I use the thin rubberized nonslip liner that goes under a large area rug for my cupboards. (Less costly than multiple rolls of shelving products.) Cuts to size easily, can be removed for washing, and keeps dishes from slipping. Also keeps drawer organizers in place.

Also use vinyl floor tiles in cabinets under the kitchen sink and bathrooms. Easy to clean and no worries if cleaning products or bathroom lotions and liquids accidentally drip or spill.

Not any more. Used it in older apartments with older cabinets but once I moved into my current home [brand new apartment] with nicely-finished cabinets, it just didn't seem necessary. I do use plastic organizers for utensil drawers, flatware, spice drawer etc.

I do use shelf liner - only not paper. I prefer the "vinyl" (but not adhesive) type which is easy to maintain.

I have ribbed vinyl liner in every drawer and on every shelf.

I'm guilty of still using shelf paper. Blame it on my OCD :) #BeSeenBeSafe

stilllearning1, the product you are looking for is called shelf edging. It can be purchased through a number of places, including Etsy, but if you like a straight edge rather than a ruffle you can also make your own. In humid/ tropical conditions, store bought lace works better than paper options, and can be hot glued into position.

I use vinyl covered wallpaper, but I do NOT stick the paper to the shelves or drawers. I usually find leftover rolls for a couple of dollars a roll, and often the choices are quite neutral or simple stripes, etc., which makes them perfect to cut. I measure and cut the paper to fit, roll it in the opposite direction of the roll in order to flatten the paper, and place it on the shelf or in a drawer. This makes a clean, easy to keep look for cabinets and even for furniture drawers. Plus, it can be changed easily. I've done this for years and have never found a less expensive or more effective liner.

@Pamela Moore...vinyl wallpaper (without the stickiness) sounds like a keeper (would look rather attractive each time you open the drawers).

I love that idea too. Also the one to hot glue edging to the visible edge of shelves.

I like some rooms to be wallpapered, kitchen for example. I bought extra and used it to line kitchen drawers and shelves. Sometimes I buy wallpaper on close-out, just to use to line drawers and shelves or for wrapping gifts.

Forgot to say, kitchen wallpaper and shelf and drawer lining is not glued down, is a light beige background with red toile design - French peasants during the four seasons. I enjoy opening a cabinet or drawer and seeing my white Fiestaware dishes against the pattern.

wow! didnt know so many people were into this stuff...i voted No. i hated the look when i was a kid!! i always thought it looked tacky or too busy in a drawer. ..i do have a tool box in my kitchen that has rubber type mats for tools ..but being its in my kitchen it houses my pots and pans and lids. we made it look like a built in

I splurged when I put in new cabinetry and bought cork. It's great except it doesn't like to get wet. I didn't want to use plastic and have that smell.

Ikea clear shelf liner.

Just had my kitchen remodeled recently and to make sure to reduce noise and surface damage I lined every shelf and drawer with cork. You can purchase at Home Depot in huge rolls. I believe it is used under floating floors, but it has worked like a dream and has so far proved to be very durable. It is about an 1/8 in. thick and very easy to cut with a razor or linoleum cutter. It lays flat and has not crumbled. The only deviation from using the cork was in certain drawers where I used dividers and trays, then I used the material that is similar to non-skid carpet pads (I guess this is the foam to which others are referring) to keep the trays from shifting if they did not fit snug in the drawer.

What is the foam stuff?

We only use it on wire shelves to things don't drop through.

I love all these comments by people who say they don't need anything, they have new, expensive kitchens. Goody for you.

I'm trying to find blue paper, believe it or not, I HATE brown and off-white. They just look dirty to me. I didn't like peeling off the old stuff, but I finally realized that when I put new in, nobody's going to make me take the backing off! It's a lot easier to deal with it. I'm used to being able to slide my glasses and food containers around. If I had something like the foam liners, I'd be forever knocking stuff into other stuff. It's like tripping over your own feet.

Paula, this is an old post - Goody for you - don't use what you don't want to.

I have new custom made real wood cabinets and am trying to decide what if anything I should use to line my shelves. I don't really care for contact paper or anything with glue and we live on the water. So many options and just read all the reviews. Thank you all for the comments but still no decision of exactly how to proceed - in process of moving into our new home it will be our last, I am happy to say and just want to make the right decision. I want to keep the wood from being scratched and reduce the noise and not have a problem with moisture. If anyone has a suggestion for me please let me know.

You bet I use shelf paper! I live in a house that was built in 1945 with original cabinets that I love but even though we cleaned the cabinets thoroughly, you just never know how clean they are. Shelf paper takes care of that problem! Plus, it looks pretty!

i use the rolls of clearish plastic with the ribs... glasses sit high enough so they dry underneath.

At the moment I don't. My kitchen is falling apart. We finally start the remodel in three weeks. When we have finished it Yes most definitely. You don't want to damage the new finish. I would put them in the current cabinets for cleanliness as Bev said but they are so nasty we chose not to use them. We are keeping everything organized in totes. As one of the earlier posts said peel and stick tiles are good , I used them under the sink in my old house. I wouldn't in the cabinets though. I won't have a sink under in this kitchen it's roll under. Interesting thoughts rolling around in my head now. :)

the clear plastic doesnt have adhesive so it doesnt damage new cabinets. its just stiff enough to stay in place.

