Here’s an example or two of padding-type shelf liner (as opposed to paper-type discussed above).
Yes, I know about that stuff (which, if I recall correctly, was originally designed to keep things from slipping in drawers and on shelves. As an added advantage, it may act as a shock absorber. But what confused me is that is not paper, and I’ve never had shelves where the contents rattled, short of during earthquakes. :eek:
Damn my subtlety!
twicks, who also uses shelf paper
My elderly mom is stressing right now because the shelf paper in her bedroom closet is torn, and I have told her I will replace it “soon”. Since these shelves are made from unfinished plywood, shelf paper is needed so that clothing doesn’t snag, things slide easier, it looks “finished”, and is easier to keep clean than unfinished wood. She also gets freaked out a bit if any drawers in dressers and armoires are used, for any purpose, without a shelf-paper lining. The kitchen cabinets get a liner of contact paper so that food spills can be cleaned up easier.
And what is your kitchen’s crime rate? Huh?
Do you clean the shelves? Changing the paper is a lot faster than cleaning the shelf.
For the people that haven’t had to deal with the old shelves, let me add that painting them was bad. The oil based paint did not remain a nice solid surface and items would stick into the surface over time.
I have contact paper on some of my shelves, too… for just these reasons.
Harmonious Discord, are you talking about those coated wire racks? I hate those things.
No
Think of what covers all that pressed board core furniture. The same thing goes on many kitchen cabinet shelves, and many cabinets are made entirely from the chip board covered in the laminate.
Better than the grime rate, actually.
So a couple of years ago, I was at my aunt’s new house for Thanksgiving. She had just had a new kitchen put in. Someone asked me what I thought of the granite countertops. I glanced over and said “oh, very nice.” Then they all started laughing at me. Then I looked more closely. Her real granite countertops had been delayed, and so her contractor made her temporary countertops out of plywood and granite-patterned contact paper! :smack: He did a good job.
I’m another who has shelf paper on many of the shelves in my apartment for many of the same reasons.
It’s also a great (real) solution for dealing with grody old countertops. I tend to like funky old apartments, which often come with funky old countertops. A little contact paper and a sharp utility knife gives you a fresh clean surface. I’ve found that the patterned stuff lasts about 6-8 months before fading, and the plain stuff lasts longer. But replacing it is easy and contact paper is cheap.
My mom likes to get vinyl flooring scraps to line the bottoms of floor-level cabinets like the one under the sink where things are more likely to spill. Easy to clean, sturdy, and stuff slides easily on it.
My first reaction was, well, it’s pretty.
I always thought shelf paper referred to the stuff that you put on the front edge of each shelf and fold so that the decorative edge shows. I have a bunch of leftover packages of it that belonged to my Grandmother. I use it in my china cabinets, where it shows through the glass. Grandma would also use it in any open (doorless) cabinets. I have fond, fond memories of shelf paper, and put it in the same nostalgic category as flour shifters and floral enamel dishpans.
But evidently you’re asking about something rather more utilitarian.