Common Kitchen Problems and How To Solve Them

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If you’re renovating your kitchen or recently moved into a new home, there are a few common kitchen problems that should be addressed immediately to help your kitchen look and function better. Dripping sinks, smelly fridges, ill-cleaning dishwashers and rusty cabinet hinges can make a kitchen difficult to cook in or invite others in to. Find out what the most common kitchen problems are and how you can repair them with this guide!

 

Most Common Kitchen Problems

Whether your kitchen is new or old, problems are bound to occur at some time during the next few years. There are a variety of kitchen problems that can arise that can be costly and time-consuming to fix. Although each home is different, some of the following are the most common problems that homeowners experience in their kitchens:

These five problems arise due to the age of the appliance, misuse and damaged parts that affect their functionality. Smelly fridges, freezers and sinks make it unbearable to stay in the kitchen for long periods of time; rusty cabinet hinges are annoying each time that you open a door or drawer, and so is the leaky faucet whenever you turn it on; an ill-cleaning dishwasher can make you do double dish duty since you have to rewash them and broken water pipes can damage floors, walls and cabinetry. No matter how they develop, each of these detract from the look and smell of your kitchen while causing you embarrassment whenever friends and family come to visit.

 

How To Fix ThemHandyman fixing kitchen cabinet with screwdriver

Since these problems occur throughout millions of Americans’ homes each year, a variety of solutions have been created to get your kitchen back in working order. For starters, if your fridge or freezer is smelly, don’t toss it out; use dish soap to clean out the bins and shelves, let it air dry and make sure to keep the temperature within 0 to 40 degrees F so that mold and odor don’t develop. Smelly sinks most often occur due to dirty water that rots once it passes through the pipes. It is easily remedied, though, by mixing lemon juice and baking soda together, pour it down the drain and let it sit for 15 minutes. After that, make sure to rinse your sink with boiling water and it should immediately smell better. Rusty cabinet hinges are one of the easiest fixes that you can make in your kitchen. All you have to do is lubricate them with oil and their squeakiness should disappear. With a leaky faucet, make sure to clean the faucet screen and check the pea-trap to make sure that your sink isn’t leaking underneath the cabinets. Check all of the water lines, including those connected to the garbage disposal and ones leading away to other appliances, like the fridge.

Dysfunctional dishwashers are one of the most upsetting kitchen problems that homeowners experience, especially if you have a large family that goes through a lot of dishes. If you have caked up food left on your “clean” dishes, remove the spray arm, filter and float and thoroughly clean them. If you’re just dealing with streaky glasses and dishes, try using a different detergent that doesn’t leave a soapy residue (which causes the streaks). Lastly, broken pipes will need to be fixed by a professional, like a plumber. If you can, tie the area where the leak is with nylon paper to stop as much of the leak as you can. The plumber will be able to fix the major stuff, so don’t worry about pulling out walls or pipes until he/she arrives at your home.

 

Issues With Your Kitchen Cabinets

One of the most used parts of your kitchen are the cabinets, where you store food, dishes and cooking appliances. However, since they’re used so often, they tend to get broken the most out of the other items in the kitchen. One of the most common issues with cabinets is when the doors won’t stay closed. This can be caused by loose screws or the cabinet itself isn’t level. In most cases, all you’ll need to do is tighten the screws with a screwdriver but if the cabinet is misaligned, then you’ll have to go through the process of realigning it with the help of professionals. Sometimes your doors and drawers bang whenever they close, which is not only loud but can damage the wood. To fix this, you can buy bumpers that are designed for both doors and drawers. They come in various colors and thicknesses, so you can easily match them to your cabinets. Lastly, the finishes on some wooden cabinets can become worn and damaged over time. The best thing you can do, especially if you want a new design or finish, is to have them sanded and restained again before adding your new finish. Although you can refinish your cabinets yourself, it’s usually a good idea to have professionals do it since the surface of the cabinets must be treated correctly for the finish to turn out right.

 

Improve Your Kitchen With Our Help!

At Summit Cabinet Coatings, we offer our clients a variety of designs and finishes to update the look of their cabinets at a great price. Whether you need remodeling tips or want to change up your kitchen cabinets, we can help! Call our office at (970) 282-9856 for a FREE estimate on your next cabinet project!