Finding the best degreaser to use for kitchen cabinets before painting can work wonders and ensure the success of your painting job. Whether you have always wanted to renovate your old kitchen or fix up old dirty cabinets, as the first thing, you may want to consider the following options the next time you go shopping for a spray bottle.
The cleaning process should not use abrasive cleaners but gallons of warm water because of the years from food messes and gunk build-up.
Many of the options may require a soft cloth, damp cloth, dry cloth, microfiber cloth, or paper towel. A clean cloth is always recommended, For best practices, a tack cloth is generally used to remove dust particles versus grease on surfaces that are not damp surfaces, glass, metal, ceramic, or leather.
If you want to make your own kitchen cleaner that works on a variety of surfaces and some tough stains, baking soda, warm water, and lemon juice. The best ratio is 1 part baking soda, 2 parts warm water with lemon juice. This won’t really help with excess grease but could be an effective solution for kitchen grease with a nice wet sponge or an old toothbrush (especially in tight spots) using a circular motion since it’s the best way to solve a common problem. Excess grease left behind from old paint might need a second cloth during the cleaning process.
Wooden cabinets might even benefit from soapy water, a bucket of clean water (gallons of warm water), and an easy wipe if you’re not dealing with sticky grease. A solution of vinegar and drops of liquid dishwashing detergent can be a useful degreaser but maybe a lot of work if you have a sticky cabinet.
This should be obvious but I’ll make it clear. Bare wood and drawer fronts painted cabinet or kitchen drawers is expensive and fragile. You should never use abrasive cleaners, scouring pads, or steel wool. Unless you want a damaged finish and lots of scratches.
For minor irritations, I have been able to get away with cleaning products such as Dawn dish soap as it is petroleum-based and can help in a dirty kitchen. They are a good start to removing some grease particles. The problem with oil soaps is that it adds to America’s demand for oil. You may not care but if you do, you might want to look for the right products that help clean cabinets in the simplest ways possible.
Remember this.
The paint doesn’t gain good adhesion if there is even a little bit of grease. For better adhesion, you want to eliminate as much of the grease. Painting kitchen cabinets with latex paint is better because it has lower volatile organic compounds. You can also use mineral spirits as a paint thinner, making it easy to spray your selected latex paint onto kitchen cabinets.
The lower this is, the better it is for your family and the environment. Certain commercial glass cleaner products can work well based on the type of paint that was previously used too. Another important step is to make sure you buy sealing primer to prevent any embedded grease from coming out of your new paint.
KrudKutter Original Concentrate Degreaser
KrudKutter Original Concentrate Degreaser is one of the most potent and best cleaner sprays you can find on the market right now. Applying Krud Kutter degreaser to your cabinet doors is very simple and easy. As a first step, you only need a few pumps to help get rid of the grease right away. The easy application also ensures that you will use only the exact amount that you need.
The product offers excellent value for your money, with a single packet containing two bottles at 32 ounces each, which is enough to clean your kitchen cabinets. Aside from grease, the product can also eliminate dried vegetable oil, grime, wax, and tar.
With this product, it’s the perfect solution to work immediately on cutting through greasy residue, unlike other types of spray cleaners that still require you to mix the solution first. It is an easy way to get things done when your free time is limited.
It is also a versatile degreaser that is safe for fabrics, has exceptional colorfastness, and doesn’t leave any unwanted residues. It is one of the best products because it contains anti-corrosive ingredients, so it will not ruin your plastic laminate cabinets, hinges, and other parts.
The Good
Among the benefits of this product is that it is safe to use. After all, it is biodegradable and non-toxic because it is water-based. Another advantage is that it also doesn’t give off any unwanted or unpleasant smell.
The great thing is that you don’t need to worry even when it comes into contact with your skin, and it is not as harsh as other similar cleaning solutions. It offers all these benefits and remains a powerful enough cleaner that can easily cut through grease stains on your cabinets.
You can use this cleaner on anything, and you can still be sure that it will be effective. It’s easy to use without worrying about the correct concentration or amount for effectiveness. It is a great way to see results almost immediately.
The Bad
It is likely not a cost-effective choice for you if you want to know the exact amount of solution you will get each time you use it.
Sunnyside Phosphate Free TSP All-Purpose Cleaner
The Sunnyside Phosphate Free TSP All-Purpose Cleaner is another degreaser that offers excellent value for your money since this comes in a small packet.
TSP or trisodium phosphate is a famous cleaning agent known for its powerful effectiveness; however, it might not be the best choice for the environment. But when you use this Sunnyside product, you can take advantage of TSP’s effects, but this time, without any of the dangers often associated with it. This is an excellent tsp substitute.
