When it comes to giving your kitchen a new look, you don’t only rely on repainting your kitchen in your desired color.
When it comes to giving your kitchen that fresh look, you need to look at the things which make up your beautiful kitchen.
And of the things that make your kitchen is the presence of kitchen cabinets! You cannot have a kitchen without a kitchen cabinet, no matter how small it may look.
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How To Clean Hinges On Cabinets
Perhaps you have been using your kitchen without cleaning your cabinets since you moved into that house.
Maybe you think that the cabinet hinges may never get dirty, but the bad news is cabinet hinges in your kitchen, bedroom, or wherever they may also be getting pretty dirty and dusty.
Take, for instance, the cabinet in the kitchen will get pretty dirty because, with your greasy hands, you touch the hinges to open the cabinet to get some dishes, or some pots, or some condiments hidden in there.
One way or the other, greasy fingerprints appear on them, and over time, it becomes a greasy build-up.
But then, how do you clean the hinges of your cabinet?
There are varieties of things you need to get to aid an easy cleaning of your cabinet hinges.
Read: How To Get Greasy Fingerprints Off Kitchen Cabinets
What do you need to clean your cabinet hinges?
First off, you need to get a spray can, and then you should get vinegar. Also, get mild liquid dishwashing soap; you can Dawn liquid dishwashing soap, then get water and dry microfiber cloth.
Before your Start
There are things you need to know about your cabinet hinges before cleaning.
You cannot begin to clean the hinges without properly understanding and knowing what you will be cleaning.
The cabinet hinges sometimes are made from brass and pewter, and some others are made from fine wooden materials.
And you need to know that these materials, made into hinges, need to be cleaned thoroughly and especially.
Because while some may not like to be cleaned with water, some hinges might welcome enough water. So check to be sure if your hinges are made from any of the materials above.
Method of cleaning cabinet hinges
To clean the hinges, if you can unscrew them to be detached from the cabinet, then it would be fine. If it has been detached, put the hinges in a bowl or kitchen sink, then fill the sink with some warm water and vinegar solution.
Now allow the hinges to soak in the water for a few hours, or at most, you could leave it overnight, depending on the number of stains on them.
The vinegar will help to loosen the greasy mess and clean off the dirt from the hinges.
Next, throw the warm water and vinegar solution away, then fill the bowl or sink with some warm water, and this time with some mild liquid soap squirt.
Allow the hinges to soak in the soapy mixture for a while, then after 30 minutes to an hour, get an old toothbrush or a soft brush, and begin to scrub the hinges generously without applying much pressure so that it doesn’t peel off.
You will observe that the greasy gunk will begin to fall off gently.
Once this has been noticed, you can get a kitchen rag and scrub the area again, and afterward, rinse with clean water and use a microfiber towel to dry the hinges. Once they are dry, you can now screw them back into the cabinet.
Cleaning the Dull Cabinet Hinges
It’s quite normal to have dull cabinet hinges, and this may be due to the fact that the hinges have gone through a series of long-term cleaning, or it could be that lack of cleaning made them extremely dull and tarnished.
But then, how do you clean them to make them blend into your new kitchen’s cool look? If you think you need to change the hinges because of how they look, then you need to believe that you can still make use of the old hinges.
You only need a few cleaning agents to get things back in shape.
You need to get some rubber gloves, water, brass polish, ammonia, tarnish remover, dryer sheets,
Now get a teaspoon of ammonia and a teaspoon of water. Then dip the dry micro-fiber cloth into the bowl of ammonia and water then clean the hinges well by wiping them with a clean rag.
Then you can now leave it to dry. But if your cabinet hinges are made of brass, then wear your rubber gloves, and make a paste of baking soda and two tablespoons of lemon juice.
Mix them thoroughly and rub the paste on the brass hinges. Allow the paste to stay for a while, then get a soft rag to clean the hinges, then wipe to dry with a damp cloth.
Clean Hinges when they aren’t detachable
If your hinges aren’t detachable, do not fret! There are some other cool ways that you can get to wash your hinges.
Get a bowl of warm soapy water mixed with vinegar, then dip a microfiber towel in it and use it to wipe the hinges thoroughly, to scrub the tiny part that the towel may not be able to access, get an old toothbrush to give it a gentle scrub.
Once you are done, get a clean bowl of warm water mixed with vinegar, then dip the other end of the towel in it and wipe the hinges thoroughly until there is no trace of soapiness.
Then dry the hinges with a paper towel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you Use Salt to Clean Your Cabinet Hinges?
No. First, you need to know that your cabinet hinges are very delicate. They do not need another cleaning agent that would scratch off the surface.
Besides, if you use salt to clean the brass hinges, it would not work well because of the metallic surface. It needs something softer and mild.
So do not use salt to clean the hinges. Instead, make use of baking soda, mild liquid dish soap, and vinegar. They work perfectly well with your hinges.
Can you clean your hinges with bleach and degreasers?
You do not need bleach or degreasers to clean your hinges. Remember that your hinges are made from different materials, and using abrasive cleaning agents might destroy the materials that they have been made with.
If you do not have baking powder, mild liquid soap, or vinegar at home, then simply make do with warm water and dry microfiber cloth to clean off the gunk from the cabinet hinges.
Can you use a coarse scrubbing brush or sponge?
No, you cannot, especially if your hinges are made from finely painted wood.
You wouldn’t want to cause a scratch on your hinges, would you? Using some of these stiff brushes would tarnish the hinges, thereby peeling off some of the thin coats.
And if your hinges are made from brass or other metal materials, you cannot use stiff brushes or iron sponges because they will be slippery over the surface, and they will disrupt the well-painted metal.
If you must scrub the hinges, get your old toothbrush, or get some foam, soft kitchen cloth, a microfiber towel, and any soft sponge will do.
Hinges react to anything that has to do with abrasives. And if you want your hinges to stay around for a long time, then you will need to adhere to the rules of staying away from abrasive cleaning agents.
How often should you clean your cabinet hinges?
Well, how often do you clean your window panes? You surely cannot leave it absorbing all the dirt and dust all year long. You need to clean your cabinet hinges at least once every week.
At most twice a month. When these things are left for dust and gunk to build upon them, they become faded, rusty and completely tarnished, and unfit to be considered as a cabinet hinge in your fresh kitchen.
In conclusion, you should never forget to clean your cabinet hinges because you may not like the aftermath of your hinges when you decide to take another look at them.
However, if you notice that your tarnished hinges need to be painted to blend into the look of your kitchen, then go ahead.
Get some quality brass spray for the brass hinges and spray the hinges.
But do not forget to put some paper towels around it to prevent the colors from staining the cabinet.
Also, do not forget to check the hinges thoroughly for the kind of material that they were made from so that you will be able to know what kind of cleaning agents to use for your hinges.
Meanwhile, never forget to clean the hinges as soon as you are done washing their hinges.
Once you are done, you can use a soft cloth to wipe the hinges clean otherwise, if you do not do this, your brass hinges might get rusted.