The kitchen can be very messy because of the activities that take place in it every day. Your cabinets are always bathed in liquid spills, grease splatters, and steam, among other things.
They also have to deal with the extreme heat and dirty pans that characterize the kitchen environment.
Keeping your cabinets clean should be a priority for you, especially if they are painted.
You should deep clean your cabinets once a week, but clean them with a moist rag immediately after you use them. How, then, can you clean your cabinets without affecting the paint?
The first step is to avoid abrasive cleaners or cleaning tools. When you use harsh cleaners or abrasive tools on your cabinets, you will dull and damage the paint.
You should not also use very strong acidic and alkaline detergents. They are also dangerous to the health of your painted cabinets.
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How To Clean Painted Kitchen Cabinets
You should clean your painted cabinets with gentle cleaning methods.
It is not every time that you need to use harsh cleaning methods to remove the dirt on your painted cabinets, but sometimes, they will require these methods.
When your cabinets are dirty, the simplest method is to use a damp and soft cloth to wipe down the cabinet surfaces. As long as this method works, you do not need anything else.
However, the stains can be really stubborn and will refuse to come off when you use this method.
Detergent and warm water
Mix a bit of detergent and warm water, and ensure that it produces suds. Use a microfiber cloth to clean your cabinets.
Dip the cloth into the soapy water and wring it out, then wipe the cabinets until the dirt, grease, and grime are gone.
Use another microfiber cloth to wipe the cabinet with non-soapy water. Make sure that you use this second microfiber cloth to remove all residue of soap on the cabinet.
Take another cloth and wipe the cabinets dry. While this method should work, you might still need to remove some tough and stubborn stains from the cabinets.
Read: How To Clean White Laminate Cabinets That Have Yellowed
Vinegar and water
Take 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of warm water and mix in a spray bottle. Spray the mix generously on your cabinet and wait for about 10 minutes before you clean it off your cabinets.
Use a microfiber cloth dipped in warm water to wipe down the cabinet.
Use another microfiber cloth to wipe down the cabinet surface.
After you have done this, get another cloth to wipe down the cabinet dry. If this method does not work, you may use baking soda paste to clean the cabinet.
However, vinegar and water should remove all the tough stains on your cabinet without any trouble. Vinegar and sugar is also good idea.
The best vinegar to use as a cleaning agent is white vinegar. It has the best cleaning properties to ensure that your cabinets retain their original color.
Baking soda paste
Mix baking soda in water—one part water, two-part baking soda. Make a thick paste of these two ingredients and spread it over the cabinet.
Wait for a few hours, and then use a microfiber cloth to wipe the surface of the cabinet.
Dip this microfiber cloth in warm water enough to get the cloth wet, not dripping with water. Wipe the surface of the cabinet well to remove the paste and grease, and grime.
Use another cloth dipped in water to rinse off the surface. Use another to dry off the cabinets.
Maintenance
The best way to care for your kitchen cabinet is to wipe them clean immediately after use.
By doing this, you will reduce the number of grease stains you have to deal with later.
Also, make sure to dust the cabinets regularly to remove dirt and dust. Frequent dusting of your cabinets will keep your cabinet looking clean and beautiful.
You can also visit your local store to get commercial cabinet cleaners to help you clean your cabinets.
However, homemade ingredients are just as effective.
What’s more? They are affordable. Vinegar and baking soda are really efficient cabinet cleaners. You can also add dishwashing detergents to these homemade ingredients to make them more effective.
Read: How To Clean Kitchen Cabinets Before Painting
Cleaning your cabinet glass doors and mirrors
There are commercial glass cleaners like Zep glass cleaner or HG glass cleaners that you can get to clean your cabinet glass.
Spray the cleaner on a paper towel or lint-free cloth before you wipe the glass.
If you spray the glass with the cleaner directly, you will risk discoloring your cabinets. You can remove the glass for ease of cleaning or clean the glass while it is still mounted on the cabinet.
Make sure you do not damage the finish of the door or the cabinet parts with the cleaners.
However, you must ensure that you take great care if you decide to remove the glass so that you do not break it.
Cleaning your cabinet hardware
You cannot just stop at cleaning the surface of your cabinets; you should also clean your cabinet hardware.
The knobs, handle, and pulls are pieces of your cabinet that you must take care of to ensure that your cabinets are very clean.
Dip your toothbrush in a solution of vinegar and warm water and scrub the hardware really well.
You should also take care of the surrounding areas, the wood, and the crevices.
Make sure to remove the hardware from the cabinets and the drawers and clean and rinse and dry each of them before you assemble them back together on your cabinets.
Preventive care
Prevention is better than cure, they say, and this statement is true.
To prevent your cabinets from getting damaged beyond your control, you need to care for them immediately after you use them.
Dust them regularly with a soft cloth and rag at least once in two weeks.
You can also use these homemade cleaning methods to ensure that your cabinets stay in their optimal condition. Clean up skills as soon as possible using a damp sponge.
