Every time we cook our favorite foods, we're unwittingly creating build-up on our cabinets that can destroy the natural beauty of the wood. That nasty film leaves cabinets looking old and dirty, as well as making them feel sticky and unpleasant. If you're unsure of how much damage your cabinets have gotten, unscrew one of the hinges or a handle and look at the color of the wood underneath. That will give you a good indication of how much discoloration you're dealing with, and also let you know the color that you should be able to achieve with a good cleaning.
Preventing Build-Up
If you're religious about running your exhaust fan over your stove as you cook, you can help cut down on some of the airborne grease. However, no matter how careful you are, that film is going to show up on your cabinets - unless you eat take-out every night! The most important thing is to give your cabinets a good wiping down every other month or so. This will keep the build-up manageable, and save your scrubbing arm some work.
Best Cleaning Products
Without buying special products, you should be able to eliminate that greasy build-up. To start, foam two tablespoons of dish soap in two cups of water. Use clean rags or paper towels to rub the suds onto the cabinets. Make sure to follow the grain of the wood. Then rinse with a damp sponge and rub down with a dry dish towel. The grease fighters in the dish soap will cut that greasy residue easily.
There are also plenty of commercial products that can work wonders on greasy cabinets. Try Orange Glo, Greased Lightning, or Simple Green. Just follow the directions on the products. If you'd rather go all natural, mix equal parts vinegar and water and rub on with a damp sponge. With any of these techniques, you may have to repeat a few times, depending on how dirty your cabinets are.
What About Painted Cabinets?
Painted cabinets are no exception - they gather just as much buildup as natural wood. You can use the dish soap method, or use a multi-purpose spray cleaner like 409 or Fantastik. Make sure that if you're planning on repainting, you give your cabinets a very thorough cleaning, otherwise the fresh coat of paint may have trouble sticking.
Cleaning your cabinets can seem like a daunting chore, so if you're pressed for time, do three cabinets a day until they're all done. Remember that once you get them really clean, you should then clean them every other month so they won't have time to build up much residue. Staying on top of the chore can make it much easier to achieve the stunning results you desire.
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