Cleaning Greasy Cabinets
the easy way. Eventually, it’s going to happen. Greasy, grimy, sticky buildup on your beautiful wood cabinets. If you’re not sure how to clean them and restore them to their like new condition, read on 🙂
What is the best thing to use on greasy kitchen cabinets?
Home Remedies
You don’t need to rush to the store for something to clean your kitchen cabinets. There are plenty of solutions you can craft using items around your home.
- Baking Soda
- Dish Soap
- Vinegar Spray
Baking Soda
A baking soda solution is a perfect remedy for grimy build-up in need of a little elbow grease.
Baking soda has scrubbing power without being abrasive, so it won’t damage your finish.
To clean your cabinets with baking soda, mix a solution of 1 part baking soda and 2 parts warm water, (you can even add a little lemon juice if you have it).
From there, you can either transfer your solution to a spray bottle and spritz down your cabinets or grab a sponge.
After scrubbing your cabinets, run over your cabinets with a damp, warm cloth to remove any leftover residue.
Bonus Tip: Replace the water with Coconut Oil or Toothpaste (about 2 tablespoons). Not only does this blend clean your cabinets, but it smells amazing too.
Dish Soap
Grease-cutting dish soaps, like Dawn, are a gentle choice for degreasing kitchen cabinets. If extra cleaning power is needed, use a non-scratch abrasive sponge to help safely scour away sticky grease film.
Use two buckets that are large enough to swish a rag around in the water to clean it, and you’ll also want a good natural wood cleaner like Murphy’s Oil Soap. It gets deep into grime and breaks up dirt particles. It’s safe to use on wood products too.
As an alkaline-based product, dish soap cuts through grease pretty consistently, especially when mixed with hot water.
Fill a bowl with hot water, as hot as you can stand it, add a liberal squirt of dish soap, throw on your rubber gloves, and have at your cabinets with a sponge.
When you’ve finished, wipe your cabinets down with a dry dishtowel.
If your cabinets need more rigorous cleaning, dish soap might not be enough.
Bonus Tip: Use an old toothbrush to clean hard-to-reach grooves.
Vinegar Spray
A 50/50 water and vinegar solution is a trusted cabinet cleaner. Vinegar’s natural acidity easily breaks down grime and grease.
However, if applied to cabinets undiluted, it can ruin a wood finish on contact.
The easiest and safest way to clean kitchen cabinets with white vinegar is to mix it with equal parts of warm water and put it in a spray bottle.
Spritz your cabinets with the solution and let it settle, breaking down the grime. Then wipe away the dirt with a sponge or brush.
Follow up with a damp towel or cloth to wipe away any residue.
Outstanding Oils
Unless you’re mixing coconut oil with baking soda, you should refrain from using vegetable oils to clean your cabinets.
While it will help remove grease, vegetable oils are often non-drying, and attract dust and eventually spoil. The only oils you should be using are drying oils, such as orange, walnut, and linseed.
Not only will these oils clean wood cabinets, but they’ll also form a hard protective barrier to make them easier to clean in the future;)
Store-Bought Solutions
Looking for something intentionally designed to clean cabinets instead of making your own?
Here are some store-bought solutions worth grabbing next time you’re out and about.
Sometimes grease on your cabinets is too tough for home remedies these products should help.
Goo Gone, with its blend of orange oils and refined oils, removes even the gooiest grease.
Murphy’s Oil Soap is a tried and true wood cleaner. With 98% natural ingredients, it’s safe to use on almost any surface and leaves no oily residue.
Method All-Purpose Spray is an all-around winner with biodegradable ingredients that can clean both counters and cabinets and almost everything in between.
Magic Cabinet & Wood Cleaner is a ready-made option that goes the extra step of providing a water-resistant protective coating thanks to its inclusion of Carnuba wax.
Simple Green is a concentrated cleaner that will clean and degrease just about anything without fear of harsh chemical residue that can harm human or animal family members.
Just dilute it according to package instructions to suit your needs.
Castile Soap is gentle and strong, so it’s ideal for a wide variety of uses.
It’s gentle on skin because it’s made from saponified oils that have hydrating properties, but it’s an equally powerful cleanser that can tackle even the most stubborn grime.
Diluted to different levels as a spray, it can give you a mild clean or a deep degreasing.
Carnauba Wax
Like orange oil, carnauba wax and beeswax are excellent for cleaning and polishing wood cabinets.
They not only cut through tough grease, but they also keep the wood from drying out, preserving your cabinets long-term.
If you’re looking to purchase something for cleaning your cabinets, grab a wood cleaner with some carnauba wax.
Note: Be sure to always check the product’s instructions before cleaning your cabinets. Spot test if you are unsure about your cabinets’ varnish or stain.