How to cut grease off kitchen cabinets.
The sticky film on cabinets near the stove is airborne cooking grease that has bonded with dust. Water alone slides right off it; you need something that emulsifies grease.
Remove grease from kitchen cabinets with a solution of warm water and dish soap (which is formulated to cut grease), wiping with a soft cloth and following the wood grain. For stubborn sticky buildup, a paste of baking soda and water gently scrubs it off. Avoid abrasive pads and always dry the cabinets afterward.
Start with dish soap
Dish soap exists to cut grease, which makes it the right first tool for greasy cabinets.
- Mix warm water with a good squirt of dish soap
- Wipe cabinets with a soft cloth, following the grain
- Rinse the cloth often so you are not smearing grease around
Baking soda paste for buildup
Where grease has hardened into a sticky layer, add gentle abrasion.
- Make a paste of baking soda and a little water
- Apply to sticky spots and let it sit a few minutes
- Gently rub with a soft cloth or soft sponge, not an abrasive pad
- Wipe clean and dry
Prevent the buildup
A quick wipe of the cabinet fronts near the stove every week or two keeps grease from ever hardening, so you never need the heavy clean.