How To Clean Kitchen Cabinets-Easy & Effective Methods 

Kitchen is a space where spills and disorder occurs regularly and are unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean your kitchen cabinets, sink and floors remain greasy, dusty and dirty. Cleaning your kitchen properly regularly or weekly prevents the risk of stubborn stains on walls and cabinets. Removing greasy and oily stains from kitchen cabinets is not as challenging as it seems to be, with the use of the right products and techniques you can easily clean them and reduce the chances of damaging the finished look. 

For giving a fresh and new look to your kitchen cabinets, all you have to need are some common household items such as vinegar, baking soda and dish soap, elbow grease and gloves. It doesn’t matter what type of kitchen cabinets you have whether it is wooden or painted finish, the process for how to clean kitchen cabinets stays the same with some basic tips and guides. Let’s continue to learn easy & effective methods for cleaning your kitchen cabinets. 

Prep For The Cleaning Process: 

Gather All needy Items: 

• Mild dishwashing soap (Dawn Platinum Dish Soap) 
• White vinegar 
• Baking soda
• Warm water
• Spray Bottle or Bowl
• Soft Bristle Brush  
• Microfiber Cloth or Sponge
• Commercial degreaser (optional) 

Safety Precautions: 

• Wear gloves to prevent your hands from cleaning solutions. 
• Ensure that the area is well-ventilated. 
• Wear a mask whether you have any heart, lung problem or not. 

General cleaning Methods For Kitchen Cabinets: 

Regular Maintenance Cleaning: 

1. Regular cleaning means cleaning your kitchen cabinets front such as doors and hardwares. 
2. Use a damp or dry cloth as needed, then wipe down any dust or light grimes from your kitchen cabinets with it, to prevent grease from turning into hard stains.  
3. Leave it to air dry, or use a dry microfiber cloth to let it dry. 

Deep Cleaning: 

1. Clean Your kitchen cabinets with a damp microfiber cloth from top to bottom, if your cabinets don’t meet with ceiling, use vacuum to clean dust from their top surface. Then wipe away the surface with cleaning spray and  microfiber cloth, spray on cloth instead of directly applying it on cabinets. 
2. After that, use another damp cloth to clean the film that leaves on the surface of cabinets, even the use of a mild cleaner, same from top to bottom. 
3. Instead of leaving your cabinets to air dry, use a microfiber cloth to dry the cabinets frames, doors and under surfaces for a shiny finish. 

Effective Methods To Clean Greasy & Oily Kitchen Cabinets: 

Dish Soap & Warm Water Solution: 

This method is best for mild stains of grease, oil on glass cabinets, steel and wood cabinets for both polished and unpolished. 

• Combine two or three tablespoons of dishwashing soap liquid in a bowl of warm water, mix it well. 
• Use a sponge or microfiber cloth to apply it on the surface of cabinets, leave it for a minute now gently scrub the surfaces of greasy areas properly. 
• For harsh spots, add some baking soda into that solution or directly apply it on the stains for better results. 
• Rinse the surface with water but if your cabinets are of wooden, then use a microfiber damp cloth to rinse the dirt. Now let it air dry or use dry microfiber cloth. 

White Vinegar Solution: 

This solution is an effective step for moderate and less harsh grime stains on kitchen cabinets, best for wood and laminate kitchen cabinets. 

• Mix equal parts of vinegar and hot water in a spray bottle and blend it well. 
• Spray the solution on your kitchen cabinets and leave it for 4 to 5 minutes. 
• Again spray the solution on microfiber cloth to make it wet with the solution, then rub the surface slightly. 
• For extreme stubborn grease stains mix one tablespoon of dishwash soap into the spray bottle and use it. 
• Use a soft bristle old toothbrush to clean the grooves, edges and hardware around the cabinet doors. 
• Then wipe away the solution with a clean damp microfiber cloth properly and let it dry. 

Baking Soda Paste: 

Baking soda paste is going to be the bestest option for the harsh, mild stubborn stains of grease, oil and grime, work for all types of cabinet materials. 

• Create a paste of 2 to 3 spoons of baking soda and some warm water in a bowl. 
• Apply the paste on greasy spots and let it sit for a couple of minutes, then gently rub the area with a sponge or microfiber cloth to remove the stain from the surface. 
• Use a damp clean microfiber cloth to remove the paste from the spots area. 
• Now again make a solution of dishwashing soap and warm water into a spray bottle and follow the same procedure as above mentioned in dishwash soap and warm water heading. 
• But follow the above step if you need and your cabinet door surface feels dirty and greasy. 

Commercial Degreaser: 

If you have any commercial degreaser, use it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. First make sure to test the cleaner on an inconspicuous area, to ensure it doesn’t harm or damage the cabinets appearance and polished surface. 

Special Considerations For Different Cabinet Materials: 

Wood: 

1. Use the gentle cleaning solutions that mentioned above to reduce the damaging polished finish from the wood surface.  
2. Avoid rinsing the wood surface directly with water after applying any cleaning method, utilize any microfiber damp cloth to remove the material from it. 

Laminate: 

1. Try to use non-abrasive cleaning methods like dishwashing soap, vinegar with water etc to prevent your cabinets from scratches. 
2. Make sure thoroughly drying your cabinets to prevent them from water damaging and moisture issues. 

Painted Cabinets: 

1. Ensure to not use any solution that contains harsh chemicals which cause to strip the paint from the cabinet surface. 
2. Use baking soda and vinegar with warm water on painted cabinets, avoid directly contacting them with cabinets as they are considered as paint removal. 
3. Avoid using abrasive scrubbers or sponges as they leave scratches on painted cabinet surfaces. 

Common Mistakes To Avoid: 

• Stop using abrasive chemical cleaners that cause damage to the cabinets exterior or interior surface. 
• Do not allow cleaning solutions to sit too long as they can harm your cabinet material or finished look.
• Never neglecting to dry cabinets properly, this can lead to moisture damage or insect issues. 

If you haven’t cleaned your kitchen cabinets for years, then use the above tips and methods to get your cabinets newly freshened again, you may be surprised by how much grease has gathered on the cabinets surface. Also remember to clean the interior surface of your cabinets as well, as they also need to be cleaned yearly to stay in a good condition for the long term. If these tips are helpful for you, tell us in the comment section. 

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