Your mom probably did it. Your grandmother probably did it. Now it’s your turn. Should you line your kitchen cabinet shelves and drawers? Wondering if it’s worth the time, money, and frustration? I am. And to help me decide I’m evaluating 8 pros and cons of kitchen cabinet shelf liners.
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Backstory
We bought our house in 2012. I fell in the house the moment I saw the kitchen – the ample cabinet space, the double ovens, the island with stove and extra seating.
Admittedly, for the first few years I spent little time working on my house. There just wasn’t time. But now that I’ve left Corporate America and am a stay-at-home parent I spend a lot of time at home now.
And I’m finally tackling all the chores I should have when we first moved here.
Last year I tested out 5 ways to best clean my kitchen cabinets. And now that they are squeaky clean, its time to open those kitchen cabinet doors to clean and organize the inside.
First up? Do I, or don’t I, invest time and money into shelf liners?
Kitchen Cabinet Shelf and Drawer Liners – Pros and Cons
Personally, lining kitchen cabinet shelves is about as fun as watching grass grow. Right up there with washing windows.
I’ve lined shelves and drawers before. It’s a time-sucking experience that tries my patience.
But, like most kitchens, our cabinets are heavily used. And abused. (Sorry kitchen. Love you! ❤️)
Here’s what I found are the advantages and disadvantages of lining your kitchen cabinet shelves and drawers.
Pros of Kitchen Cabinet Shelf Liners
Kitchen cabinet shelf liners are worth it according to these reasons…
1. Protect from Water
Ok, ok, I’ll admit it. I’m totally guilty of emptying the dishwasher and putting away not-completely-dry dishes.
I know it’s wrong, I’m just slightly impatient. I force my kitchen to keep up with our busy lifestyle.
Kitchen cabinet liners protect cabinets against water stains and rings from those not-so-dry dishes.
2. Protect from Scratches
Certain types of cookware – pots, pans, small appliances – are especially harsh on kitchen cabinets. Pulling those pots in and out of kitchen cabinets usually results in scrapes and dings in wood cabinets.
Here’s a photo of where I store my pots and pans.
Not overly glamorous. But in my defense, many of these marks and scratches were here before we moved in!
Shelf liners are a sturdy way to protect cabinets against all the nicks and scratches from the cookware and small appliances banging around in your cabinets.
3. Quiet – Shhh!
If you own kitchen cabinets with soft-close hinges, well, number 1, I’m jealous. Number 2, installing slightly-padded liners can help keep the noise low. It will muffle the noises of banging pots and scraping dishware on bare cabinet shelves.
And an added bonus if textured – liners will keep those drawer organizers (especially those silverware ones!) from moving around and making noise!
4. Add Color
Adding fun, colorful liners is a subtle and discreet way to introduce pattern and color into the kitchen. It’s a fairly easy and cheap way to incorporate personality into your home.
Do Shelf Liners Extend the Life of Kitchen Cabinets?
You’ll notice that I didn’t mention an advantage of shelf liners was to extend the life of kitchen cabinets. Kitchen cabinet installers report that while shelf liners can keep shelves cleaner and more sanitary, they aren’t the main driver for homeowners to replace their kitchen cabinets.
Cons of Kitchen Cabinet Shelf Liners
Admittedly, the above pros of kitchen cabinet shelf liners were compelling. But I’m not entirely convinced that I want to spend a lot of time and money lining my kitchen cabinet shelves and drawers.
And these reasons weight against the oh-so-fun task…
1. The Liner Sticks…. Too Much
When I think shelf liners, I think of my grandmother’s super-sticky contact paper. I remember watching her try multiple times to carefully install contact paper without making creases. And failing (and cursing under the breath).
Don’t get me wrong. Contact paper is fantastic since it is water-resistant and durable. And it works amazing for a few years.
But then the edges come up. Or the color fades. Or the pattern just gets tired and outdated And then you want to remove it.
It is impossible to remove!!!! Good luck, my friend!
The removal process is painful and frustrating. The scraping. The digging.
The very act of peeling away the contact paper increases the risk of damaging your kitchen shelves – exactly what the contact paper was meant to avoid!
(FYI – if you do need to remove contact paper from shelves, check out these tips from The Country Chic Cottage and Anika’s DIY Life)
2. The Liner Sticks…. Too Little
Luckily we are no longer stuck to just grandma’s contact paper option for shelf liners. Now there are contact paper alternatives that offer a “light” tackiness to avoid the frustration of removal.
In theory that sounds perfect, but…
Scrolling through Amazon, I couldn’t find a liner with raving reviews on its ability to stay in one place. Admittedly complaints were commonly related to the shelves that held larger items, like pots and pans, small appliances, etc.
BUT these shelves are the ones that need liner protection the most, right?
Hmmmm….
And the liners with the best reviews were a bit costly. And if you are considering lining every shelf and drawer in the kitchen, the price could get a bit out of hand.
3. What Lies Beneath
This con is tailored to the “waffle” type of shelf liner. I currently have this on shelving in my basement.
The holes in the waffle pattern allow crumbs, dirt and general ick to end up on the wood surface beneath. It can get disgusting. And “disgusting” is not a term I’m looking to describe my kitchen cabinets…..
4. Color Change
One of the advantages of liners listed above (that they add color) – can also be a disadvantage. Imagine lining all your kitchen cabinet shelves and drawers in a beautiful bold pattern, like the beautiful multi-colored butterfly contact paper shown above.
Then a year later you encounter a hot new shade of paint color that you just MUST have in your kitchen. Or maybe a new dish set that you have fallen in love with.
But it completely clashes with the pattern and color of the contact paper.
Ugh..
Will I Line My Kitchen Cabinets?
Ultimately, yes. And no. Let me explain….
I decided against lining ALL of my shelves and drawers.
Instead, I lined just the two shelves that take the brunt of markings and risk potential water damage. The shelf with the pots and pans (pictured at the beginning of this post), and the shelf under the kitchen sink.
It took research (i.e. 7 Things to Consider When Buying Shelf Liners) but eventually I found two top-notch under sink liners.
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