Wooden furniture is very common in many homes and the wooden cabinets, in particular, are the centerpiece of almost every kitchen. However, one of the biggest challenges with kitchen cabinets and any other wooden furniture is grease. We hate to see grease stains on our wooden furniture. The good thing is that there are many simple solutions that you can use at home to clean off grease.
Here are a few of the common techniques used to remove grease stains from cabinets.
Tap the Grease Stains
The first thing you should do is to try and tap the stains using a sponge or a dry cloth. You can also use a paper towel if you want. However, you need to be very careful with the amount of pressure you apply. Applying too much pressure might make the stain worse than it was before. Avoid scrubbing too. Just place the dry sponge, the paper towel, or the washcloth on the stain and gently press for a few minutes to see whether the grease will be absorbed.
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Use a Solution of White Vinegar and Warm Water
Once you have soaked as much grease as possible using the sponge in the first step above, it’s time to clean the remaining grease. A sponge will soak up a lot of grease, especially if the spill was big. However, it can’t do everything.
This is where a solution of white vinegar with warm water comes handy:
- Combine equal parts of warm water and white vinegar in a container
- Take a dry sponge or washcloth and soak it in the solution
- Use the sponge to wipe off the grease from the cabinets
- Use a dry paper towel to wipe off any excess solution that remains on the cabinets after cleaning
Dishwashing Liquid Plus Warm Water
In case you don’t have vinegar around at home, you can use some dishwashing liquid. In some cases, the vinegar solution might also fail to clean off all the grease. However, a solution of dishwashing liquid and warm water will do the job.
Fill up a spray bottle with warm water and add a spoonful of dishwasher liquid. Seal off the bottle and shake it for a few minutes until the solutions take shape. Spray the solution on the grease and wipe off carefully using a dry cloth. Do this repeatedly until the grease is fully removed.
As a rule of thumb, ensure you wipe the stain in a circular motion. This will prevent it from spreading on other areas of the cabinet. Once you are done, wipe off the excess solution using a paper towel.
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Cabinet Maintenance Tips
Once the grease is off you will need to do a few regular maintenance tasks on the cabinets so you can make sure they are always sparkling. Cleaning on a regular basis, even if there are no stains, is the first important step to keep in mind. Make sure the sponge that you use to clean the cabinet is only reserved for cabinets. There are some people who recycle the sponge for dishes every time they need to wipe off anything from the cabinets. This might stain the wood. You should also void draping wet towels over kitchen cabinets.
Wet towels just like the dishwashing sponge might lead to other stains. Besides, the polished surface of the cabinets doesn’t go well with water. Keep it wet for far too long and watermarks will start to appear. Unlike grease stains, watermarks are actually harder to clean. Finally, always pay attention to the door handles while you clean the cabinets.
Removing grease from your kitchen cabinets and making sure they look clean is easy. The homemade DIY solutions listed above will help you get rid of any grease stain on the kitchen cabinets or any other wooden furniture at home.
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Do you have any cleaning tips for getting grease stains off cabinets? Let us know in the comments below!
