Best Option for Greasy Surfaces: Krud Kutter excels at eliminating layers of grease on wood surfaces, providing a versatile solution for various cabinet materials. Gentle Cleaners: Despite its heavy-duty cleaning capabilities, Krud Kutter is formulated to be gentle on surfaces, ensuring no damage to your cabinets.
Krud Kutter works well, or if they aren't that dirty/greasy denatured alcohol can be sufficient. Don't use TSP. It's neither necessary or appropriate for cleaning under interior water borne coatings.
Get a garden sprayer and fill it with a degreaser/ water solution. Simple Green is a good option that won't take off the existing paint. You can scrub with a sponge, but I recommend a mop (ocedar is my favorite but a sponge mop would work well too!) dry with some rags and you should be good.
Clean the Cabinets: Remove grease, dust, and dirt using a degreaser or a mixture of water and vinegar. Remove Hardware: Take off knobs, handles, and hinges to avoid painting over them. Sand the Surface: Lightly sand the cabinets with fine-grit sandpaper (220 grit) to create a smooth surface.
Dish soap mixed with warm water would do a fine job on most types of cabinets, including painted wood, plastic laminate, and even metal. This mild soap solution is tough enough to tackle gunky buildup with ease, but it won't ruin cabinet finishes.
Whether your cabinets need a quick wipe down or a full-on deep cleaning session, some of the best cleaning supplies are already in your kitchen! 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!
Painted Walls
Mix a solution of 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 1 gallon of warm water. This combination is gentle enough not to damage the paint but effective against grease. Using a sponge or a soft cloth, gently scrub the walls. Rinse with clean water and pat dry.
Poor paint adhesion is one of the most common consequences of skipping the sanding step. Without sanding, the cabinet surface remains smooth and may have a glossy finish or residual substances that hinder the paint from properly adhering.
Let me just tell you, this stuff works! It helped wipe away built-up grease on cabinet doors and the years' worth of grease that had collected on the tops of my cabinets. If you only use Krud Kutter for one thing, I suggest using it to clean up greasy cabinets.
Simple Green Surface Prep formula is a safer alternative to TSP, with no PPE requirements. The non-toxic formula easily cuts through grease, oils, wallpaper paste, mold stains, nicotine buildup, soot and other tough soils without heavy scrubbing.
With a tiny bit of Mineral Spirits on your rag, rub the piece in the direction of the grain of the wood. The mineral spirits on the rag will remove grease or dirt. Again, I always do this prior to painting a cabinet job.
Use a commercial cleaner such as Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) to make sure everything is deep cleaned. TSP removes dirt, grime, scuffs, soot, and all other manner of soiling.
The cleaning agents in Dawn absorb grease just as well on kitchen surfaces as they do on dishes.
You can also buy a heavy-duty degreaser, which can be helpful if you're preparing a garage door or a big expanse of metal. Or you can use vinegar. Just soak a rag and wipe it over the grease. Even if the metal isn't greasy, it still needs to be cleaned.
This concentrated formula cleans and degreases without abrasive chemicals. Removes dirt, grease, oil, and stains from all washable surfaces.
Another fantastic alternative is mixing an equal quantity of vinegar with hot water. Apply for 3 to 4 minutes to work it. And clean with a damp soft microfiber towel. One of the best degreasers to clean the kitchen cabinets before painting.
Deglosser Is a Superior Alternative to Sandpaper When You're Refinishing Furniture. Deglosser is the dust-free sanding alternative for surface prep that's water-based and easy to use.
Vinegar: The Natural Degreaser
White vinegar, famed for its cleaning prowess, is highly effective against grease due to acetic acid. Mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle, apply it to the cabinets and wait a few minutes before wiping it off with a damp cloth.
Always be sure to completely rinse TSP from the walls (and let the walls dry) before you paint. If you don't, the new paint won't adhere properly. Rinsing the solution with a clean, damp sponge should be all you need to end up with a beautiful paint job.
Krud Kutter is specifically designed to break down tough grease and grime, making it highly effective for kitchen cabinets. Its heavy-duty degreaser properties ensure that even the most stubborn grease stains are eliminated.
Tried-and-true Murphy's Oil soap has been around for more than 100 years, and it won my overall vote. It cut through the grime and grease with more ease than the other products and left a beautiful, silky finish on cabinet surfaces. The citrus scent is also mild and doesn't linger.
Method 1: Mild Dish Soap Solution
Use a soft cloth to remove: Use the damp cloth to gently rub the stained area in the direction of the wood grain. This will help get the grease off. Dry the area: Use a dry, soft cloth to wipe the cleaned area to get rid of any extra water and prevent water damage.
Petroleum-based solvents, such as mineral spirits and kerosene, are another common type of solvent degreaser. These solvents are effective at dissolving oils and other contaminants and are generally less expensive than chlorinated solvents.