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Do you also postpone removing grease stains from the kitchen cabinets for as long as possible? This laborious and time-consuming task is nobody’s favorite to-do, but unfortunately, there is no way around it.
As beautiful and easy-to-maintain your cabinets may be, grease finds a way to stick to them and create an unappealing brownish film. The more you wait to remove it, the stickier and uglier it becomes.
At one point, it may look like you won’t be able to remove it anymore. And yet, the solution to clean kitchen cabinets may already be there – a few natural ingredients and a spray bottle.
The reason grease is such a nasty kitchen enemy is that it can’t be removed with the usual cleaning supplies. You may even make things worst if you use those, such as causing damage to the cabinets or causing stains to spread. Keep in mind that risk applies to both painted and stained cabinetry.
To make this task a bit easier, we summarized the best tricks and techniques for eliminating grease stains from cabinets. You will not only learn how to clean sticky wood kitchen cabinets, but also pick up methods to prevent this problem in the future.
Please apply our tips with care and test them on small surfaces and inconspicuous areas before you begin.
Clean with care
Wood kitchen cabinets can generally be divided into two groups: composite and solid wood. Their finishes are either painted or stained. Whatever the surface in your kitchen is, the wrong supply can cause irreversible damage.
A typical example is scrubbing too hard or doing so with the wrong tools and cleaners. An inappropriate tool can scrub even the paint around the grease. If you own composite cabinetry, on the other hand, you also must be careful with excess moisture.
These materials have amazing absorbing power – they will absorb everything and swell in the blink of an eye. None of these scenarios is appropriate for beautiful and expensive kitchen cabinets. At best, you should clean them with a spray bottle and without pressure.
Finally, cleaning supplies sometimes contain easily flammable conditioning substances. You may not want to have those around where you cook.
How to Clean Sticky Wood Kitchen Cabinets using White Vinegar
Vinegar is a very popular cleaning supply since most of us already have it at home. It is not only a delicious dressing for your salad but also a powerful cleaning ingredient with a list of important benefits. Make sure, though, that you use the distilled, white kind.
Vinegar can remove grease completely, but your assistance will be needed. Wipe the gross residue coat off the kitchen cabinets to let the sticky grease loosen up.
Prepare the cleaning solution. It will take a cup of water and a cup of distilled vinegar. This solution is so mild that you can use it every day. It will keep wooden cabinets shiny and it won’t dull off their finish.
You can either dampen a cloth in the solution or spray the cabinets with it. Once you’ve covered the grease, let the solution just sit there for a moment. Meantime, the vinegar will work its way around the sticky grease and evaporate from the wooden surface. Don’t be discouraged if the grease is still there. Multiple applications are necessary to remove a large grease layer with a natural solution.
If the grime persists despite the multiple attempts, start over. It may take a while before you are satisfied with the result, but your beloved cabinets will at least be spotless. In the end, remember to rinse the surface with water to clean vinegar and avoid an unpleasant smell. Wipe with a damp cloth and you won’t even notice it.
How to Clean Sticky Wood Cabinets using Dish Soap
If you are not the biggest vinegar out there, dish soap may be the perfect solution for you. You just need a cup of water and a teaspoon of dish soap, and the results will still be amazing. You can also get an additional cup of warm water and add a few drops of the commercial degreaser you are using. Take a clean sponge, soak it in, and wipe it over to ensure there is no dust or dirt on the kitchen cabinets. You can also do this using a spray bottle.
Clean the cabinets thoroughly: wipe also the knobs, handles, hinges, cracks, and crevices. Once done, repeat the process with clean water only.
The next step is to apply the dish soap solution. Feel free to use it on the entire surface, instead of the most affected spot. If there is dish soap residue afterward, you can always use vinegar to remove it.
When done, take a dry, damp cloth and wipe off the cabinets. This way, there will be no traces of the cleaning solution and the shiny appearance will be restored.
Here comes an additional tip: remove the handles and the knobs before you begin cleaning. You will discover sticky residue that was not visible before. The dish soap solution will help you remove and loosen the dirt, and the hardware will look just amazing once you reinstall them.
