Covering Up Speakers

When my speakers are not in use, I try to always cover them up with the cloth covers that ML supplies.

However, my listening room is in one of those L-shaped configurations where the living room is at the base of the "L", and the kitchen is at the top of the "L". If any cooking is being done in the kitchen, (especially frying), I always make it a point to cover the speakers up with the plastic shipping bags. The stove is equipped with an exhaust fan which is always used.

I worry about cooking residue collecting on the panels.

Am I over doing it? Is the Martin Logan cloth cover enough?

Thanks

I, too, have a kitchen adjoining my listening/family room, and have been worried about airborne vapors/grease getting on the stat panels. Unfortunately, my wife doesn't always use the hood fan. However, my speakers are 18 ft from the stove, and I suspect airborne grease would settle before getting that far, so I don't cover them.

I wonder if this has been researched by ML (or elsewhere)?

ANY contaminant is bad for the panels.

I'd imagine cooking grease is particularly bad, as it sticks and can't be removed by regular vacuuming. When the grease sticks, it then allows other more benign material like dust to stick as well, compounding the problem.

I don't think you are being too neurotic.

That said, I do not allow any frying or greasy cooking in my house at all - cooking grease sticks to everything (not just ES panels) and makes the house smell like stale grease. We cook outside on the BBQ burner whenever we need to fry anything.

I have the same problem with an adjoining living room/kitchen. Right speaker sits next to the bar, 6ft from the stove. My ESL's have removable grills on the front side which I often take off when playing but the rear stators are not covered. So... I NEVER fry anything in the kitchen-- only outside.

Your post got me thinking about building grills for the backside too, for dust control if nothing else. Even then I think I would not want grease frying 6 feet away.

Some people have washed ML panels in soapy water to remove such contaminants and reported good results but I would be afraid of trapping water around the copper foil charging strip which could then corrode the contact to the bias supply.

My panels can't be washed so-- no frying in the kitchen for me.