How to Clean the Outside of Kitchen Cabinets

Clean the outside of kitchen cabinets to remove grease, dirt and grime.

Dirt, grease and grime can build up on the outside of kitchen cabinets, due to moisture in the air. A combination of smeared food, skin oil and kitchen grease often collects on cabinet handles, leaving a sticky, oily residue. Thoroughly cleaning kitchen cabinets yearly will prevent grime build-up and restore the appearance of the cabinets. Kitchen cabinets are made from a variety of materials, including plastic laminate, metal, glass and wood. Wood cabinets require different a different cleaning method from the other types of cabinets.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl
• Warm water
• Hand dishwashing detergent
• 3 clean rags
• Oil soap
• 2 terry cleaning cloths
• Strong alkaline cleaner
• Soft sponge
• White, nylon-backed sponge

Instructions

Wood Cabinets

1. Fill a bowl with warm water. Squirt several drops of hand dishwashing detergent into the bowl to form a soapy solution.

2. Dip a clean rag into the soapy solution. Wipe the cabinet handles and other greasy areas of the cabinet with the rag to remove dirt.

3. Dampen another clean rag with oil soap. Wipe the entire cabinet, including the cabinet handles, lightly with the rag.

4. Dry the cabinet by buffing it with a terry cleaning cloth. Rub the terry cleaning cloth with the grain or pattern of the wood.

Plastic Laminate, Metal and Glass Cabinets

1. Mix strong alkaline cleaner according to the manufacturer's directions. Apply the solution to the entire cabinet with a soft sponge.

2. Allow the solution to set on the cabinet for a couple of minutes. This will allow the solution to absorb into the grease, grime and dirt.

3. Scrub the entire cabinet again with a white, nylon-backed sponge. Hold the sponge under the kitchen faucet to rinse out the grime. Do not rinse out the sponge in the cleaning solution.

4. Dampen a clean rag with water. Wipe down the cabinet with the rag to rinse off the alkaline cleaning solution.

5. Dry the cabinet with a terry cleaning cloth. The terry cloth will also remove any remaining traces of dirt or scum, leaving the cabinet shiny.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use heavy-duty cleaner instead of strong alkaline cleaner.

References

• Merry Maids: Cleaning Tips
• HowToCleanStuff.net: How to Clean Kitchen Cabinets