Two tips for those who have just had glass splashbacks fitted in their kitchens
If you have just had a glass splashback fitted in your kitchen, you might want to bear the following tips in mind.
Invest in a handheld steamer and a squeegee
The shiny, transparent finish of glass splashbacks can really help to modernise the appearance of a kitchen.
However, a splashback with this type of finish does require a little more care than other splashbacks. Grubby fingerprints, water droplets and food splatters will be a lot more visible on this type of material, and wiping the surface down with a cloth won't usually be enough to clean it and restore its original shine (as cloths tend to leave behind both streaks and tiny fibres).
As such, if you want to keep your new splashback looking beautifully glossy, you should consider investing in a handheld steamer and a squeegee.
The steamer will not only help to soften dried-on food (and thus make it easier to remove) but will also enable you to achieve a high shine when it is used in conjunction with the squeegee, as the two tools will remove all of the water marks, streaks and fingerprints that tend to dull a glass splashback's glossy finish.
Be mindful of where you place sharp kitchen tools and saucepans
Most glass splashbacks are made from a special type of glass which is designed to be able to withstand the occasional hard knock.
However, this does not mean that your splashback is indestructible and cannot be damaged.
If you want your new splashback to endure for many years to come and you would like to avoid incurring the cost of repairing cracks in the glass, then it's important to be mindful of where you place your sharper kitchen tools and saucepans.
If you carelessly toss them onto the countertop on a regular basis, they may end up colliding with the glass splashback. Repeated instances of being struck with these sharp, heavy objects could eventually cause the splashback to develop chips, scratches and cracks.
These will not only affect the splashback's appearance but may also impede its ability to act as a barrier that prevents the wall to which it is attached from being regularly exposed to water. This, in turn, could lead to the wall sustaining water damage.
As such, it's worth making an effort to place your kitchen tools down on the countertop gently so that they don't end up knocking into your splashback and damage it.