Cabinets, Kitchen and Bath Remodeling

How to Deep Clean Kitchen Cabinets?

Your kitchen cabinets should be the centerpiece of your kitchen and make it look more beautiful while being very useful. But eventually, cleaning your kitchen cabinets becomes necessary to keep them looking their best.

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Every so often deep cleaning kitchen cabinets is going to be part of your life so that your cabinets look good and keep your dishes clean too. Cleaning kitchen cabinets might only need to happen every few years, so you might forget how to clean kitchen cabinets.

This article will give you all of the advice you need to be a great kitchen cabinet cleaner. With a little work, and a little bit of help from this article, you can get your kitchen cabinets looking like new again.

First Step: Empty Your Kitchen Cabinets

While it can be a real pain to get everything you have stored in your kitchen cabinets out, it is the only way to do a true deep cleaning. While the inside of cabinets stays relatively clean, there is inevitable dust and even insects that can make their way inside and need to be cleaned out.

You might need to put all of your dishes and cups into another room to keep them out of the way. You should also think about cleaning everything that came out of the cabinets in case some dust has found its way onto their surfaces.

This is also a great opportunity to get rid of things that you don’t need. If you find items that you suddenly remember you even own, it might be time to donate it to a thrift shop so that you won’t have more clutter to put back into your kitchen cabinets.

How To Clean White Kitchen Cabinets

White cabinets are an ever popular choice in modern kitchen design, but they also show off a lot of dirt. Regular maintenance of your white cabinets will keep them looking bright and airy the way that they should.

Be sensitive of the type of paint that you used for your white cabinets and choose a cleaner that won’t damage it. Be careful with acidic cleaners that can pretty easily dull a glossy paint or eat paint right off of your kitchen cabinets.

The best method of cleaning white cabinets is with a soft cloth, warm water and a gentle dish soap. Just scrub all of the cabinets, and work a little longer in areas that look dirty.

Getting The Dust Out Of Cabinets

Start dust removal with a dry method, either use a vacuum if you have one that is suitable for the inside of cabinets, or use a dry rag. Be sure to get all of the corners and crevices where dust or even insects can hide, die and poop.

After you do a dry clean, you can do a wet cleaning with a damp, soapy rag. When you are cleaning with a damp rag, use as little moisture as possible so that it will dry quickly afterwards.

Once you clean the entire interior of your cabinets, go ahead and wipe them with a try cloth to pick up any extra moisture. If your cabinets get too wet, they can absorb the moisture, the wood can swell, and the doors might start creaking or becoming hard to close.

Cleaning Hardware

The hinges and pulls on your cabinets can also get dirty and should be cleaned during a deep cleaning. Try first with a damp, soapy rag. If that doesn’t work you can use a stiff brush to scrub at the hardware.

Do your best not to damage any of the surfaces with too harsh of a cleaning method. For example, if you have rubbed bronze for your cabinet hardware, a wire brush could take off the finish and leave golden scratches on your hardware.

Acidic cleaner could also change the appearance of some metal hardware, so be wary of using anything that is too harsh. Also, don’t use too much moisture as you could swell the wood, then when it contracts the screws could come loose and your doors won’t close properly.

How To Clean Sticky Grease Off Kitchen Cabinets

The best cleaning method for getting that sticky grease off of kitchen cabinets is with a homemade solution of one part spoonful of baking soda, two spoonfuls of hot water and a splash of lemon juice. You might want to test the cleaning solution on a hidden part of the cabinets to make sure it doesn’t damage the finish.

Apply the cleaning solution to the greasy area, then let it sit for about two or three minutes. Rub the area with some pressure and a soft cloth and the grease will come right off.

Another method is to use a plastic scraper or even a plastic spatula to get under the grease and lift it off. Be extra careful not to damage any of the finish by scraping too hard, and you will still need to wipe the greasy area with a soapy rag.

How To Clean Wood Cabinets

To clean natural wood kitchen cabinets you need to determine what sort of finish has been applied to the wood. Never use bleach on wooden surfaces because it can cause the wood to dry out too much and it could start to look bad.

If it is a shiny varnish, it will withstand most cleaners including dish soaps and all purpose cleaners. If your cabinets have an oil finish or are unfinished, you need to be careful and use a delicate cleaning solution.

Some oil finishes like boiled linseed can grow a mold on them that will look black over time. The only way to get rid of the black color on a boiled linseed finish is to sand it down and then apply a new coat of boiled linseed oil.

Clean The Tops Of Cabinets

If you have space above your cabinets, loads of dust and insects will get trapped there and you need to clean it. Use a step ladder that can support your weight to reach up to the top of the cabinets.

Clean it with a vacuum cleaner first to get all of the dust that you can. The next step is to use a damp rage to wipe all of the surface.

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