Whether you’re messy or a clean-as-you-go type of cook, the very act of preparing a meal in your kitchen can get a little chaotic. Even the neatest cooks can still create a big mess. Sometimes, it’s inevitable. Foods like pasta sauce can splatter all over the place. And even when you think you’ve cleaned it all up completely, you still might miss a few spots on your kitchen cabinets. Keeping your kitchen cabinets completely clean is hard enough when you’re living on your own. Throw your significant other and kids into the mix and you’ve got a sure-fire recipe for disaster! Painted wooden kitchen cabinets are especially prone to invisible or hard-to-see food stains.
With that in mind, here are some great tips for cleaning your wooden kitchen cabinets to keep them looking like new for longer.
Why Should You Clean Your Painted Wooden Kitchen Cabinets Regularly?
Like anything else you own, it’s important to take care of and maintain your kitchen cabinets if you want to keep them looking fresh and new for as long as possible. Without proper care, your wooden kitchen cabinets will start to look, feel, and smell dingy after a while. Stains that live on your wooden kitchen cabinets for long periods of time will eventually become so deeply embedded into the veneer that they’ll be impossible or extremely difficult to remove later on.
Deep cleaning your kitchen cabinets once in a while helps to ensure that these stuck-on stains or other dirt and dust are removed immediately. Plus, there are a few other perks. Painted kitchen cabinets need to be cleaned regularly to:
- Increase durability and longevity. It’s that old saying, “the more you take good care of something, the longer it will last”. The same sentiment can be applied to your painted wooden kitchen cabinets. Cleaning them on a regular basis ensures that they’ll last longer, which means you won’t have to replace them after a few years.
- Reduce repair and maintenance frequency and cost. To further build on the previous point, the more you carefully clean your kitchen cabinets, the easier it’ll be to take care of them in the future. Keeping them clean reduces the need for more intensive cleaning and expensive maintenance.
Tips for Cleaning Painted Wooden Cabinets
On average, you should be cleaning your kitchen cabinets at least once a week or on a biweekly basis. Every time you do a deep clean of your entire house, add cleaning your kitchen cabinets to your long list of chores. Regular cleaning reduces the risk of wear and tear and keeps them looking fresh and beautiful for much longer. Here are some great wood cabinet cleaning tips to protect the finish from chipping or peeling off.
Take the Mild Detergent Approach – NEVER harsh chemicals
When it comes to cleaning up stains, grease, and grime, mixing a little bit of dish detergent with warm water does wonders. Add a few drops of dish detergent to make the water soapy and sudsy. Use either a microfiber cloth or the soft side of a sponge to gently clean your cabinets. After dipping the sponge or cloth in the water, wring it out thoroughly.
Then, move your hand in small circular motions along the cabinets and avoid applying too much pressure. Wet a second microfiber cloth with warm water, then wring it out, and use it to remove the soapy residue from your cabinets in the same circular motion. Lastly, use a third completely dry microfiber soft cloth to dry your cabinets and remove any remaining soapy residue.
Wipe Off Grease Spots Immediately
One of the main hazards of cooking meals in your own kitchen is that grease happens. Crackling bacon can splash grease all over the place. Simmering pasta sauce can also have a splash-back effect when it’s stirred. The key is to clean up these stains as soon as they happen, so they don’t have the chance to be absorbed by your wood cabinets. This will also make the deep cleaning process a lot easier later on as less scrubbing will be required.
Scrub Your Cabinets
Speaking of scrubbing your cabinets, it’s important to do so with the utmost of care. Scrubbing too hard can damage the paint on the façade of your cabinets, making them look worn out and dated. Always use a soft microfiber cloth or the soft side of a clean sponge when scrubbing your cabinets to help protect them. If you happen to cook with a lot of greasy or oily foods, then you may need to do this at least once or twice a week to keep your cabinets clean and fresh. Be sure to thoroughly dry your cabinets to prevent water absorption and bubbling.
Use Grease-Cutting Detergents That Are Gentle on the Skin
Even if you wear rubber gloves while cleaning your wooden kitchen cabinets, you should still use a detergent that’s tough on grease, but also soft on hands. These types of detergents are specially formulated to remove grease stains from food and grubby fingers without stripping away the protective veneer of your painted wooden cabinets.
Avoid Using Vinegar and Olive Oil Mixtures
Vinegar is an excellent all-natural cleaning solution for tough grease stains and grime, but it can also strip the paint and varnish off of your kitchen cabinets. The same goes for wooden furniture, flooring, and other surfaces throughout your home.
Applying olive oil to wood elements in your home, especially cabinetry, is also a big mistake. Although it’ll give you a shiny smooth finish, olive oil doesn’t ever fully dry or absorb into the wood. Instead, it lingers on the surface and spoils, giving your cabinets a perpetually greasy and slippery feel. The longer olive oil stays on the surface of your cabinets, the more bacteria and contaminants it attracts.
Hire Booth7 for Kitchen Cabinet Cleaning and Refinishing in Toronto
Keeping your kitchen cabinets clean doesn’t have to be a big chore. If your kitchen cabinets are looking a little worse for wear and need a lot of tender love and care right now, then hire the kitchen cabinet refinishing experts at Booth7 in Toronto. We have many years of industry experience and will have your kitchen cabinets looking shiny and new in no time. Contact us today to get a free estimate!
