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What Are the Best Tips for Keeping Clean Kitchen Cabinets?

By C.B. Fox
Updated May 17, 2024
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Keeping clean kitchen cabinets doesn’t take much time and energy. In most kitchens, the inside and outside of the cabinets only need to be thoroughly cleaned about once per year. Using a mild detergent or a stronger cleaning solution specially designed for the material of the cabinets helps get them clean without causing damage. Good organization and spot-cleaning as needed will also help a person to keep clean kitchen cabinets all year round.

Dirt and grease builds up on the outside of kitchen cabinets every time the kitchen is used. In order to keep clean kitchen cabinets, it is necessary to clean them thoroughly at least once per year, completely removing this layer of grime. In many cases, simple hand or dish soap solutions will clean the outside of the cabinets, though more heavy-duty cleaners can also be used. Choosing a cleaning agent that is designed to be used with the materials the cabinets are made of will help ensure that the cabinets are not damaged during the cleaning. When using stronger cleaning agents, it is important to follow the dilution directions carefully.

In-between yearly cleanings, clean kitchen cabinets can be kept this way by spot-cleaning as needed, especially if grime is visible. When the outside of the cabinets are cleaned as soon as they become dirty, the dirt will usually come off easily. Mild soaps are often all that is needed to perform spot-cleaning.

The inside of kitchen cabinets should also be cleaned out thoroughly once a year. Removing everything from the cabinets will make it easy to reach into the corners of back walls. A hand-held vacuum can be used to get rid of dust and crumbs and a cloth covered with a simple cleaning solution can be used to remove the dirt that is stuck to the surfaces. As with the outside of the cabinets, the inside can be cleaned with stronger solutions designed for whatever materials the cabinets are constructed from.

Once the inside of the cabinets are clear of dirt and crumbs, good organization will help maintain clean kitchen cabinets. Foods that are prone to spilling, such as bags of flour or sugar, can be poured into sealable containers. If there are bugs in the kitchen, keeping opened boxes of food, like crackers or cereals, in sealable plastic bags or containers will help keep the bugs out. Placing similar foods on the same counters can also help in keeping clean kitchen cabinets because it will make it easier to find things without digging through the cabinets.

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Discussion Comments

By Rotergirl — On Jul 15, 2014

Clean your cabinets as they get dirty. Just do it as a matter of course. Wipe them down a couple of times a week to help them stay clean.

My mom always used Murphy's Oil Soap on her cabinets and she swears by it. I've used it on our hardwood floors and it seems like it does well.

Shelf liner is a great help for keeping shelves and drawers from becoming stained or too soiled from food spills and the like. Plus, you can change it very easily so you don't have the same pattern all the time.

By Pippinwhite — On Jul 14, 2014

Use shelf liner to help keep cabinets clean. You can change it out easily. I also use the soft grip kind for the cabinets where I keep my china. Keeps the bottoms from getting chipped on the hard surface.

I have an older house and metal cabinets. Ideally, I'd like to paint them, but my landlady would have a cow.

For my cabinets, a vinegar cleaning solution is great, but I'd be wary of using it on wooden cabinets. I'd leave that to a cleaner especially for wood.

The one product I recommend for cleaning nearly every surface is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, or the generic store brands. It really does live up to the hype.

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