Cleaning your kitchen cabinets is a lot easier than you might think. Keeping your kitchen cabinets in tip-top shape is one of the most important things you can do to keep your home clean and organized. Regular cleaning will prevent rust, water damage, and other damage caused by moisture.
In this article, we'll show you how to clean and maintain all of your kitchen cabinets. This is a multipart process that will help get your wood cabinets looking like new again – let's get right into it.
Before cleaning, make sure to remove all the items from your cabinets.
This is essential because without emptying them, you won't be able to properly clean the inside of your cabinets.
Aside from the obvious step of removing everything from your cabinets, make sure that you remove any food residue as well. This will prevent the growth of bacteria or mold inside kitchen cabinets – and trust us, that is not something you want to happen.
Use a cleaner that is appropriate for wood surfaces and wipe down any visible dirt or grime with a damp cloth.
Make sure to wipe down any dirt or grime that you see. This step is pretty self-explanatory. If there's something stuck on the wood, remove it now to prevent staining later. Also, make sure not to use anything abrasive like steel wool or cleaners as these are more likely to cause scratching. You can either buy a cleaner from your local home improvement store specifically for cleaning cabinets or you can make one yourself – just follow this simple recipe:
- 3 tablespoons of lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 3 tablespoons of white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 1 teaspoon of dish soap (optional)
Saturate a soft cloth in the solution and wipe down the area.
Use paper towels or rags instead of dishcloths. Dishcloths tend to leave a lot of lint behind, which can cause streaks on the surface when you clean.
For stubborn stains, use a mild abrasive like baking soda on the spot and scrub gently until it disappears.
Baking soda is a lot gentler than other abrasives so it's perfect for getting out stains without damaging your wood. Make sure to remove all the residue with a dry cloth so that you don't get scratches in your cabinets. It doesn't hurt to use this on regular cleaning as well – just make sure you wipe away all of the residues or you'll end up with streaks. If you want an extra boost, try using lemon or vinegar instead of water. These can both help clean even more stubborn marks off of your cabinets.
Wipe clean with a wet rag or sponge and dry completely before putting back objects into the cabinet.
This will prevent water spots from forming if you steam clean later on.
If your cabinets have stubborn stains, use a cleaner to clean these sticky areas off your kitchen counter.
There are several cleaners available online or at your local home improvement store; test them out to see which works best for you. Make sure to follow the directions carefully so as not to damage your cabinet. But be warned: even after removing all the surface dirt there still may be some dullness left behind – especially if it's been a long time since the last cleaning.
Remove any debris from the inside of your cabinets.
This step is especially important if you plan on cleaning your wood kitchen cabinets with a steam cleaner. If left behind, this can cause water stains and even mold growth over time. Make sure to wipe down all surfaces inside the cabinet as well – you never know what kind of mess might have been made over time.
If you want to use wood conditioner, make sure that it is appropriate for kitchen cabinets and wipe away excess afterward.
Similar to cleaners, there are several options available online or at your local home improvement store; try sticking with one brand so as not to get mixed results in terms of applications. Some people choose to apply conditioner every few months instead of once a year to maintain appearance.
Use a steam cleaner to sanitize your cabinets.
Steam cleaners are very popular when it comes to sanitizing hardwood furniture, and for good reason. They work wonders with cabinet cleaning as well as they will remove any leftover residue from the last step and kill off any microorganisms that may have been growing in there beforehand; you can always use vinegar instead of water if you want a more powerful blast of steam. Just make sure not to leave the object on the cabinets for too long or else you risk damaging them.
For easy cleaning, spray barrier protection over your cabinets before using a
Barrier protection can be used to prevent any nasty blemishes from appearing on your cabinets. Some people also swear by it when cleaning their entire house, not just the kitchen; if you want a more thorough clean, try using this instead of water to dilute your steam cleaner's solution and follow up with regular cleaners after you've sanitized your wood. This will give you a very smooth finish that is scratch-proof for quite some time.
Protect cleaned areas with waxes and oils for added shine and durability
Waxes are applied over the top of the oil to provide extra protection against smudging and grease buildup. Use these according to instructions – they usually need about 24 hours of drying time before the final product is ready to use. Once it dries, it'll look like a thin layer of varnish has been applied to your wood without changing its color. If you want to see how they work and whether or not you want them on your cabinets, try using them in smaller areas with less traffic such as doors and drawers first.
Don't forget to clean the painted cupboards as well.
Cupboards tend to collect a lot of dust since they're usually against walls: make sure to wipe down painted kitchen cabinets inside and outside regularly.
If you want or have the time, try removing cupboard doors and drawers and applying conditioner according to directions before you put them back on; this will leave your wood in fantastic shape for years to come.
If you'd rather not do that, just remove what can be taken off – such as interior doors, drawers, etc. – then clean everything else normally. Whatever works best for you is great. Remember that cleaning should be done at least once every month. This way your cabinets will stay sanitary, their beauty will remain intact, and they will last you a lot longer.
Repeat this wood kitchen cabinets cleaning regularly if necessary
Many people choose to do this once a year at least. Some surfaces might require more maintenance than others, so check out how dirty your cabinets are every few months just in case you need some extra cleaning – but don't go overboard or else you risk damaging them.
It's up to each person to decide how often is appropriate for them.
Final thoughts on how to clean wood kitchen cabinets
In conclusion, these steps will help keep your wooden furniture looking good and avoid costly repairs in the future. If you follow them, your cabinets will hold up for a long time to come.