How to Dry Kitchen Cabinets

If you’ve witnessed a bad water incident in your kitchen, be prepared to deal with wet cabinets. Kitchen cabinets can be made of different materials, such as solid wood and particle board. Fixing particle board water damage starts by eliminating as much water as possible, allowing the cabinets to dry fast, and repairing kitchen cabinets water damage.

Read on below to know what causes water damage cabinets and learn how to repair water damaged kitchen cabinets and repair particle board furniture water damage.

Causes of Kitchen Cabinet Water Damage

Plumbing 2.0 plumber pros in Mesa educated our editorial team that a kitchen houses various water lines and pipes, that is why it is no surprise that water damage is common in this home area. Just a leak from one of those lines and pipes can cause considerable damage to your kitchen, particularly the cabinets.

Here are some of the common reasons for your wet kitchen cabinets

• Issues in your water supply lines or refrigerator water lines
• Leaky or malfunctioning faucet
• Dishwasher floods
• Congested sinks that lead to overflow
• Frozen and ruptured pipes
• Water leaking under kitchen sink cabinet
• Extreme condensation from cooking

Prevention is better than dealing with cupboards and cabinet water damage, so make sure to inspect your kitchen area regularly. Check for any signs of leaks and make immediate repair water damaged cabinet bottom when needed. Dishwasher and refrigerator supply lines should be inspected at least once a year. You can ask a local expert on how to repair particle board (or MDF) water damage.

Steps to Dry Water Damaged Cabinets

If you are curious whether you can dry wet kitchen cabinets, cupboards or even adjacent water damaged walls, here is the answer: yes – and it is also pretty simple to do so. Just follow this step-by-step guide on how to fix water damaged particle board the DIY way.

1. Take out any items in your cabinets and look for stuff that can be saved.
2. Remove excess water inside, as well as water damage under sink cabinet, by soaking it with towels.
3. Detach the doors of the cabinets to minimize pressure on the wet material.
4. Start to dry your wet kitchen cabinets using air movers and dehumidifiers.
5. Make kitchen cabinet repair water damage if the damage is not extreme. If they are beyond repair, replacement should be done.
6. Eliminate water stains from the cabinets using oxalic acid (if you have stains on carpet – don’t let stains settle on carpet).
7. Clean and deodorize mold kitchen cabinets using a solution of water and bleach, especially if the water damage is Category 3.
8. Restore your kitchen cabinets by refinishing the material, applying a veneer, or waterproofing kitchen cabinets.

What to Do Before Drying Kitchen Cabinets

Before drying your kitchen water damage cabinets, it is important to fix the cause of the issue first; otherwise, you are only wasting time and effort. To do this, turn off the central water supply valve.

Start to find the cause of the water damage. Perform immediate repair if necessary. If not, you can start drying your cabinets. Knowing where the issue is allows you to identify the cause more easily and prevent another water event.

Water Damage Can Cause Mold on Kitchen Cabinets

One reason it is important to dry and repair kitchen cabinets water damage is to prevent mold growth. For mold to thrive, a source of moisture is necessary, and wet kitchen cabinets make just the ideal environment for it. As long as your cabinets are wet, mold is there to stay.

Aside from your wet kitchen cabinets, mold also may grow beneath or behind the cabinets and cupboards, provided that stagnant water remains there. Prevent mold growth by drying your cabinets and kitchen area immediately after a water event, here’s a quick guide from EPA on how to dry kitchen cabinets and cupboards and prevent further damage.