How to Clean Kitchen Cabinets Before Painting

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By Corey M. Mackenzie
eHow Contributing Writer

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If you want a longer-lasting paint job, you'll need to prepare your cabinets first. Kitchen cabinets, especially old ones that have been exposed to airborne grease or smoke from cooking, need to be cleaned well. Even if you plan on sanding the cabinets before painting, they still need to be cleaned. Oil and dirt can be embedded in the wood, and sanding will not remove them sufficiently.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Water
Liquid dish soap
Sponges
Dust cloth
Towels
Drop cloth
Screwdriver

Step 1

Fill the kitchen sink with warm water and add grease-cutting dish soap. Place a sponge into the soapy water. Dust off the cabinet doors. Wash them down next with the soapy sponge. Make sure to scrub off any greasy residue. Any grease and dirt will interfere with the paint's adherence. Rinse the sponge under warm water and rinse the cabinet doors with the sponge.
Step 2

Dry the surface of the cabinet doors with a dry towel. Place a drop cloth on a stable surface, such as a table. Unscrew the cabinet doors with a screwdriver. Place the doors on the drop cloth. Check for grime where the hinges were.
Step 3

Dust all shelves with the dust cloth. Even if you are only painting the outside of the cabinet, you need to do this so the dust doesn't get stirred up later and settle on wet paint. Dust the outer sides and edges of the cabinets. Wash well with a soapy sponge and rinse clean.

Tips & Warnings

For extra tough grease stains, put dish soap directly on a sponge and rub it into the stain. Let it sit for a while, and then wipe it off with a wet sponge. Dish soap containing citrus oil is especially good for this because citrus oil naturally dissolves grease.
Any residue, including soap residue, left on the surface may prevent primer or paint from sticking as it should. Always rinse the cabinets after washing. Wood can swell when wet. Cleaning with water is fine for wood cabinets, but don't let the water stay on them. Set aside time to clean, and then dry them well. Don't prime or paint until they've had time to dry.