What’s the easiest and most effective way to clean kitchen cabinets?
A clean kitchen is the foundation of a happy home – and clean kitchen cabinets are the key to a clean kitchen. But let’s face it, cleaning kitchen cabinets is no fun. It’s a time-consuming task that we would all rather avoid.
However, avoiding it won’t make it go away. So, to help you get started, we’ve put together a quick guide on how to clean your kitchen cabinets. With our tips, you’ll have your cabinets sparkling in no time.
To give your kitchen cabinets a thorough clean, remove any loose dirt or dust, and scrub the cabinet surface and shelves down with a vinegar and water solution, while paying special attention to handles, trims, and glass panels.
Best Method for How to Clean Your Kitchen Cabinets
- Completely clear out your kitchen cabinets.
- Gather your cleaning supplies.
- Sweep and vacuum away any loose debris.
- Create a gentle cleaning solution.
- Clean from top to bottom.
- Tackle grease and tough stains.
- Scrub edges and ornate trim.
- Make your hardware, handles, and hinges shine.
- Clean any glass panels and windows.
- Refill your cabinets after cleaning your items.
1. Clear out your cabinets.
Thoroughly empty out your cabinets to prep them for cleaning.
As you know, cabinets can get dirty very quickly. They are full of nooks and crannies where dust can collect, and if you don’t clean them regularly, they can start to look pretty gross. That’s why before you ever break out your rag and cleaning solution, the first thing that you need to do is clear out all dishes, appliances, and food out of your cabinets.
Don’t worry, this doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking. Just take everything out of the cabinet, and set it aside, and if you want to, give it a quick wipe down. It will help get you off to the right
2. Gather your supplies.
Use the right materials for the best results.
Now that cabinets are empty and prepped for cleaning, it’s time to pull together the proper supplies. Gathering your items is a simple task, but it’s essential to make your cleaning job a success.
With the right supplies on hand, you’ll be able to tackle any cleaning job, no matter how big or small. If you begin before you have everything you need, the job could be much harder than necessary. Take the time to go through this list and determine what items you have on hand already, and which items you need to pick up.
Things you’ll need to clean your kitchen cabinets:
- white vinegar
- commercial glass cleaner
- dry microfiber cloth
- cleaning cloth, rag or paper towels
- warm water
- spray bottle
- soft bristled brush
- Optional: magic erasers, all-purpose cleaner, sponges, latex gloves
Apart from the standard cleaning items listed above, you’ll also want to change into clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Cleaning kitchen cabinets can be a messier process than you’d think!
3. Vacuum any loose debris.
Clear out any crumbs, dust, and dirt.
If you store food in your cabinets, then you likely have crumbs and dust that have been building up for years in the corners of your cabinet shelves. Using a cleaning brush or vacuum, you can quickly and easily remove any loose particles that could create a problem for you later.
To start, wipe away all the dust and crumbs with a dry cloth or soft bristle brush. Don’t use a damp cloth for this step, since it won’t be as effective at sweeping away the dirt. If you need a more thorough clean, a vacuum wand is sure to reach places your arm can’t.
You don’t have to spend too much time on this step, and you don’t have to be a perfectionist, either. Just getting a good chunk of the loose bits taken care of before you start will save you a lot of time later in the cleaning process.
4. Create Cabinet cleaner solution.
Use mild soap or vinegar for a gentle clean.
It may seem strange, but one of the best ways to clean kitchen cabinets is to use straight white vinegar. Vinegar and water is an effective cleaner for all kinds of surfaces, from wood cabinets to metal handles.
So, how do you create a vinegar and water cleaner? The most widely-used method is to mix one part vinegar with one part hot water. But, if you have finished wood cabinets and you’re particularly worried about protecting your cabinets, you can still get a deep clean with one part vinegar and two parts water.
If you don’t have vinegar on hand, try using dish soap instead. To create a gentle and fast-acting cleaner, combine 1 tablespoon of dish soap with a cup of hot water in a small to medium-sized spray bottle. Dish soap is not as popular as vinegar, but it’s very effective at cleaning away grease and grime from wood cabinet surfaces.
5. Clean from top to bottom.
Start from the tops for a quick and thorough cleaning job.
Cleaning kitchen cabinets can feel like an intimidating task, but it doesn’t have to be if you follow a system. Start from the very top sections of your cabinets and work your way down, little by little.
Starting at the top makes the most sense when you think about it this way: if you start from the bottom, then as you start cleaning the sections that are higher-up, dust and debris could fall down into the sections you already cleaned. Instead, start from the top so that you don’t ruin your own progress.
You’ll want to work in small sections, so that you don’t accidentally wet too much of the cabinet at once. Start with the outside border, then work on the shelves in decending order. Finally, wipe down the doors.
You might find that your kitchen cabinsts are beyond just a good clean, in that case you may consider how to paint kitchen cabinets with no sanding an option to upgrade your kitchen.
6. Grease and Tough Stains.
Give extra attention to heavy stains, grime, and grease.
Hot water and straight white vinegar is an excellent recipe for a gentle and natural cleaner, but you may find you’re still having trouble with food splatters and grease that’s built up on your cabinet doors.
If you’re having an even more difficult time getting rid of grease and stains, you may have to move to a heavier-duty commercial cleaner that can soak away grime from the surface of your cabinets.
You also want to make sure that you’re using hot water, not just warm. The hotter the water, the better chance you have to get a deep clean.
