Cabinets

In case you have not all ready figured it out, your kitchen cabinets can and will, collect more food spills, grease, dust and moisture than nearly all other items in your house.  

The filth builds up the quickest around the handles of the doors and the drawers.  This is because dirty or sticky hands are quite often continuously opening them.  

To make your cleaning much easier it is important to wipe your cabinets clean often as the greasy dirt will come off much more easily if you do not let it build up. 

If your cabinets are painted wood, laminated plastic, wood-grain vinyl or made of metal then their surfaces can be usually be cleaned with a simple soap and warm water solution.  Then rinse thoroughly with a damp cloth or a sponge while repeatedly dunking in clean water and wringing it out.  If you use a clean dry cloth or a piece of paper towel to wipe the surface completely dry it will help to prevent streaking.  

A good mixture for cleaning these types of surfaces would be to add to 1-gallon warm water: 1/4 cup baking soda 1/2 cup white vinegar 1 cup household ammonia Mix the ingredients well and then store them in a tightly closed, well labeled, container.  

This is a good multipurpose cleaner that can be used to clean Formica countertops, tile or linoleum floors, appliances and more.  It is an economical solution to your cleaning needs and it safer for the environment to boot!  

Here is the recipe for an environmentally friendly wall cleaner that could be used on some types of cabinets.  Please test it before using on visible surfaces. 

To 2 quarts of water you only need to add: 1 teaspoon ammonia & 2 ounces borax, Before using, just dissolve some of the borax & ammonia solution in a big bucket of clean water.  

Use a soft cloth or sponge to clean your cabinets.  This is a good use for some of those old holey T-shirts.  Instead of throwing them away give them a second life.  Cut them in to strips or large squares and use them for cleaning anything that you do not want to get scratched. 

If your cabinets are painted wood, laminated plastic, wood-grain vinyl or made of metal then their surfaces can be cleaned on occasion by using a creamy fluid wax which will leave a protective finish to help to delay soiling.  If your surface is a hard finish and is still in good condition you may not need to perform this extra step. 

Any time you try a new cleaning solution, no matter what it is, it is best to always test a small sample area on the inside of a door just so you can be sure that it will not hurt your finish.  

Even though there are some great natural scouring powders that you can use to clean many surfaces you should NEVER use any scouring powder or any other abrasive on your cabinets as any abrasive will damage your finish!  

Wood cabinets with a natural finish can be cleaned with an assortment of cleaning products.  One such natural cleaning solution is to mix 1 cup of olive oil to 1/2 cup of lemon juice.  Make sure that you use a soft cloth to avoid scratching the finish. 

This recipe can also be used as a natural furniture polish

In this day and age we have far too many people using chemicals to clean everything.  Natural products will usually do a comparable job and some times they clean even better.  Natural cleaning solutions are not only better for the environment but also for our pocketbook and the health of our families.