How to Polyurethane the Inside of Your Kitchen Cabinet

Polyurethane applied to the inside your kitchen cabinets create an easy to clean surface. With polyurethane you’ll have a surface that discourages the growth of germs. Roaches and other creatures will have no place to hide and lay their eggs. With polyurethane all it takes is a swipe with a damp cloth and you will have a sanitary kitchen cabinet.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Polyurethane
• 2" paint brush
• Sandpaper 320 grit
• Tacky cloth
• Lint free cloth
• Soap and water

1. 
    

   Remove everything from the kitchen cabinets. Be prepare to leave items out of cabinets overnight. To allow for the time it takes the polyurethane to dry. If possible remove shelves.

2. Clean the inside of your kitchen cabinets and shelves with soap and water. Let dry completely . Sand lightly using 320 grit sandpaper if the surface has been painted. Wipe with lint free cloth. Go over the entire surface with a tacky cloth. Tacky cloths can be bought at a hardware store or home improvement store. A sanding sealer can be painted on bare wood. The sealer will give you a better surface. Sand sealer lightly before applying polyurethane.

3. Place cabinet shelves where you can paint with polyurethane but in a place where they won’t get dusty. Paint shelves using a two inch brush. Paint with the grain of the wood. Let dry for three hours and repeat.

4. 
    

   Paint the inside of cabinet with polyurethane using a two inch brush. Paint the back, sides, top and bottom.
   Let dry three hours. Polyurethane should be dry to touch . If sticky let dry until it’s no longer sticky. Paint another coat of polyurethane.

5. Dry overnight. Replace shelves in cabinets. The cabinets are now ready for you to replace the contents. Let mature for two weeks before scrubbing.

Tips & Warnings

• If cabinets need painting., paint before applying polyurethane.
• If you’re putting polyurethane on bare wood , you may need more than two coats.
• Use polyurethane that is water based for easy clean up.
• If needed you can apply more coats but first two coats need to dry twenty-four hours before applying additional coats.
• There's no fumes when you use water base polyurethane.

[southerngirl09]

on 11/21/2009 Great instructions on how to polyurethane the inside of your kitchen cabinet. Thanks for sharing. Recommended and 5*

[jeni10]

on 11/16/2009 What a neat idea! I'd never thought of using polyurethane on the inside of my cabinets. Great article; thanks for sharing how to polyurethane the inside of your kitchen cabinet. 5*

[botticelli728]

on 11/13/2009 Excellent idea. I know how hard it is to clean cabinets that aren't poly'd.

[cookiesmagic]

on 11/11/2009 Great tips and advice!