Kitchen cabinets are great for storing glassware, Tupperware, and any food storage or food serving kitchenware. Kitchen cabinet shelf liners have become necessary for most kitchen cabinets, aseptically newer cabinets, which homeowners look to extend their lifespan.
Kitchen cabinet shelf liners help extend the lifespan of the cabinet wood. Over time, water and dust will collect on the kitchen cabinet, which could ruin the surface if no liner is used.
Older cabinets that sit high up in a rental or new home may want a kitchen liner as they’re unsure what liquid or food has spilled over from the previous tenant.
Let’s learn what a kitchen shelf liner is and why you should buy one to help preserve the longevity of your kitchen cabinets.
What Is A Kitchen Cabinet Shelf Liner?
A kitchen cabinet shelf liner is a fabric that protects the bottom of kitchen cabinets to protect the items that rest on top. Here is an example of a kitchen cabinet shelf liner.
Kitchen cabinet shelf liners are made to help protect cabinets from accumulating unwanted dirt and dust that builds up over time.
On top of protecting cabinets from accumulating unwanted dirt, kitchen cabinet shelf liners are great for preserving natural wood.
As glasses are taken out of the dishwasher and put away, there may be some leftover water still in the glass.
The kitchen cabinet shelf liners will help absorb the small amount of water that leaks out of the glass and keep the kitchen cabinets from rotting or molding.
This thin, small piece of shelf liner may not seem like much, but it’s an excellent addition for homes that frequently store kitchenware.
Do Kitchen Cabinets Need Shelf Liners?
Kitchen cabinets do not need kitchen shelf liners. However, we recommend that you use kitchen cabinet liners to preserve the lifespan of the kitchen cabinet.
The main reason, mainly if you use a dishwasher, may be leaking from glassware or any dishware put away. If that water leaks or is consistently absorbed into the wood, it may ruin the wood in the kitchen cabinet.
For the sake of preserving your cabinets, we recommend having a kitchen cabinet liner absorb the water.
Kitchen cabinet liners must also fit the kitchen’s theme and the complete color palette. If our cabinets are brown, we don’t want a yellow kitchen cabinet liner that will mess up the uniform look of the kitchen.
Be sure when searching for kitchen cabinet shelf liners you find a color that matches your kitchen cabinets, so when guests open them, they have a uniform look.
However, if you decide to purchase kitchen cabinet shelf liners, it’s important to have ones that can withstand water leakage and dust build-up over time.
Best Kitchen Cabinets Liners
The best liner for kitchen cabinets is typically a liner that doesn’t fold up, is made of thin fabric, or wrinkles quickly.
Folding up fabric (similar to the picture above, although we only showed it folding back for demonstration purposes) can be a pain to fix over and over again constantly.
Especially if you’re shorter and the cabinets are higher, consistently having to climb up on the counter to fix the folding kitchen liner will be a hassle.
Thin kitchen cabinet liners will not stop the leakage (from leftover water in the dishwasher) from seeping through. After about 3-4 months of usage, the thin liners will eventually become useless.
Think liners also will wrinkle easily. Sliding a glass to the back of the kitchen cabinet will cause the liner to shift, wrinkling and leaving an open, non-covered space.
Again, if the cabinet is higher, it will not be seen, and the water or leftover moisture could affect the cabinets long term.
We’ve selected high-quality kitchen cabinet shelf liners that will help save your cabinets for the long term. Our selections weigh on the cheaper side; as homeowners, we try to save as much money as possible.
Gorilla Grip Kitchen Cabinet Liner
Our strongest recommendation is the Gorilla Grip kitchen cabinet liner. The kitchen cabinet liner comes in over 18+ colors to match any kitchen decor. It’s a thick liner placed in any kitchen cabinet to protect the wood.
It also doubles as a kitchen drawer liner used under silverware holders.
The Gorilla Grip kitchen shelf liner can be cut to fit any sized kitchen cabinet, but it also comes in 5 different sizes to suit pretty much any sized cabinet.
Another reason we love the Gorilla Grip kitchen liner, as mentioned, is the different available colors. Having a quick look at Amazon, here’s the color palette for the kitchen cabinet liner.
As you can see, many colors can fit any kitchen cabinet or drawer liner.
Duck EasyLiner
The Duck EasyLiner is an excellent kitchen cabinet liner for homeowners who want a traditional white or taupe color finish. Available in these two colors, this non-adhesive grip keeps the liners in place and is easily removable.
Available in 12″x 20′ and 20″x 24′, the cabinet or drawer liner can be cut to fit any cabinet necessary. The EasyLiner is machine washable for easy cleanup and contains messes like breadcrumbs or small spills.
Plast-O-Mat
If you’re looking for a clear plastic solution, a Plast-O-Mat ribbed shelf liner would be your best option.
The clear, ribbed, plastic shelf liner is excellent for kitchen cabinet shelf liners wanting a transparent solution on the bottom of their cabinets. It doesn’t need an adhesive backing, as it will settle on its own to the shelf space.
For those that want a visual of the plat-o-mat, see the image below:
The plastic liner is excellent if you want to keep your white-themed shelves (or whatever color you have for your shelving) while still protecting a kitchen liner.
Conclusion
Kitchen cabinet liners keep your kitchen cabinets fresh and looking brand new. We recommend that the thicker shelf liners grip the cabinet; therefore, higher shelves have no bend and wrinkle.
Whether it be the Gorilla Grip, Duck EasyLiner, or the Plast-O-Mat, kitchen cabinet liners are the safe way to prevent small leakage, clean up breadcrumbs, and ensure that your kitchen cabinets don’t accumulate mold.
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For over a decade, Robin has been a real estate agent, interior design specialist, and mother. Through her trials and tribulations, she wanted to create the perfect website to help you save money and make your home look beautiful.