Vinegar is the go-to natural cleaner when faced greasy cabinets. Mix a 50/50 solution of vinegar and warm water and pour it into a spray bottle. Mist on cabinets, let sit for a minute or two and then wipe clean with a soft cloth.
Water (with a pH of 7) and dish soap (with a pH between 7 and 8) are always good options. The best cleaner, the one that is less likely to do damage to the wood is good old-fashioned elbow grease. Applied with a damp cloth, elbow grease should be effective at removing dirt and dust and even oil and grease build-up.
Mix a solution of 50/50 vegetable oil and vinegar in a small spray bottle. Spray on the outer surfaces of your wood cabinets, then rub in with a clean rag. Buff it into all the surfaces of the cabinet until it is shiny and beautiful.
If your cabinets have deep scratches or other damage, you may want to use a more heavy-duty restorer, such as Minwax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain. This product is available in a range of colors and can be used to fill in scratches and other imperfections and restore the color and shine of the wood.
PREPARE YOUR CABINETS
You'll want to get two buckets that are large enough to swish a rag around in the water to shake it of excess dirt, and you'll also want a good natural wood cleaner. Murphy® Oil Soap gets deep into grime to break up dirt particles and it's safe to use on wood products like cabinets.
Simple solutions of dish soap and water can do wonders for cleaning away grease, splatters, and food messes. Dawn® Platinum makes cleaning kitchen cabinets So Dawn Easy! The unique formula quickly breaks down grease particles while staying gentle enough to not cause any damage.
CLEANING PRODUCTS FOR WOOD FURNITURE
A gentle, water-based solution such as Murphy® Oil Soap Original works well when cleaning and protecting the finish on your wood floors, furniture and cabinets.
Our top pick is the Weiman Cabinet & Wood Clean & Shine Spray. It is an easy-to-use spray that conditions and cleans in one application. For a budget-friendly cleaner that can work around the entire house, consider the Favor Spray Furniture Polish Spray.
Mix equal parts white vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle, adding liquid dishwashing detergent to cut through the grease. Spray outside doors and let the solution sit for one to two minutes. Wipe clean with a microfiber cloth. Spray inside doors and shelves and let the solution sit for one to two minutes.
Polish/Wax — while we warned against using Pledge, wood furniture should be treated with a silicone-free polish or wax a couple of times a year. Waxes may also cause build-ups, so use sparingly. Make sure to use a paste wax or liquid wax made specifically for furniture.
On the other end of the spectrum is a high-gloss finish, which will transform your kitchen into a polished, modern space. To shine up your cabinets, paint a high-gloss clear acrylic varnish over your final coat. This technique will add depth to the color and cover the surface of your kitchen with a glassy sheen.
Dilute ¼ cup of Pine-Sol® in one gallon of warm water. Dampen a sponge in the mixture, wring out so it's just damp to wipe away grease, grime and dirt. Optional: Scrub stubborn messes or stains with full strength Pine-Sol®, using a sponge or soft cloth. Finish by rinsing with water and wipe kitchen cabinets dry.
Linseed oil is one of the best oils to use for wood finishes because it penetrates deep into the grain of the wood, giving it a rich color and protecting it against moisture. If you want to clean your wood furniture with linseed oil, make sure to dilute it first with water.
If you have a bottle of Murphy's Oil Soap under your kitchen sink or in your laundry room that you use to clean your hardwood floors, go get it and throw it in the garbage. Seriously, stop using it today. You can use it for other projects like furniture or cabinets but NEVER for wood floors.
Ask any green-living expert or organic devotee and they'll tell you that the best natural cleaning products are regular white vinegar or baking soda with a little lemon or orange thrown in. “Truly the best way to clean wood floors is with simple white vinegar,” DiPrima says.
The key to realizing Murphy® Oil Soap safety, in items like Original Formula, is to understand it is a concentrate that has to be diluted with warm water. The recommended dilution is 1/4 cup per gallon of water, but shoot for 1/2 cup per gallon of water for heavier cleanings or sturdier woods like oak or rosewood.
How To Clean Wood Furniture – Use Dish Soap. If you're wondering how to clean wood furniture, you can start with liquid dish soap. Put a few drops on a cotton ball dipped in a small amount of warm water then wipe it on the inside of the leg of your cabinet or chair to see if there are any changes to the wood stain.
Kitchen cabinets that have not adequately dried after cleaning can also become sticky. This is because cabinets are usually made of porous materials that absorb water and cleaning solutions. So, when water and cleaning solutions don't dry properly, they leave behind a sticky residue.