poorly made. In most cases, they are a combination of sand, cement, and water, but they are sometimes necessary to connect parts of precast concrete, seal tile joints, or fill voids. There are numerous solutions and tactics for cleaning these narrow spaces. However, some contain elements that can be too harsh for the surrounding porcelain, like acids or alcohol.
For safety reasons, ensure you use grout cleaners that don’t have components that can be damaging to the porcelain nearby. This can be one of the most challenging parts of having porcelain tile floors, for they tend to stock grime and get darker in time. It’s best to clean these spots routinely to ensure your kitchen looks as fresh as it did on day one after renovation. Depending on the application, you can use commercial or concentrated homemade cleaners. Or resort to professional cleaners for grout and tiles when the process of eliminating oils, grease, algae, mildew, or soap scum is more complicated. Frequent care will take your kitchen a long way, so make time for maintenance occasionally.
Cutlery
There’s a widespread fascination with porcelain pottery and cutlery for a number of reasons. Porcelain crockery is known for being long-lasting, dense, and sturdy – unlike permeable “ceramics”. Their composition of raw materials makes them resistant to water and humidity. Putting a porcelain dining set on the table can feel amazing, but evidently, the crockery’s overall look matters the most. You don’t want stained, crooked, or scratched cutlery and pottery. Regarding porcelain crockery storage, it’s enough to wrap each piece in protecting bubble wrap or place them in a well-sealed set. This way, you ensure the pieces don’t scratch when rubbing against each other. Thermal balls to block voids can also be effective in eliminating the space between utensils when they’re being moved around.
There are a few steps to effectively cleaning porcelain crockery and keeping gear looking brand-new in the long run. First, dust can be eliminated using dry clothing. Microfibre is the top textile for wiping porcelain crockery clean because the dust is attracted and thus extracted by the negative electrodes in the material. This leaves the surface dust-free instead of spreading the tiny fibres around it.
Secondly, a travel-like brush with small bristles can accurately eliminate dirt and remove dust from small crevices and holes. Wash the objects with warm (not hot) soapy water and leave them to dry on paper towels. Caring for porcelain crockery might initially seem intimidating, but it can be a walk in the park with some exercise.
Bottom line
Thanks to its tough, anti-scratch structure, porcelain is known to resist better than the hardest granite. Since the material is low in porosity, stains from food scraps or spills are almost impossible to stick to its surface. The material is also popular for its heat resistance, taking it well whether you use it on a countertop or kitchen island.
If you want to upgrade your kitchen in ways that will yield returns later, you might consider integrating porcelain elements.
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