About Shelf Liner

Why should you use shelf liner? What kind is best? How to you install it? When should you change it?

Shelf liner has long been used to protect cabinet shelves and drawers from spills and staining. Although many choose to not use it, it can help save your cabinets from unsightly stains and water damage that can make your cabinets look ugly when you open them.

There's different types of shelf liner. Some liner has a sticky back and adheres to the cabinet, others are rubbery and simply lay along the bottom. The sticky kind tends to stay in place better but is not too easy to remove. The rubbery kind can easily be changed out and is softer on your dishes. Some other products you can use for liner includes oil cloth, heavy tin foil and the plastic that covers fluorescent lights.

To install shelf liner, simply measure the shelf or drawer and cut the liner to size. If you are installing the rubbery kind, just lay it in the bottom of the shelf or drawer and you are done. If installing the sticky kind, peel a little bit of the backing back in one corner and stick that corner in the appropriate spot. Peel the rest back bit by bit sticking as you go. Make sure you keep it even with the edges or you will find that it will quickly get offset and you will have to rip it all up. Change your liner about once a year or as needed.