Cleaning Wood and Metal Kitchen Cabinets
Cleaning your kitchen cabinets is a great way to improve the value and luster of your home. Years of dirty and other kitchen grime will accumulate on the kitchen cabinets without you truly noticing for many years. Cleaning your kitchen cabinets can save you thousands of dollars on replacing or refurbishing your kitchen cabinets.

There are some key differences between cleaning wood and metal kitchen cabinets. Wood cabinets, for instance, require cleansers which gentler than cleansers for metal cabinets. When you are cleaning wood cabinets you should begin with a cleaning solution made from warm water and liquid dishwashing soap. This soap is best suited to clean wood cabinets because it contains properties designed to fight grease. You should mix two parts water for one part soap and begin wiping down the cabinets using a sponge. Avoid using a scrubbing brush or steel wool on wood cabinets because it will scratch the finish. Alternatively you can use wood cleaners such as Murphy’s Oil diluted with water. In this instance, use a sponge or a towel free of lint to rub into the cabinets. Once you are done, be sure to rinse off any remaining soap to avoid long term stains on the wood.

If this is not sufficient for removing the stains and grease from your wood cabinets then you can use a solution with one half warm water and one half white vinegar. Vinegar naturally cuts through grease and is also an antiseptic so it will clean your cabinets and kill the germs. Many wood cabinets have a finish which is nice enough that you don’t need to clean them more than one per year. You can keep a diluted spray bottle of Murphy’s Oil close at hand to clean in and around the annual cleaning.

If you have metal cabinets you need car wax, water, soap, rubbing alcohol, and steel wool before you begin. To begin you should use rubbing alcohol on the doors to wipe away any grease or grime. After this you should rub away any rust spots gently using the steel wool. Be sure to do this gently so that you do not scratch the metal finish. After this you should mix one part water with one part soap and begin to wash down the entire cabinet. Rinse away the soap and ensure that it dries completely to avoid rust. You can use a blow dryer on metal cabinets to lightly dry all of the water and remove any soap water residue. Lastly, take a thin layer of car wax and apply it over the entire cabinet to produce a soft glow and restore the original shine.