The library consists mainly of shelves
The most common meaning of the term shelf refers to tables that, whether on a wall or a piece of furniture, are arranged horizontally so that it is possible to place different elements on them. The piece of furniture made up of these boards is also known as a shelf or bookcase .
Common in the home
Shelves are usually present in most homes as they are very useful. They can be placed in various rooms of the home , from the kitchen to the bedroom, including the living room or bathroom.
In the kitchen , shelves are used to store utensils , jars and non-perishable foods , for example. In a bedroom they can store perfumes or books , while in a living room they are ideal for displaying ornaments . In a bathroom, meanwhile, shelves are used to keep towels or soaps at hand.
Part of other furniture
It is important to note that shelves can be part of other furniture. It is common, in this sense, for cupboards and libraries to have shelves.
In this framework, we can also say that a piece of furniture with shelves can have doors to hide them, always have them in sight or even only have some hidden. Furthermore, depending on the material from which the furniture or some of its parts are made, the presence of doors may not mean that the shelves are not visible, as is the case with glass doors.
As mentioned above, there is a piece of furniture called a bookshelf , which is the simplest of those that include shelves. Basically, its function is to "hold" them for use, without any additions. Now, there are more complex pieces of furniture that include shelves, such as a desk , and in this case we return to the possibilities mentioned in the previous paragraph of having doors.
Maintenance and cleaning
Depending on the environment in which a shelf is placed, it requires different types of tasks for its maintenance and cleaning. First of all, we must take into account its load capacity : we cannot place all the objects we want on it, nor an excessive amount, because we run the risk of it breaking. Stores that sell shelves are required to provide this information to their customers.
Even knowing and respecting this limit, it never hurts to check your shelves for cracks and other signs of wear to catch them before it's too late. There are various products to solve these problems, although in some extreme cases it is preferable to buy a new shelf.
Regarding cleaning, it is important to respect the conditions of the shelf material: one made of uncoated wood, for example, should not be overly moistened. Kitchen shelves tend to get oiled very frequently, so they must be cleaned with different products than those in a bedroom, which simply collect dust. Humidity , on the other hand, is a problem that we must avoid in any part of the house, especially in the bathroom.
Kitchen furniture with various shelves
Other meanings
The Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), in its dictionary, recognizes other meanings of shelf. The concept may refer to the stick that, on a boat, allowed the rigging to be tied to the garrison tables; to the wood that is nailed into the ground to fix the structure of a construction in a tropical place; or the individual who, in the processions that take place during Holy Week , carries the steps.
Shelf can also be an adjective . Shelf cattle , in this framework, always graze in the same territory. A shelf subject , on the other hand, remains fixed in a certain place or position.