This essential gathering place needs special attention, especially leading up to the holidays. Local pros share the recipe for perfect order.
Written by MARGARET DANIEL
Photography by MACKENZIE DALTON
AS EVERY HOST KNOWS, the kitchen is a home’s hospitality epicenter, a cadre of appliances, glistening countertops and dynamic backsplashes supporting these workhorses … until they don’t. To ensure your holiday celebration looks more like a Norman Rockwell painting and less like a “Home Alone” booby trap, we polled Savannah’s kitchen experts for their must-know preparation tips, must-have cleaning supplies and their number one no-nos to keep your home merry, bright and fiasco-free.
Stainless Record
Whether you prefer a made-from-scratch menu or artfully plated store-bought casseroles, kitchen appliances put in the time around the holidays, so keep their maintenance top of mind days or weeks before company is set to call.
“We often find customers having major appliance emergencies around holidays because they have not been used prior to holiday gatherings,” says Todd Livingood, co-owner of Livingood’s Appliances & Bedding. “We recommend homeowners [do] a test run of baking or cooking a couple of weeks before large gatherings to ensure things are working correctly, and we do not recommend self-cleaning an oven as the cycle can cause more harm than good.”
While the self-cleaning process is enticing, elevating the oven’s temperature to over 800 degrees for hours at a time is infamous for frying thermostats and broilers. Instead of self-cleaning, use your oven’s steam cleaning feature or do it yourself by filling a pot with water, heating the oven to 450 degrees and setting a timer for an hour. The steam buildup loosens even the toughest residues, yielding self-clean results without the risk of an appliance meltdown.
Livingood keeps stainless steel appliances fingerprint-free by generously applying an oil-based cleaner and polish directly to the stainless surface and gently wiping it off with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. For the inside of the refrigerator and freezer, make a solution of two parts water and one part white vinegar and wipe down with a lint-free cloth, taking special care to use unscented cleaners, as foods readily absorb scents, altering their taste.
If your appliances are on their last leg or sullied beyond saving, start shopping early to ensure adequate acquaintance with your new appliance before holiday cooking begins. Livingood notes new brands like Fisher & Paykel, Fulgor-Milano and Signature Kitchen Suite produce high-quality, highly featured professional appliances at a great value.
Artificial Intelligence
Considering a countertop switch or brand new backsplash ahead of the holidays? For high-dollar looks without the hassle, keep manmade backsplash and countertop materials like porcelain tile and quartz top of mind.
Once deemed low-budget, low-style options, these durable materials have come a long way with most tile manufacturers offering a wide variety of stone-look porcelains, varied glazes rivaling those applied by hand and stone composites indistinguishable from the real thing.
“The main difference between natural stone and manmade stone is natural stone is porous and needs sealer and regular maintenance to minimize staining, while quartz is engineered stone and only needs basic cleaning with mild soap and water or Weiman Glass Cleaner for those hard-to-get messes,” says Carley Gunn, a sales representative at Counter Fitters.
“We recommend engineered stone for customers who have high-trafficked kitchens, as you don’t have to worry about staining the countertops [with] oils, spices and sauces.”
For the ultimate backsplash and grout protection, Stephanie Laughlin, interior sales assistant manager at Savannah Surfaces recommends frequent sealing. “If sealed properly and re-sealed [regularly], staining shouldn’t be an issue.” To keep up with the task, set a recurring calendar reminder based on your favorite cleaner’s suggested maintenance schedule.
Au Naturel
While natural stone counters and backsplashes demand more considered maintenance, no material is more luxurious. While stones like marble and soapstone get a bad rap for etching and staining, Liezel Fourie, design and sales representative at MultiStone, maintains that a little bit of extra effort is worth the results.
“Marble is one of the most elegant, timeless [countertop] choices and a perfect complement to many of our historic properties,” she says. “As marble surfaces age, they can build a slight patina and some characteristics of use, which lends it character and warmth.”
To slow the patina process, MultiStone applies an anti-staining agent that keeps porous marbles from absorbing acidic juices and colored liquids.
For everyday marble and granite maintenance, Fourie advises cleaning natural stones with gentle cleaning solutions free of acids, ammonia and abrasive ingredients. “The best solutions are dish soap and water, or other sprays specified for natural stones,” she adds.
A relative newcomer to the kitchen scene, soapstone is growing in popularity for its dark, distinctive appearance that is maintained with mineral oil applications. “Soapstone is a great stone option for outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and even kitchens. Oiling it will prevent the visibility of scratches as it moisturizes the stone,” Fourie says.
Before beginning holiday baking, call your preferred countertop fabricator about sealing your kitchen and bathroom surfaces. Most shops apply an extended warranty sealant ahead of installation that should protect the stone for over a decade. While store-bought and professionally applied sealants are perfectly safe, Gunn reminds her clients, “Each time you seal your natural stone it will absorb the sealer, causing it to darken slightly with each application.”
Once guests arrive, remember to pull out your trivets and chafing dishes when serving hot plates, as heat can open up natural stone’s pores and chemically alter the resin utilized to bond quartz, and always use cutting boards, as dense stones dull knife blades.
With a little bit of elbow grease and the sounds of your favorite holiday playlist, your kitchen will shine, ready for rolling out cookie dough and assembling mouth-watering family meals. And, if you are short on time this month, rest easy, Savannah’s professionals are one call away.
