The Best Ways To Clean Wood Cabinets
Cabinets often seem as if they get dirty incredibly fast, regardless of whether they’re in a kitchen or bathroom. However, even if your wooden cabinets have experienced food spills, water damage, or simple scratches and nicks, they can still look like new with proper care and maintenance.
How to Clean and Shine Wood Cabinets
For frequent care or cleaning of spills, simply use a clean, soft, lint-free cotton cloth to remove dust and light debris. If the wood of your cabinets needs a little extra cleaning, you can easily make your own cleaner by mixing a mild dish soap with warm water. If you decide to use a store-bought cleaner, be sure to test it on a small patch before coating your cabinets to ensure it won’t cause discoloration.
How to Clean Oil and Grease Off Wooden Cabinets
Prolonged exposure to oil or grease spills can permanently damage the finish of your cabinet, so it’s important to wipe them up immediately. Most spills are easily cleaned with a damp cloth, but you may need to use a mixture of dish soap and warm water for oil or grease-based splatters. Be sure to dry all surfaces thoroughly with a towel to prevent water damage.
Cleaning Glass on a Wooden Cabinet
There’s a little bit of extra work to clean the glass on your wooden cabinet, as typical wood cleaners may smudge the glass and glass cleaners may discolor the cabinet. Be sure to use an ammonia-free glass cleaner, and spray it onto a towel or cloth rather than directly onto the glass to avoid spraying the wood or letting the solution run into the edging.
How To Fix Scrapes, Gouges, and Nicks on Wood Cabinetry
To make sure you can match your cabinet’s color, we sell specific Touch-Up Kits for every kind of cabinet. For small, surface imperfections, use the Touch-Up Pen to hide imperfections. If you find a deep cut or blemish on your cabinet, simply use the provided tinted putty to fill the indentation and color as needed.
How to Avoid Light Damage
As with all real wood, prolonged exposure to light can darken the natural color of wooden cabinets. Even painted cabinets can fade over time if enough sunlight reaches them, so it’s important to consider using shades or drapes to protect the interior of your home from light damage.
How to Avoid Water and Moisture Damage
Avoid draping damp towels or cloths over your kitchen cabinets as the moisture can damage the wood’s finish, and always use a dry towel after cleaning your cabinetry to ensure that they don’t take unneeded damage. For bathroom cabinets (and bathrooms in general), be sure to allow proper ventilation after a hot shower or bath to prevent mold and moisture damage.
How to Avoid Heat Damage in Kitchen Cabinets
While our wood cabinets can easily stand up to the typical temperatures in a kitchen, it’s important to know that the “self-cleaning” function of your oven gets significantly hotter than in typical use. Using this feature frequently can damage the cabinets and hardware around your oven.