The cleaner comes at a reasonable price in a small 1lb. bag This amount can last a long time in cleaning kitchen cabinets while keeping the look of your kitchen at its best. You can change solution strength accordingly, but this is mainly dependent on how much grease there is. You can also use this on different cabinet materials, including wood cabinets, to leave the surface primed for a new coat of paint.
The Good
The main strength of this product is that it works well, giving excellent results for cleaning your greasy cabinets. It doesn’t matter if your cupboards have formed a thick build-up of grease all these years because you can be sure that this product can do a fantastic job.
Another thing that users love about this cleaner is its safety. It doesn’t harm the environment, and working with it won’t put you at risk, either. You can use as little or as much as you need with just a brush or firm sponge and a bucket in hand.
The Bad
This degreaser isn’t a focal point for a lot of complaints from users, although some are not fond of the smell that it gives off that others find a bit strong to their liking. Also, the fact that the product name contains TSP is ample enough for other people to avoid buying it.
Stanley Original Degreaser
The Stanley Original Degreaser is a favorite among many homeowners because it is easy to use. Mix a small amount of this solution with some hot water, and you can start to clean kitchen cabinets right away.
This degreaser comes in the form of a concentrated solution in liquid form instead of powder. This formula can also go a long way because a single bottle can produce up to 32 gallons of cleaning solution.
Just like other degreasers in the list, you can also tweak its formula depending on your needs. If it fails to remove the dirt on a greasy surface, you can make it a little bit stronger to get good results. But even if you do this, you will discover that you don’t need to use the entire bottle for the cleaning job.
While this degreaser might not be the cheapest available option in the market, this still offers excellent value for your money because you can use it for a long time.
It works fast, and you can notice results almost after applying the solution, which means that the surfaces will be ready for a new layer of paint.
The Good
Versatility is the most impressive thing about this kitchen cabinet degreaser and is an excellent cleaning solution for people who need to clean other stuff aside from their cabinets. You can also use this multipurpose cleaner to clean your woodwork, dishes, tools, equipment, and even your clothes. Upon its application, you will lift the grease off almost immediately.
The Bad
As mentioned earlier, this degreaser is not cheap, which means you might have to consider other options if you’re on a tight budget.
TSP All Purpose Heavy Duty Cleaner
The TSP All Purpose Heavy Duty Cleaner is far from cheap, but this offers excellent value for your money like most other cleaners on the list.
It is a heavy-duty cleaner that cuts through grease. You need to dissolve this in hot water first and apply a sponge or brush to use the product. You can also choose the specific solution strength you need but remember that higher concentrations of this cleaning solution can get powerful.
Please use gloves when applying this solution to prevent nasty burns on your hands. If it accidentally comes into contact with your skin, you need to rinse it off as soon as possible.
After cleaning your wood kitchen cabinets, you can also use this on various types of surfaces, including outdoor areas and floors. Since this is a non-corrosive solution, there is no need to worry about ruining any metal parts or surfaces.
TSP All Purpose Heavy Duty Cleaner is a good degreaser if used immediately. However, take note that since this is more powerful than your average natural kitchen degreaser, make sure that you read and check the instructions first. This way, you can be sure that you won’t make any harsh mistakes and that the solution won’t be too weak or too strong.
The Good
The main advantage of this degreaser is the fact that it is powerful. It means you can get the exact results you want. While other users claim that it might be a bit strong for a simple degreasing job, you can dilute it to make it suitable for your specific needs.
You can use this versatile cleaner to prepare surfaces that you will paint all over the house. Even professionals promote the effectiveness of this product. It quickly gives you the kind of surface you need for your next paint job.
If you don’t mind using a degreaser that contains TSP, this is a great solution you can consider.
The Bad
Many have concerns about its potential effects on the environment. Since the cleaner contains TSP (trisodium phosphate), you might need to check first if this is allowed in your area. Also, due to the strength of this solution, you need to be extra careful to ensure that it doesn’t burn your hands.
Related Questions
Why do you need a kitchen cabinet degreaser?
A degreaser is required to make sure your paint can stay on. If there’s grease, you won’t be successful at all.
Can you apply paint on greasy kitchen cabinets?
While you can always try this, don’t expect that the results will be good. Remember that the paint must stick adequately on the surface to achieve a beautiful finish, and grease will only make it harder.
Is it a good idea to use white vinegar to remove grease?
You might want to avoid using white vinegar because it doesn’t remove heavy grease well enough.
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John Thompson, Writer and Commentator, EvolutDesign.com
Soldier, writer, researcher, consultant, and bon vivant, John Thompson is the author of numerous columns, op-eds, reports, briefs, short stories and books as the “Felicity Files” and “Spirit Over Steel: A Chronology of the Second World War” (version III). Often found hunched over his computer, or in his garden, and now often found doing both. His diverse talent has led him to work in industries and projects such as energy, security and home construction and renovation.
