kitchen cabinets get dirty, fast. Everyday fingerprints, food splatters, and watermarks are usually the main culprits, but tougher stains can build up over time. Yet those hardworking uppers and lowers tend to get short shrift during regular weekly cleaning, so by the time you realize they’ve been neglected dirt, and smears may have built up considerably.

Fortunately, our easy tips for how to clean kitchen cabinets can help you tackle all types of issues, including grease stains and sticky cabinets.

Follow our guide to cleaning kitchen cabinets so that they smell fresh, look fabulous, and are hygienically clean.

What You’ll Need?

• Dish soap
• Vinegar/warm water solution
• Specialty cabinet cleaners or commercial cleaners
• Baking soda (optional)
• Cleaning cloths (microfiber)
• Old toothbrush
• Vacuum (optional)

How to Clean Kitchen Cabinets?

Work From the Top Down
Begin at the top and work your way down each cabinet. Unless your cabinets fit flush to the ceiling, the very top of wall units is where the worst kitchen grime tends to linger.

Empty Each Cabinet
Empty your cabinets inside and outside. If the interior cabinets have a lot of crumbs and residue, it may be a good idea to vacuum the cabinets out after they’ve been emptied, before wiping them down.

Prepare Your Cleaning Solution
A few squirts of mild dish soap in hot water is a safe and effective formula to use on painted and finished wood (as well as metal, laminate, and vinyl).

To use: Mix in a spray bottle, but apply onto a microfiber cloth rather than directly on the cabinet surface, as it’s best to avoid saturating the wood. Avoid using abrasive cleaning pads, as they could scratch the cabinet’s surface.

Next, fill up a new bowl of clean warm water and begin to remove dish soap off the cabinets. Finally, dry down the surface with a towel or microfiber cloth. Water left sitting on your cabinets can discolor and damage them. Immediately dry with a soft cloth.

Save yourself a mess by placing an old towel beneath the areas you are cleaning to catch it as it falls off. It could get disgusting and that’s what you want to prevent.

If the shelves have stains remove them with a paste made from baking soda and water. Let the mixture set into the stain, then wipe clean.

Wipe Handles, Knobs, and Pulls
For metal hardware on cabinets, dip a soft-bristled toothbrush in a 50/50 solution of vinegar and warm water and scrub the hardware, the surrounding wood, and the crevices of ornate trim.

Clean Cabinet Contents
Throw out any items that have expired and before refilling shelves and drawers, inspect the cookware, dishes, food packages, etc. to ensure that those items aren’t dirty.

When to Clean Your Kitchen Cabinets?

Aim to give cabinet fronts a wipe down with a damp cloth every week or so, but if you spot a spill or splash, tackle it immediately. A more thorough, deep clean can be done three or four times per year.

The main aim is to avoid a build-up of that tacky, grease-based dirt that becomes labor intensive to remove, and if you’re not in the mood to get your hands dirty, you can always ask for a little help from Professionals.

The Clean Image of Tucson is here to help and we just happen to love cleaning kitchens! For a more thorough cabinet cleaning, check out our deep cleaning.

Request a free estimate today!