Thank you for your responses and suggestions. My cabinet crafter said I should use rubbermaid kitchen shelving.

I will mention once again, it is great using (the lowest grade) vinyl flooring to line cupboards - at least the lower ones. It stays flat, looks good, does not need adhesive, and is super washable and durable. I have done it myself in 3 houses now. Love it!

masonlisa I agree. I did it in my last bathroom. Awesome for things like spilled soap and soap buildup. I like it under a kitchen sink hands down. It's also a Must in laundry room cabinets. Shelf paper is wasted in the laundry room.

YEP!

Why buy the paper? Elections are coming up, just use the handbills! ;)

Why is shelf paper necessary at all? Just another layer to purchase install and maintain.

We use place-and-press shiny vinyl tile. (My father-in-law gets the credit her!!). Do it once; you'll never have to line your shelves again. I promise. It's even great beneath all the sinks. You can cut it with scissors. But if you are tackling the entire kitchen try to borrow a heavy duty paper cutter to keep Carpal Tunnel Syndrome at bay.

I am not going to use shelf paper. I talked to my cabinet craftsman and he informed me that the best thing to use in his cabinets would be rubber maid so that is what I am going to use. At present we are still just unpacking the 900 something boxes that were delivered last Saturday - 35 years of our life together.

No I did not use shelf paper. I am going to use rubber maid shelving because that is what my cabinet craftsman informed me I should use and I agree.

Our new kitchen has custom cabinets and the shelves are painted the same cream color as the cabinets. I don't want to cover them up. I am just very careful when I put my dishes away. I put some paper towels down in my pull out drawers under the pots and pans and that's about it.

cork shelf paper

Thank you all. Have decided what to use. I really appreciate all your different suggestions and helpful tips and thoughts.

Cork board, is an interesting idea. Patti where do you find it?

I see others used my vinyl tile idea. I even cut it with a big old paper cutter. drawers and pantry shelves get contract paper or the foam stuff which crumbles after a few years.

We have old cabinets right now but even when we do new I will probably line them with the cushiony non-stick stuff (IKEA makes a variety, various others do also) because it keeps it a little quieter when dishes are moved around and in drawers it keeps things from sliding all over.

I only use the peel n stick contact paper variety for stuff like covering shoe boxes or other sturdy cardboard boxes that I want to reuse for storage. Like I have one covered in a wintery design that holds my Christmas card supplies. They just get kept in a closet, but I think they look nicer than with all the branding and whatnot showing.

I am going to use rubbermaid mats - that is what our cabinet maker suggested was the best thing to use if I felt I needed to put something down.

I use thin vinyl flooring stick on tiles cut to size inside all my interior wood cabinets. They work great....last forever and so easy to clean.

Just in some of the drawers I used a thick plastic lay down stuff in a roll (not stick down). I just sold my house and when I removed them the drawers looked brand new, no scratches or stains, compared to other drawers I had not used them in.

I use it so as not to scratch up the inside of my painted cabinets. It has saved me from having to have the insides of the cabinets painted every time I have the outsides painted which I do about every 5-7 years. I absolutely despise having to remove everything to have insides of cabinets painted. This way I can replace the paper at my leisure.

PLEASE DO NOT USE A FOAM-BACKED VINYL SHELF LINER.

My tenants used it only 2 and 1/2 years ago. When they started to remove it, the foam tore, separating from the vinyl, and leaving a HUGE MESS of foam and adhesive still stuck to my nicely painted pine shelves. They only removed one shelf and left the rest of the kitchen for me to deal with!!!! Since we spray painted them with a quality water-based enamel, I can't use rubbing alcohol. I'm going to have to experiment. Maybe paint thinner, turpentine or kerosene will work without ruining the paint ?? Grrrrrr !!

Twenty-seven years ago I used coordinating vinyl backed wall paper to fully line the shelves and back wall of the overhead cabinets. The same tenant used it for 22 years and it still looked ok when she moved. It was dry strippable so I did have to wet the paper and wash it off. But really, it wasn't too bad. We've also used 4x8 sheets of vinyl at Home Depot, cut to lay on top of the shelves. It worked great, can be easily removed and cleaned; but it was more expensive ($15 - $20/ sheet ??)

Let me repeat -- DO NOT USE FOAM-BACKED VINYL. That's going to be the next thing I add to the tenants' "Do's and Don'ts List."

I have white painted cabinets and bought rolls of cork for the upper shelves. Really pretty!

Love the colors and the white appliances, Suzann Lauer.

The best product on the market is ExactMats Home. home.exactmats.com They make custom-cut, clear drawer and shelf liners that are thick and use no glue. Really beautiful and all they need are the measurements. Really absorbs sound nicely too.

The foam rolls are a great approach.

Plastic with the ridges that acts as minor padding as well. Love the hint that I don't have to dry every dish with it in place!

I have brand-new Shaker cabinets. After reading these posts I have decided to only line the ones that will have food or pots and pans in them. Otherwise, I'm going to leave them to be wiped clean. Thanks everyone.