Lustrous Kitchens | 4 Easy Steps to Restore the Sheen of your Wooden Kitchen Cabinets
Posted on: 21 August 2015
Over prolonged use, wooden kitchen cabinets tend to lose their sheen and glossy appearance — this occurs due to regular exposure to high-moisture and heat conditions resulting from the process of cooking. Stains from cooking oils, dirty hands and splashing foods are common sights on the surface of wooden kitchen cabinets. This can eventually dull their appearance and damage their coating. You might consider replacing the kitchen cabinets altogether if you're looking for a major change, but restoring the shine of your cabinets is a simple step-by-step DIY task. Bring back your kitchen cabinetry lustre with minimal effort.
Gather Materials for the Task
You'll need to ensure that you have plastic drop cloths, white vinegar, olive oil, warm water, rubber gloves, clean cloths, baking soda, furniture wood polish, paintbrushes, buckets and a sponge. While you'll probably have most of these items readily available at home, you can buy wood furniture polish from your nearest home improvement store.
Start Preparing
Before you start cleaning, be sure to place plastic drop cloths on the floor surface below your kitchen cabinets to prevent your floors from getting damaged. Fill half the plastic bucket with warm water and the other half with vinegar in equal proportions, so the mixture blends well together. Add some olive oil drops to this solution. The acidic properties of vinegar help to cut through grease and grime, while the warm water loosens them from the wood surface. The olive oil in the mixture is meant to give the cabinets a subtle shine. When dealing with the warm water and vinegar solution, you may want to use a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands from the heated water.
Apply the Solution on your Kitchen Cabinets and Wipe Dry
Dip a clean cloth into this homemade cleaning solution and scrub the surface of your kitchen cabinets gently to start loosening the dirt, grime and greasy build-up. For any stubborn stains, you can apply a thick paste mixture of baking soda and warm water. Use a soft clean cloth to rub against these greasy stains. Rub the wood surface of your kitchen cabinets gently to prevent any deep-rooted damage from the excess force. Once you've finished uplifting the stains, rinse the kitchen cabinets with clean water and a cloth. Use a soft clean cloth to dry the surface and let it remain untouched for a few hours.
Polish the Surface to Restore Shine
Once your kitchen cabinets have completely dried, apply wood polish to bring out the original shine of the wood. Use a paintbrush to apply the polish liquid on the surfaces of the cabinetry.
These simple steps will ensure that the rich look of your wooden kitchen cabinets is retained for a long time.
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