Take a bristle brush or old toothbrush and gently scrub at the stains, taking great care not to scratch the cabinet’s finish. With a little elbow grease, you should be able to tackle even the most stubborn stains.
7. Scrub edges and ornate trim.
Give attention to the details to really give your cabinets a facelift.
While you’re cleaningyour cabinets from the inside out, don’t forget to pay close attention to any details, and trim that might have accumulated dirt, food, or grease.
To reach hard to reach places or into the deep nooks and crannies of the cabinet trim, use an old soft-bristle toothbrush.
A toothbrush is small enough to reach into the more difficult areas, but gentle enough that you don’t have to worry about them scratching up the cabinet doors.
When you’re finished cleaning off these areas, wipe dry the soap or cleaning solution with a paper towel or a clean cloth.
You don’t want too much moisture to sit in one spot for too long, especially if you have painted wood cabinets, since the porous material can absorb the water and retain moisture, which is a recipe for mold.
8. Shine hardware and handles.
Wipe handles and knobs to have your cabinets and drawers looking good as new.
If you have metal cabinet handles or knobs that are looking a bit worse for wear, this is your chance to have them looking like new again. you’d be surprised what such a small change can do to the overall look of your cabinets.
If you’re a bit of a perfectionist, then the best way to clean the cabinet hardware is by removing the doors, unscrewing the hinges, handles, and knobs, and giving them a short soak in the vinegar cleaner.
But you don’t have to completely dismantle your cabinets to get them clean. If you’d rather leave your door handles where they are, then simply take a damp cloth, add a bit of your soap or vinegar solution, and gently scrup around your handles, hinges, and knobs. Be sure to get the backsides, too.
After you’ve cleaned the handles, dry them with a clean microfiber cloth to ensure that there are no streaks and that the metal hardware has a chance to shine.
9. Clean Glass Panels.
Pay attention to detail and give your cabinet doors some love.
This step is optional and only necessary if your cabinet door features glass doors or panels. Unfortunately, this makes your cabinets a little more high-maintenance, but taking the right steps to clean them makes all the difference to how your kitchen looks and feels.
To get beautiful, shining glass panels, all it takes is a microfiber cloth and some glass cleaner. The microfiber cloth works with the cleaner to remove smudges and stains without leaving streaks behind.
For the best results, spray directly onto your cabinet doors, but avoid spraying too much glass cleaner at once. Then, wipe the windows or panels with a damp rag or soft cloth. Once you’ve thoroughly cleaned the window, wipe them down again with a microfiber cloth to avoid streaking.
10. Refill your cabinets.
Take the time to organize and refresh your cabinets.
Once your cabinets are spic and span, the next step is to replace all the food, dishes, and appliances that you took out. This is your chance to restock and organize your items so that they not only look good in your cabinets, but they’re easy to see and access.
If it helps, try putting labels on jars and bins, or keep like items together in baskets so that you can reach for them quicker and easier. This also works for the items that you keep in drawers.
You may also want to consider keeping items that you use most often within easy reach and right where you can see them, and keep the lesser-used items in the back or in hidden areas. This may mean that your organizing system doesn’t look how it’s “supposed” to, but if it makes sense for you, then that’s what matters!
11. Maintain your cabinets.
Routine maintenance makes cleaning quicker and easier.
If you’re anything like us, you want to avoid having to throroughly scrub down your cabinets more than you have to. And one way to do this is by routinely giving your cabinets a quick wipe-down, so that you don’t have to do more later.
It can be hard to find time to keep up with small maintenance tasks like this, so try and time it around a time when you know you’ll be in the kitchen already. Maybe quickly wipe down your cabinets after you’ve done the dishes and before putting them back in the cabinets.
So how do you go about keeping your cabinets looking good every day? Give your cabinet doors a quick spritz of glass cleaner or white vinegar, then use a clean cloth to gently scrub away any stains, fingerprints, or grease. Routinely wiping your cabinets once every 1 or 2 weeks sure beats having to thoroughly scrub them down on a monthly basis!
Final Thoughts
That’s it! You now know how to clean your cabinets and drawers like a pro. With the right supplies and a proper system in place, cleaning kitchen cabinets doesn’t have to be a difficult or tiresome process. Just remember to work in small sections at a time, from top to bottom, and toavoid getting your wood surfaces too damp.
Be sure to take your time and pay attention to details for the best, most thorough clean. Now that you’re ready to tackle your own cabinets, we recommend putting on some fun music and getting started.
Now that your kitchen cabinets are nice and clean, you may consider Painting Countertops to totally enhance your new kitchen.
Thanks for reading and good luck!
FAQ’s
How often should I clean my kitchen cabinets?
The answer is really as often as you need to. Some people may find that they need to clean their cabinets on a monthly basis, while others can get away with cleaning every few months. A routinemonthly wipe down can help you stretch out time in between thorough cleanings.
What should you use when you’re cleaning kitchen cabinets?
White vinegar diluted with warm water is a favorite cleaning solution for cabinets because it’s a natural, gentle cleaner that will get your cabinets squeaky-clean without any harsh chemicals. But it might not get off all the grease and gunk in one go, so you may want to use steam or mild dish soap to help get the tough spot out.
Does white vinegar work as a disinfectant?
Cleaning your kitchen cabinets with a white vinegar and water spray does remove germs and disinfect to a point, but if you’re very worried about sanitizing your kitchen cabinets, I’d recommend a more heavy-duty commercial cleaner that is specifically designed to disinfect your cabinets.
0 Comments