If you do not clean these stains or spills immediately, you might find it difficult to remove the stains later on, and if you are not careful while cleaning these difficult stains, you may damage your cabinet’s surfaces.
Oven
Also, try not to install your oven near your cabinets.
This is because the extreme heat from the oven can damage the finish and surface from the intense heat that will escape from the oven.
Therefore, you should remove the doors and drawers from your cabinets above or adjacent to your oven when you put your oven on a self-cleaning cycle.
Therefore, you should not mount heat-producing appliances beneath your cabinets, for example, toaster ovens and coffee makers.
The excess heat and steam will damage your cabinets.
Sunlight
Also, the effect of sunlight will affect your cabinet’s finish. Ultraviolet rays will fade the finish of your cabinets.
It is best to use UV inhibitors to protect your cabinets from the reach of the sun. You can also use drapes to cover your windows to prevent too much exposure to light.
However, you must realize that the maintenance requirements for every cabinet differ because they depend on the material and the finish.
Smoother finishes will be less susceptible to dust collection. Woodgrain is better at hiding stains and spills.
You should consider the type of maintenance and cleaning requirements for your cabinet before you purchase them.
How Do You Clean Painted Wood Cabinets?
Wood cabinets are very popular in many homes today. They bring a natural feel to your home, and because of the varying texture in color and grain, your kitchen gets a superb look.
You need to clean your wooden cabinets to maintain the natural character of your wooden cabinet. When you install your cabinet, use a damp cloth to wipe it down and then a dry cloth to dry it immediately.
You can also apply a thin coat of polish, high-quality polish to secure your cabinet from scratches, stains, and moisture.
This does not mean your cabinets will not be affected by these factors. However, it will take a while before your cabinets scratch, stain, or retain moisture.
Deep cleaning
You should also clean your cabinets every time you use them and deep clean at least twice in two weeks.
Use warm water, commercial cleaning products, homemade cleaning products, and soft rags to ensure that your cabinets stay clean and fine.
Dish soap is also not a bad idea. These ingredients should help you deal with the grease that your cabinets attract from the stovetop.
You can also use multipurpose cleaners to clean your cabinets. These cleaners contain citrus oil that can cut through grease and grime with ease.
If your wooden cabinets are made of oak, then you might really need to consider these types of cleaners—they are non-abrasive.
Spray the affected area on your cabinet and allow it to settle for several minutes before you use a sponge or a microfiber cloth to remove and clean it.
Make sure that the cloth or sponge is dampened with warm water to make the cleaning more effective.
Other methods
Apart from these multipurpose cleaners, you can make a paste out of baking soda and water or vinegar and water.
Apply the paste to the affected spot and use a microfiber cloth dipped in warm water to clean the stains off.
For the vinegar solution, make sure that you are using white vinegar.
Also, make sure to spray the solution generously on the surface of the cabinets and wait for a few minutes before you wipe the stains off.
Use a microfiber cloth dipped in warm water to use it to remove the stains or spills.
Do not use products that contain bleach, solvents, strong detergents and soaps, ammonia, nail polish remover, and paint thinners since they can damage your cabinets.
Also, make sure you avoid abrasive brushes and pads like plastic brushes, steel wool, and scouring pads.
How to clean laminate cabinets
Laminate cabinets are a popular choice for kitchens and bathrooms because their surfaces are stain-resistant and easy to clean. If you care for your laminate cabinets well enough, they will last you a very long time.
You need to wash your laminate cabinets every day with warm water and mild detergent. Use a damp sponge to rinse it off and dry it with a soft cloth.
You don’t want to bathe your cabinet with water; just use the cloth to rub the surface of the cabinets with soapy water and clean water for rinsing.
Make sure to dry the surfaces completely. Tough stains are harder to remove. You can remove these stains by creating a thick paste of baking soda and water.
Apply the paste to the stains and rub gently with a soft brush or rag.
Use another rag to rinse the paste off, and then dry the surface completely with another dry rag.
You may also use vinegar and warm water to remove grease and grime from the surface of your cabinets.
If the stains persist, get an all-purpose commercial cleaner to remove their stains.
Do’s and Don’ts Of cleaning Painted kitchen cabinets
You should always remember to use a gentle cleaning solution on your cabinets.
Harsh scrubbing and solutions will do more harm than good to your cabinets. Also, you should never soak your cabinets.
Spray the solution onto the surfaces of your cabinets or spray it on a microfiber cloth, and then use the cloth to wipe down the cabinets.
Pay attention to those tight corners and trim, the handles, and the knobs. Make sure you get every part of your cabinet while cleaning.
Also, try to prevent water from running into the hinges of the cabinets, and never forget to remove the cleaners with a final rinse.
Use a cloth to dry the cabinets completely. Don’t forget the glass while cleaning your cabinets, and make sure to clean the cabinets periodically.