Clean Rancid Grease from Cabinets
With the proper products, tools and a good measure of elbow grease, you can remove heavily coated kitchen grease from cabinets as well as other surfaces.
Steps
- Cover all surfaces where the degreaser may be spilled or splashed upon. (See Warnings.)
- Remove all cabinet hardware. If possible, remove the cabinet doors and hinges.
- Soak the hinges and hardware in full-strength degreaser and clean them well before rehanging the doors.
- Start with a small amount of water-diluted degreaser in a bucket or a squirt bottle.
- Test an area with the cleaning product (on the underside of a wall mounted cabinet or on the inside of a cabinet door are inconspicuous place for this.) If a diluted solution does not readily begin to penetrate the grease, use it full strength.
- With a sponge or rag, wipe on (or squirt on if you’re using a squirt bottle) an amount of the cleaning product to get the area really wet(Yes, it’s going to be messy.)
- Let the product set for a minute or two to start working. If the cabinets are severely grimy, use a scrub brush, a steel wool pad, or even a paint scraper to remove the loosened grease. Use care that you do not penetrate too deeply where you might damage the cabinet.
- Wash and wipe the area with more of the degreaser, loosening and cleaning the grease away. Wipe the area with clean water.
- Repeat the process until you are satisfied with the cleanliness of the cabinets.
Tips
- If you plan to paint or stain the cabinets, wash them down with a TSP or Spic ‘n’ Span solution.
- Do not use these ingredients (including water on wood cabinets), on usual grease that accumulates on cabinets.
- Wear rubber or latex household gloves, protective eyewear and old clothes. People that are sensitive to odors may choose to wear a painter’s face mask as well.
- Dispose of any unused, diluted solution in the sink, toilet, tub, etc., and flush the drain thoroughly with tepid water. Dispose of used sponges or rags.
- Store unused degreaser in a dry area out of the reach of children and where the product will not come in contact with animals.
- Open a door or window to allow ventilation.
Warnings
- This is a powerful chemical. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and heed the safety precautions.
- Cover all surfaces that you do not want affected by the cleaning product. Use extra precaution when covering appliances. Make certain all appliances are turned off, and no gas pilot flames are burning.
Things You'll Need
- Degreaser
- Buckets or squirt bottles
- Sponges and/or rags
- Rubber gloves
