How to Clean Kitchen Cabinets

Cleaning your kitchen is a laborious and time-consuming task. From mopping the floors and disinfecting countertops to cleaning out your fridge and wiping down your appliances, the chore of kitchen-cleaning is dreaded by many. However, one aspect of cleaning your kitchen that you might be forgetting is that of cleaning out your cabinets.

While it’s true that you probably don’t need to deep-clean your cabinets every single time you clean your kitchen, this is something you should be making time for every so often. When was the last time you cleaned your kitchen cabinets? If you haven’t done this since you moved into your place, then it’s probably time.

Reasons to Clean Your Kitchen Cabinets

Why should you add cabinet-cleaning to your ever-growing list of chores? There are actually a few compelling reasons to consider.

Keep Them Looking Great

For starters, think about all the grime and debris that can build up on your cabinet exteriors over time. It is not uncommon for grease particles to become airborne as you cook—and these can quickly adhere to solid surfaces, like your cabinet doors. Even if your kitchen looks clean, taking a damp paper towel to your cabinet exteriors will likely reveal some unsightly build-up. By at least taking the time to wipe your cabinet exteriors down each time you clean your kitchen, you can keep the space looking fresh and inviting.

Save Your Security Deposit

If you’re renting, cleaning your kitchen cabinets may also help you more easily recover your security deposit when it comes time for you to move out. If your kitchen has a lot of grease and grime build-up, your landlord or property manager may retain some or all of your security deposit to hire specialty cleaning services. This can be easily avoided by simply making sure your cabinets are clean before you move out.

Get Rid of Bacteria

Kitchens are breeding grounds for bacteria; just think about all the raw food and splatter you encounter when you cook up those new recipes. When grease and other food particles go airborne, they can settle on your cabinets and increase contamination and food-borne illness risk. Protect yourself and your loved ones by keeping your kitchen cabinets clean and disinfected.

How Often Should You Clean Your Kitchen Cabinets?

Since it doesn’t take long to clean your cabinet exteriors, you should be doing this every time you clean the rest of your kitchen. However, a deep-cleaning of your cabinets may only be necessary about once a year. Some people may even wait until they move out of their place before cleaning their kitchen cabinets inside and out. At the end of the day, it’s all about what you’re most comfortable with.

Cleaning Your Kitchen Cabinets: A Step-By-Step Guide

Now that you understand the importance of cleaning out your kitchen cabinets, it’s time to get started. You won’t need much in the way of supplies except for a small broom or vacuum with a hose attachment, as well as some paper towels or clean washcloths, dish soap, and an all-purpose cleaner that’s safe on your cabinet door material.

Remove the Contents of Your Cabinets

Begin by completely removing the contents of your kitchen cabinets. Some people prefer to remove everything from all their cabinets at once, whereas other may prefer to work one or two cabinets at a time. If you have a smaller kitchen without a lot of counters or floor space to set things down, you may be better off cleaning one cabinet at a time; this way, you can put the contents of one cabinet back inside before moving onto the next one.

Vacuum Out Larger Debris

More than likely, your cabinet shelves will have some crumbs and other loose debris lying around. This will become obvious once the contents of each shelf are removed. The easiest way to get rid of these is to simply use a vacuum with a hose attachment. However, if you don’t have access to one of these vacuums, you can also use a small handheld broom and mini dustpan to sweep out each cabinet and shelf individually.

Wipe Shelves and Walls Down

Now, it’s time to wipe down and disinfect the shelves and inside walls of your cabinets. If your cabinets have easily removable shelves, it may be more efficient to remove each shelf and wipe it down. This will make it easier for you to get at all the nooks and crannies, as well as the underside of each shelf. Removing shelves can also allow you to scrub at areas that may have stubborn stains or build-up.

When wiping down cabinet walls and shelves, you can use a simple mixture of warm water and a few drops of dish soap on a clean rag. Follow up by wiping away any soap residue with a clean, damp rag, and then dry thoroughly with a hand towel. This is just as effective as any chemical cleaner, but less harmful and less likely to damage your cabinets. Still, it’s always a good idea to test a small area before cleaning a larger area.

If you have removed any shelves, allow them to dry completely before you put them back in the cabinet. Not drying them promptly could cause them to warp, so it’s best to wipe them dry after you clean them than it is to let them air dry.

Wipe Down Cabinet Exterior

Finally, clean your cabinet exteriors using the same soap and water mixture. This will be safe on most cabinet door materials—but if your cabinet doors are made of real wood, you’ll want to be careful not to use too much water, as this could damage the wood. You’ll also want to make sure to dry each cabinet after wiping it down.

Another option is to use an all-purpose cleaner on your cabinet doors, so long as it is advertised as being safe for your particular cabinet material.

For More Help With Your Cleaning…

Keeping your kitchen pristine can be a full-time job on its own, so why not leave this tedious work up to a professional? Maid Sailors offers regular cleaning services to keep your kitchen looking its best, and all of our basic services include wiping down your cabinet exteriors. For a more thorough cabinet-cleaning, check out our maid service NYC. These include cleaning out the inside of cabinets and drawers to achieve your ideal level of clean.