Kitchen Cabinets
By: Nexstar Staff
Updated: February 2, 2012
Here are some quick tips that will help you keep those doors closed and make it easier to give your kitchen a fresh new look.
Buy some magnetic tape at your local hardware store or home center and trim it so that you can put one on the inside of the cupboard and a second piece on the cabinet door. The magnetic tape will help keep the cabinet door closed.
If you want to remove the old greasy contact paper from inside the cupboard use your hair dryer, turn it on high heat and the contact paper should just lift right up.
With new contact paper and the magnetic strips keeping the cabinet doors closed, your kitchen will get an instant facelift.
Here are some more tips we found for you from Michigan State University's Extension Service.
Kitchen Cabinets Need Regular Cleaning
Kitchen cabinets collect more grease, food spills, and moisture than most other parts of the house. Grime builds up fastest around handles of doors and drawers, which are constantly opened by sticky hands. Greasy soil comes off more easily if it isn't allowed to build up too long.
Painted wood, metal, laminated plastic or wood-grain vinyl surfaces can be cleaned with detergent and warm water solution. Rinse with a cloth or sponge dampened in clean water. Using a dry cloth or paper towel to wipe the surface dry prevents streaking. Most all-purpose household cleaners may be used; but read the label to be sure it can be used on the particular surface you need to clean, and follow directions to the letter. To be on the safe side, test inside a door to be sure it will not harm the finish.
Natural-finished wood cabinets may be cleaned with a variety of commercial products, usually sprays, made for this purpose. Read the label to be sure it can be used on the finish, and follow directions carefully. These have a solvent base, so read and pay close attention to the cautions about ventilation. Also make sure there is no spark or flame or pilot light burning in the area that could cause a fire. Again, test the inside of a door to be sure the cleaner will not harm the finish.
Kitchen Cabinets - Special Cleaning
Some wood cabinet cleaners contain waxes, which leave a shine or medium luster on the surface, and protect the wood. If the wood finish seems dull after cleaning, you may want to apply a solvent-based wood wax, which may or may not require buffing to create a luster.
Painted, plastic, and metal surfaces, may be cleaned occasionally with a creamy liquid wax, which leaves a protective coating which retards soiling. If the finish is hard and in good condition, this extra step may not be needed.
NEVER use scouring powder or other abrasives on cabinets, as they will damage the finish!
On painted metal, or plastic surfaces, using an appropriate spray-or all-purpose household cleaner should remove sticky spots; be sure to rinse thoroughly afterward.
On natural finished wood, if you have a heavy buildup of grease and grime that will not come off with special wood cleaners, you may need to use a straight solvent such as paint thinner. This is highly flammable and toxic
to breathe. BE SURE THERE ARE NO OPEN FLAMES OR PILOT
LIGHTS OR SPARKS IN THE KITCHEN OR IN ROOMS AROUND THE KITCHEN, AND HAVE OPEN WINDOWS FOR GOOD VENTILATION. REMOVING DOORS AND DRAWERS AND WORKING OUTDOORS, WITH NO FLAMES OR SPARKS NEARBY, MAY BE A GOOD ALTERNATIVE.
Test on the inside of a door to be sure it will not harm the finish. Dampen a cloth with the thinner solvent and rub vigorously on the cabinets. Refold the cloth as it picks up dirt, and change to clean cloths when needed, storing used cloths in a closed metal or glass container for disposal. If after this heavy cleaning, the finish looks dull, apply furniture wax or polish, following the label directions, and buff. If, after cleaning, the finish looks too bad, you may need to refinish.
We hope these tips will help you with your kitchen.
Buy some magnetic tape at your local hardware store or home center and trim it so that you can put one on the inside of the cupboard and a second piece on the cabinet door. The magnetic tape will help keep the cabinet door closed.
If you want to remove the old greasy contact paper from inside the cupboard use your hair dryer, turn it on high heat and the contact paper should just lift right up.
With new contact paper and the magnetic strips keeping the cabinet doors closed, your kitchen will get an instant facelift.
Here are some more tips we found for you from Michigan State University's Extension Service.
Kitchen Cabinets Need Regular Cleaning
Kitchen cabinets collect more grease, food spills, and moisture than most other parts of the house. Grime builds up fastest around handles of doors and drawers, which are constantly opened by sticky hands. Greasy soil comes off more easily if it isn't allowed to build up too long.
Painted wood, metal, laminated plastic or wood-grain vinyl surfaces can be cleaned with detergent and warm water solution. Rinse with a cloth or sponge dampened in clean water. Using a dry cloth or paper towel to wipe the surface dry prevents streaking. Most all-purpose household cleaners may be used; but read the label to be sure it can be used on the particular surface you need to clean, and follow directions to the letter. To be on the safe side, test inside a door to be sure it will not harm the finish.
Natural-finished wood cabinets may be cleaned with a variety of commercial products, usually sprays, made for this purpose. Read the label to be sure it can be used on the finish, and follow directions carefully. These have a solvent base, so read and pay close attention to the cautions about ventilation. Also make sure there is no spark or flame or pilot light burning in the area that could cause a fire. Again, test the inside of a door to be sure the cleaner will not harm the finish.
Kitchen Cabinets - Special Cleaning
Some wood cabinet cleaners contain waxes, which leave a shine or medium luster on the surface, and protect the wood. If the wood finish seems dull after cleaning, you may want to apply a solvent-based wood wax, which may or may not require buffing to create a luster.
Painted, plastic, and metal surfaces, may be cleaned occasionally with a creamy liquid wax, which leaves a protective coating which retards soiling. If the finish is hard and in good condition, this extra step may not be needed.
NEVER use scouring powder or other abrasives on cabinets, as they will damage the finish!
On painted metal, or plastic surfaces, using an appropriate spray-or all-purpose household cleaner should remove sticky spots; be sure to rinse thoroughly afterward.
On natural finished wood, if you have a heavy buildup of grease and grime that will not come off with special wood cleaners, you may need to use a straight solvent such as paint thinner. This is highly flammable and toxic
to breathe. BE SURE THERE ARE NO OPEN FLAMES OR PILOT
LIGHTS OR SPARKS IN THE KITCHEN OR IN ROOMS AROUND THE KITCHEN, AND HAVE OPEN WINDOWS FOR GOOD VENTILATION. REMOVING DOORS AND DRAWERS AND WORKING OUTDOORS, WITH NO FLAMES OR SPARKS NEARBY, MAY BE A GOOD ALTERNATIVE.
Test on the inside of a door to be sure it will not harm the finish. Dampen a cloth with the thinner solvent and rub vigorously on the cabinets. Refold the cloth as it picks up dirt, and change to clean cloths when needed, storing used cloths in a closed metal or glass container for disposal. If after this heavy cleaning, the finish looks dull, apply furniture wax or polish, following the label directions, and buff. If, after cleaning, the finish looks too bad, you may need to refinish.
We hope these tips will help you with your kitchen.
