Kitchen Cabinet Care and Cleaning Recommendations

by Carlos Ramirez August 28, 2021

You’ve been putting it off for too long and it’s time to clean those dirty, grimy, greasy cabinets. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Most of us don’t consider the regular maintenance that comes along with cabinet care. If you’re like me, you probably focus on the usual suspects: countertops, appliances, dishes, and floors. However, cabinets require just as much care as the other components that make up your kitchen. Not only will the door fronts look new, but great cabinets can last more than 50 years with the proper care!

Before you get started the only rule is to be as gentle as possible. Don’t use anything abrasive and scrub lightly—unless you want to add painting to your chore list. Consider using a soft cotton cloth—perhaps an old t-shirt or recycled cotton terry cloth—and soft toothbrush for tough stains. As useful as microfiber rags can be, we don’t recommend them because they are made from synthetic polyester fibers.¹

Step One

Start by making a cabinet cleaning solution mixing one part mild dishwashing soap or Murphy’s Oil Soap with 2 parts hot water, which will help break down tough grease. For Murphy's Oil Soap follow the mixing instructions on the bottle.

Again, being gentle is key here. Spray your cloth lightly and clean from top to bottom. Keep an eye out for any architectural details, corners, and areas around the cabinet’s hardware that may be overlooked. Make sure not to soak everything in your solution and wipe down any solution that may be dripping. Lightly damp another towel with warm water to give your cabinets a final rinse. Finish with a dry towel to dry any moisture, especially around hardware which will likely rust if it isn’t dried. Repeat all of these steps on the inside of your cabinets.

Step Two

If you’re dealing with tough grease stains, or you’re the proud owner of white shaker cabinets, you’ll want to add an extra step. Mix one part baking soda with two parts water to make a paste. Once you’ve completed making this mixture apply it to any tough stains and let it sit for a few minutes. Wipe the mixture away in a circular motion to remove tough stains and follow with a rinse and dry cloth. During this step feel free to use a soft toothbrush to work on corners and details. And that’s it!

Just kidding. Unfortunately, this isn’t a one-time solution to this problem. I wish we could just link a magic product that will protect your cabinets for life, but sadly it doesn’t exist. Cabinet care is a lifelong labor of love. You’ll likely want to set a quarterly reminder to avoid starting from scratch again and setting a yearly reminder for deep cleaning. Once you get in the habit of cleaning your cabinets you won’t even notice the extra step you’ve added to your kitchen cleaning routine.






¹Synthetic polyester is a petroleum-based fiber that is carbon intensive and sheds non-biodegradable microfiber into the water stream when washed.

---

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

---

Also in Reduce, Reuse, Renew