Wood cabinets are very beautiful, but they can be a bit tricky to clean.

They can be easily damaged while removing grease from them, and you want to avoid leaving them looking dried out as well.

They can make a kitchen feel so warm and welcoming. I guess that is what a touch of wood does to a space. But your wood cabinets can turn out to be an eyesore if they are not kept clean.

And do they have to get dirty so easily? Well… Your wood cabinets in your kitchen have to face a lot of things. There is usually a lot of activities that take place in a kitchen that includes grease and the splattering of food. Yes, your wood cabinets soak up a lot of that.

But wood can be so tricky to clean. You want to get your cabinets clean without having them looking dried out and gloomy. You’ll need to use some moisture to get them clean.

Also, make sure to use a drying oil for maintaining the sheen of your cabinets. These are oils that will harden when exposed to air and will form a protective layer on your cabinets.

On the other hand, non-drying oils will not harden, and will eventually make your beautiful cabinets smell unpleasant.

Some of these oils to avoid are coconut oil and olive oil. There a quite a handful more I could mention, but these are the two most frequently recommended oils.

Here is a good and safe idea for cleaning your wood cabinets.

You will need a toothbrush, baking soda, some linseed oil, warm water, and a soft cleaning cloth.

Make a paste with some baking soda and warm water. Apply to cabinets using the toothbrush. Brush your cabinets until the grease is gone.

Damp the cloth just a little bit with some linseed oil, and use to rub the cabinets. You will be cleaning up any residue of baking soda, and also moisturizing your cabinets.

Linseed is recommended as it is a drying oil, and won’t leave your cabinets smelling unpleasant.

The warm water and baking soda should have stripped away any stubborn grease.

More About Cleaning Wood Cabinets

Here are some more tips you might find really useful for taking care of your wood cabinets and cleaning them.

Vinegar

This is a natural cleaner, but have to be cautious when using this to clean your cabinets, as it can cause damage. 

Mix 50% vinegar and 50% warm water.  Pour into a spray bottle.  Leave for about two minutes, then spray cabinets.  After spraying thoroughly, wipe with a soft cloth.

Oil Soap

Oil soap is very good for cleaning greasy cabinets. A good option is Murphy’s Oil Soap. You can find this easily on Amazon and maybe your local grocery store.

A little goes a far way when using oil soap. So avoid using it excessively. A moderate amount is best to prevent damage to your wood cabinets.

Baking Soda For Food Spills

Baking soda is an all-rounder cleaner.  It can be used for a lot of cleaning tasks. It can also be used to remove the stubborn food, grease, and gunk on your wood cabinets. 

For food spills on your cabinets, mix some baking soda with water to form a paste, and rub it on the area.  Leave it on for about 15 minutes.  Use a thin spatula to help scrape off the food particle.  Be gentle though to prevent damage to your cabinets.

Polishing

Polishing your cabinet will help your cabinets to look really good. It will also help to bring out the true, nature of the wood.

Also, polishing might make it harder for gunk and food to get stuck on your cabinets, and the polished surface may be easier to clean.

Cleaning Wood Cabinets

Cleaning Wood Cabinets

How To Clean & Remove Grease From Your Wood Cabinets

Materials

  • Baking Soda
  • Warm Water
  • Linseed Oil

Instructions

  1. Combine the baking soda and warm water to make a paste.
  2. Apply the paste to your wood cabinets. This paste should strip gunk from the cabinets.
  3. You can use a toothbrush to apply the paste and reach into the creases of the cabinets.
  4. Dampen a cleaning cloth with some linseed oil.
  5. Use the cdamp cloth with linseed oil to clean up the cabinets.
  6. The cloth should get rid of any residue of gunk and baking soda.

Notes

If you will be using any other oil apart from linseed oil, make sure it is a drying oil. Non- drying oils will leave your cabinets smelling unpleasant.

All the best with cleaning your wood cabinets.

1 Comment

  1. Painter friend told me to use linseed oil and 1000 steel wool. I used it on every sealed wood desk to, dresser, night stand and table in my home. It was lot of work, but they look awesome. Cabinet doors are so much work that I, because I have 51 doors drawers. Plus, I have 8 open ends on my upper lower and island. He said dust and then use a tack cloth before applying linseed oil with steel wool. Set a timer for 20 minutes and get all over it with wiping, wiping and more wiping until you can’t wipe anymore. I am trying to motivate myself to tack all those kitchen cabinets.

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