The bathroom vanity has several important jobs. It holds the sink, provides storage for toiletries and towels, and it is an aesthetically pleasing feature in the room. However, without proper care and maintenance, no vanity will look great forever. In fact, it may suffer significant damage and have to be completely replaced to restore the prior look. Regardless if a homeowner has a single or a double sink vanity, a few things need to be done to ensure it is properly maintained and continues serving the main functions. Keep reading to learn about bathroom vanity maintenance tips that will make your vanity as good as new.
Table of Contents
1. Basic Cleaning
When it is time to clean a wooden bathroom cabinet or counter, avoid using anything abrasive during the cleaning process. What this means is that no harsh scrub brushes or any type of steel wool should be used. It is also best to avoid using harsh chemicals that claim to “eat” stains. All of these items are going to cause additional abrasions on the surfaces of the vanity. The dents and scratches will also hold water, begin to ruin the wood, and cause more cracks in the surface.
Make sure to prepare the cleaning solution before getting started. Fill up a container with warm (not hot) water and add either a mild dish detergent or something like an oil soap. These products are specially designed for cleaning surfaces like drywall, wood, and marble. This makes it is great for this purpose. Make sure to use a cloth with tight weaves inside, like a washcloth or something soft. Dip the cloth being used into the water solution and make sure to wring out any excess. Once this is done, wipe the cabinet clean.
When finished with one area, use a dry towel to remove any additional water. This will ensure it remains completely spot-free.
To ensure the vanity remains in good condition, be sure to use the proper bathroom vanity maintenance techniques. Make sure the counters and wooden cabinets remain in quality condition by cleaning them each week.
2. Repair the Wood Cabinets When Necessary
Another important part of maintaining bathroom vanities is to repair the cabinets or a marble door threshold when needed. This is going to keep things looking great. If there are any scratches present in the wood surface, they need to be handled right away to make sure that mold does not take root. If there is a scratch, be sure that it is cleaned properly following the method that is mentioned above. After the area is completely clean and dry, use fine sandpaper to carefully sand the area near the scratch until it is smooth. It is then a good idea to touch up the stain on the surface.
If the pulls on the door appear dim, make sure to take them off using a screwdriver. Create a solution made of one-half of a cup of ammonia and two cups of warm water. Put the fixtures in this solution for approximately 15 minutes, or longer, if needed. After they have soaked, take an old toothbrush and work any remaining grime loose from the small areas. Rinse the pulls well, dry them off, and then reattach them to the cabinets.
3. Repair the Counters as Needed
If a homeowner has a marble counter, fixing scratches is not that hard. The first thing that is needed is a quality car wax that includes carnauba. This is going to provide the best results. Be sure to apply this wax generously to the scratch and let it dry. After it is fully dried, it is possible to use a wool buffing pad to shine up the area. The scratch will be filled with the wax, and it will blend in with the rest of the counter, which will help the scratch almost completely disappear.
If there is a deeper scratch, these must be dealt with differently. Find sandpaper that is 1000 grit or higher. This can be used to buff the area close to the scratch until it is fully smooth. Use a wool buffing pad to help restore the shine to this area. It is also a good idea to apply carnauba wax and shine up the surface.
4. Make Needed Cabinet Adjustments
If one of the cabinet doors is crooked, the repairs will be pretty simple. In most cases, just tightening the screws will be enough. Usually, there are two sets of screws on a cabinet door, which hold the door to the hinge and hold the base of the cabinet to the hinge. Find and tighten the screws on the bottom and top of the cabinet doors.
The screws holding the door hinge may need to be removed to move the door up or down. After the door is free, put it where a person would like it to be and create a chalk line. With this line, it is possible to hold the door open to see where the screw holes and hinges should be compared to the placement of the hinges of a new door location. Mark this with chalk, too. Drill the right holes and then reattach the cabinet door to the hinges once again. Once done, close the door and begin enjoying a properly installed cabinet door.
Keeping a Bathroom Vanity in Good Repair
When it comes to bathroom vanity maintenance, there are several factors to consider. Take some time to think about what is wrong with the existing vanity and find the right repair solution for the cabinet in question. Don’t underestimate the benefits of proper maintenance and repairs.
If the issues are too big for someone to handle on their own, it is a good idea to hire professionals. Take some time to keep this in mind, which will help minimize the issues present and ensure that the cabinet works properly, regardless of what is wrong.
Featured Photo by Christian Mackie on Unsplash
