Best Ways to Clean Your Painted Kitchen Cabinets

If you spend any amount of time in the kitchen, you know how dirty everything can become after cooking a single meal. You probably clean your countertops, utensils, pots and pans regularly, but did you know you should be cleaning your kitchen cabinets as well?

Even if everything you place in your cabinets is clean, there’s still plenty of opportunity for dust and grime to build up on the shelves and around the panel faces over time. Additionally, grimy fingers pulling on knobs and handles can create a breeding ground for harmful bacteria.

Pull everything out of your cabinets every few months and wipe down the shelves with an all-purpose cleaner or homemade white vinegar-based solution. If you notice extra dust near the corners, try using a toothbrush or credit card to dislodge it. Go over the surface again with a slightly damp cloth and allow the shelves to dry completely before replacing your dinnerware.

Wipe down cabinet faces every other week. Even if they don’t appear particularly dirty, you may be surprised by the amount of grime that has collected, especially on recessed panels.

As time goes on, your cabinets will endure plenty of messes ranging from clouds of grease and sticky fingers to splatters of sauce and coffee spills. If you have painted kitchen cabinets, take special precautions when cleaning them. You’ll want to use a gentle cleaning method in lieu of scrubbing with rough brushes or harsh chemicals as they could damage the surface of your cabinets.

Here are a few more kitchen cabinet cleaning tips to follow:

• Avoid using ammonia-based chemicals
  
• Always use soft, gentle microfiber cloths and sponges
  
• Never use cleaners made with bleach or other scouring ingredients
  
• Completely dry wet areas to prevent permanent water stains
  

Thankfully, you probably won’t need a harsh cleaner anyway. Grime on your kitchen cabinets is likely food-related, which means you can probably use dish soap mixed with warm water to cut through the mess. Take care to avoid oily soap as this will coat your cabinets in a film and leave them looking grungier than when you started.

Gather a bucket, dish soap, three microfiber cloths and a step stool if needed to help you reach your taller cabinets.

1. Mix Your Cleaning Solution – Fill a bucket with warm water and a few spurts of soap until the mixture is soapy.
   
2. Dampen a Microfiber Cloth – Dip a portion of your microfiber cloth in your soapy mixture and wring it out. Avoid oversaturating your cloth as excess water can damage your cabinets.
   
3. Scrub Cabinets – Rub the damp cloth in a circular motion against each cabinet and be sure to wipe the handles as well. When moving from one cabinet to the next, re-dampen the cloth with the soapy mixture and repeat as necessary to remove filth.
   
4. Wet a Second Cloth – Wet a second, clean cloth with non-soapy water and wring it out so that it is damp, not soaking.
   
5. Wipe the Cabinets – With this second cloth, wipe the cabinets again in a circular motion to remove any soapy residue that may have been left behind.
   
6. Dry the Cabinets – Dry the cabinets in the same circular motion with a third microfiber cloth to avoid leaving water stains behind.
   

If your painted kitchen cabinets are looking worse for wear, contact the professionals at Arizona’s Best Family Painting to breathe new life into them. Our staff of professional painters can help you redefine the look and finish of your kitchen cabinets to fit your style preferences with our cabinet refinishing service. To see examples of our work firsthand, check out some of our recent projects online.

Schedule your FREE estimate today by contacting us online or calling us at (602) 606-2200!