How to Clean Sticky Cabinets using Baking Soda
You tried the first two methods, but grease is still there? This means that you need a stronger scrubbing solution. The good news is you also have this one in some of your kitchen cabinets. It is baking soda.
Baking soda is an excellent cleaning solution. The same as soap, baking soda is not abrasive, and it won’t damage the wooden finish of your cabinetry. Baking soda will take care of cooking dots and similar stains that were there for quite a while. It will rub off even those you thought you will never be able to get rid of.
Mix baking soda and water (a cup of each) in a bowl and get rid of any sticky residue. You can make the paste as thick as you need it, but keep in mind that rare solutions may not have the same scrubbing power. Use a sponge to apply baking soda all over the affected area. Scrub a bit and let it dry. At the very and, remove the baking soda traces with water and a damp cloth. If the stains persist, repeat the procedure.
How to clean sticky wood kitchen cabinets using Baking Soda mixed with Lemon
We already discussed the soda-only approach to cleaning greasy stains from kitchen cabinets. Let us take this approach to a whole new level and help you boost the power of baking soda. All you need to do is to mix a bit of lemon juice in the paste (or actual lemons) and rub the stains with it.
This is how the cleaning works: fill half of the ball with warm water, pour a cup of lemon juice inside, and add the baking soda. As we already mentioned, you can use lemon slices too, and we especially advise you to do that if there are lots of greases to get rid of.
The baking soda paste should remain on the kitchen cabinets for half an hour and you can then remove it with a sponge. You will love the smell, so go ahead and make this paste your number one cleaning supply.
How to make a Wood Cleaner from Oil Soap
Oil soap is especially effective for cleaning wood from grease and similar grimy residue. It is more efficient than soda or vinegar but still doesn’t damage the cabinets. Instead, it refreshes their look and spreads a pleasant smell. Plus, you can apply it easily with a spray bottle.
Before you proceed, choose an unnoticeable spot and test it out. If you notice that the varnish looks hazy or white, don’t use it. Get a milder solution instead.
Yet, if your kitchen cabinets don’t react to the solution, go ahead and rub it on the dirty spots in circular movements. Do so gently and without pressure, so that the varnish doesn’t rub off. It won’t take long until you spot how the pilled-up grease disappears.
In the end, give cabinets a finishing tour with a dry cloth. They will look spotless.
How to Protect Wooden Kitchen Cabinets from Grease Layers and to Make Them Last Longer
Damage control with nature-made supplies is not everything you can do for your cabinets. A much better approach is to prevent food residue and foremost grimy grease from sticking to them. An idea would be to wipe the much down each time you cook. They will preserve good shape and a clean appearance for a long time.
Get rid of spills right away
Beautiful kitchen cabinets require care. Make sure you react right away when you see the stain. Wipe it immediately, and you will prevent more upcoming damage than you think. Waiting for the weekend to jump on it is not an option.
Avoid Contact with Water
Moisture is another scary enemy of wooden kitchen cabinets that can destroy them. If you use only a little bit of water when cleaning, nothing bad will happen. Yet, if you expose cabinets to moisture in the long run, they can be serious damage. Therefore, don’t hang wet towels over doors – you can always use the stove handle for this purpose.
Wax and Maintain Your Wood Cabinets
Use wood furniture wax to refresh the look of your cabinets at least twice a year. Wax doesn’t only look nice, but it also prevents oil, grime, and debris from attaching to the wood. Apply the wax on a rag and use it for all kitchen and bathroom cabinets – this will also preserve their actual colors in the long run.
Ending thoughts on how to clean sticky wood kitchen cabinets
The more you wait to remove that annoying and stubborn grim on the cabinet, the longer it will stay there and the more effort you will invest. As simple as that.
What nasty and greasy mucks do the best is to get worse over time, especially if you don’t attend them at all. Also, make a regular practice of cleaning and maintaining wooden cabinets. This way, they won’t accumulate dirt but look just as adorable as when you bought them.
Let us know how our tips on how to clean sticky wood kitchen cabinets worked out for you -we will be happy to hear the results!
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