Everything You Need to Know About Cleaning Kitchen Cabinets

When it comes to the cleanliness of our kitchen, we mainly focus on quick daily cleaning. We usually focus on the floors, sink, appliances, and counters and often forget to give importance to the cabinets in our kitchen. Kitchen cabinets take up a lot of food stains, grease, dirt, and dust daily. They also get covered with a dull film we might not notice quickly. It is time for cleaning the kitchen cabinets if you haven’t cleaned them in a long while. 

Knowing how to clean the cabinets in your kitchen is the first step as the cabinets can be of different types - wooden, painted, and so on. Using greasers and other strong chemicals could damage them if you use chemicals on the cabinets without knowing what they can endure. The basic steps of cleaning kitchen cabinets are the same regardless of their type of finish. 

Avoid all-purpose cleaners we commonly use to clean surfaces. You can easily clean them using hot soapy water, vinegar/baking soda, and water. Different finishes will need a different approach and cleaning solution too.

Here are some of the simple ways of cleaning kitchen cabinets. 

Clean from the Top Down

The cabinets that don’t meet the ceiling will collect dust and dirt daily. Keep the step stool and vacuum their top followed by wiping them with a mild cleaning solution. Spray the solution onto a rag, and then wipe your way down the frame and cabinet door. 

Clean the Grooves with a Toothbrush 

You can clean the grooves of the kitchen cabinets using a toothbrush dipped in a cleaning solution. It helps to scrub the dirty grooves of the cabinets and the hardware. Make sure that you scrub on them gently only to avoid damaging their finish. Soak the extra cleaner as you proceed with cleaning with the brush. 

Clean the Glasses of the Cabinets 

Kitchen cabinets with glass bring a lot of life to the kitchen as long as you keep them sparkling clean. Use a homemade glass cleaner made using an equal amount of water and rubbing alcohol to clean the glasses. Fill a spray bottle with the cleaning solution and spray it on the inside and outside of the glass. Now clean the residue with a lint-free rag to avoid any possible fluff after cleaning. 

Rinse the Cabinets After Cleaning Them

The use of even mild cleaners can leave a film on the glass, so make sure that you wipe down everything after cleaning with a damp cloth. Go from top to bottom while doing this; make sure that you don’t miss the grooves while doing this step. Use a dry microfibre cloth to rub the surface of the glass for a nice shine. 

Dry the Doors and Hardware

Do not leave the metal hardware and other painted surfaces of the cabinets to air dry as it can lead to rusting. Dry the frames, doors, and hardware using a microfibre cloth, and then do the final wiping with another clean microfibre cloth. 

How to Clean Wooden and White Kitchen Cabinets

Wooden and white kitchen cabinets change the overall look of a kitchen by adding more beauty to the decor. However, they require a bit more maintenance than other types of cabinets. You will have to remove the dirt and grime without harming their finish by gently cleaning with mild cleaners. 

Distilled white vinegar is a good choice of cleaner to clean any type of wooden cabinet regardless of its finish. It is a safe natural cleaner that removes grease easily. The use of white vinegar in moderation will not harm the surface and finish of the cabinets too. Here is how you can clean both types of kitchen cabinets easily:

Mix white vinegar and warm water in equal amounts and fill it inside a spray bottle for easy use. You can also add a few drops of dish soap if you find heavy grease build-up on the cabinets. Spray the solution onto a microfibre cloth and wipe the surface of the cabinets from top to bottom. Scrub with some pressure with the cloth on areas with dirt that are comparatively hard to remove. Use a toothbrush to get rid of dirt and dust from the grooves, and remove the remaining dirt from the cabinets and hardware using a clean damp cloth. Dry all the surfaces using a dry absorbent rag, and wipe the surface again with a dry microfibre cloth. 

Tips to Keep Kitchen Cabinets Cleaner for a Long Time

Add Them in the Biannual Cleaning Checklist

Keeping kitchen cabinets clean is easy when you take a little preventive maintenance. Make sure that you include them in the biannual cleaning checklist. Here is how you can do a quick cleaning of kitchen cabinets.

Start by emptying the cabinets and grouping the items on the counters or floor. Vacuum or dust away the dust and dirt using a cleaning brush - make sure to clean the corners too. Follow by wiping the inside of the cabinets using soapy water, rinsing, and drying them. After this step, go through the items and get rid of all the unwanted and expired food items before keeping them back. Dust and clean the items with a microfibre cloth before putting them back and organising them inside the cabinets. 

Always Cook With the Exhaust Fans On

For kitchen cabinets to stay clean longer, you should always cook by keeping the exhaust fans on. Cover the pans and pots to contain the grease, and make sure that you always clean the top of the refrigerator and other kitchen appliances during daily cleaning. Using blinds and curtains to block sunlight to an extent can prevent fading of the wooden finish of the kitchen cabinets. 

Home Deep Cleaning Service in Singapore

By now you understand that it is important to deeply clean your kitchen at least once in a year. When you do deep cleaning, we recommend you engage a professional deep cleaning service team to keep your kitchen, its floor and cabinets clean and tidy free of stains, scratches and other unwanted dirt.

Sendhelper deep cleaning service is available for HDBs, condominiums and landed properties in Singapore for annual cleaning, move-in and out, and end of tenancy cleaning. All you need to do is to book a deep cleaning service on the Sendhelper app.