How to Clean and Refinish Kitchen Cabinets

To refinish kitchen cabinets, start by cleaning them. Heat, water, grease and food residue can take a toll on your kitchen cabinets. You might be surprised what a good scrubbing can do. When you're ready to clean your cabinets, follow these steps:

1. Label or number the cabinet doors if you remove them so that you'll be sure to put them back in the right place after the DIY kitchen cabinet refacing. If you're sanding or painting, don't sand off or paint over the marks. The holes for the hinges need to match; double-check after refacing and painting.
2. Lay plenty of drop cloths to protect countertops, appliances and floors.
3. Wear gloves and eye protection when using a cleaner such as trisodium phosphate (TSP).
4. Clean thoroughly, following the instructions on the cleaning solution. Use a clean part of the cloth on each cabinet for best results.
5. Rinse the cabinets. If the rinse water looks dirty, repeat the cleaning process.
6. Allow the wood to dry.

Hardware (including hinges) gets greasy and dirty too. Since you have the doors off, remove the knobs and hinges, and clean the hardware:

1. Soak the hardware in a soapy water solution for 30 minutes.
2. Scrub lightly with a soft brush and rinse.
3. Let dry and apply the proper polish.

If you need to replace one or two pieces, take one set with you when you go to your local Lowe's. But if your cabinet hardware is older, it may be difficult to find an exact match. With all the knobs and hinges off, it's a great time to shop for new hardware. Take some of the old hardware along to make sure the new hardware will fit your existing doors.

Style
Style is the most common characteristic when shopping for hardware. Pick a style you like and one that works with the rest of your décor. Check out our Kitchen Planning Guide for some inspiration. Here are the most popular styles.

• Traditional: Traditional hardware has a more ornate and classic look. Ranging anywhere from farmhouse to antique to rustic cabinet hardware, this style is more detailed and has more embellishments.
• Modern: With clean lines and a sharp, minimalistic look, contemporary and modern cabinet hardware is understated. When using a contemporary look, stainless steel is the most common finish.
• Transitional: Combining traditional and modern cabinet hardware, transitional allows you to mix elements of both styles for a personalized look.
• Eclectic: If you're seeking a more informal and fun look, nonmatching and unique cabinet hardware allow you the most personalization.

Finish
Once you've found your style and shape, you can choose a finish. When selecting a finish, consider that you'll want them to be cohesive with the rest of the area, so consider other appliances and pieces of furniture. The most common finishes are:

• Brass
• Copper
• Bronze
• Chrome
• Nickel
• Black

When choosing the finish for your hardware, think about what style will look best in your home. If your style is traditional, brushed finishes, polished brass, nickel or pewter will blend nicely. If you have a more contemporary look, choose finishes with an enameled or high-gloss color or metal.

You can refinish cabinet doors with kitchen cabinet crown molding. Applying a contrasting finish or color is a quick and inexpensive way to change the look of your kitchen. Keep the following safety tips in mind when you add moulding:

• Always apply finishing materials in a well-ventilated area.
• Wear eye protection and chemical gloves to prevent exposure to finishing materials.

If your cabinets still don't look spectacular after cleaning, you may have to refinish or paint them. The process for refinishing cabinets, including oak cabinets, is similar to the one for refinishing furniture.

Unless you're planning to take your cabinets down, there are a few extra things to remember. As with cleaning, working with cabinets mounted vertically can be challenging. Paint strippers work best when refinishing kitchen cabinets, but if you're leaving your cabinets on the wall, you should use a gel or semi-paste type. These won't drip as much when used on vertical surfaces. However, before you can buy the proper stripper, you'll need to find out what kind of finish is on your cabinets.

The original finish is one of several possible materials and many look identical to an untrained eye. Use the chart below to determine what type of finish you have. Find a hidden spot on the wood to perform the tests.

After stripping and before refinishing or painting, you'll need to do some kitchen cabinet repair. Patch any visible holes, scratches and nicks with wood filler. When dry, sand lightly to smooth out the patch.

Next, lightly sand and prime before painting kitchen cabinets. DIY enthusiasts need to apply a high-quality primer depending on the type of wood. Use high-quality latex primer or an oil-based primer on unstained wood. For stained or painted wood, use a stain-blocking primer. Oil-based primers are thick and take longer to dry than latex-based primers, which dry quickly and emit less fumes. For detailed instructions, see How to Prep and Paint Kitchen Cabinets.

If the labor and cost to refinish kitchen cabinets feels overwhelming to you, Lowe's can help. Consider purchasing new kitchen cabinets. You can weigh the benefits of new cabinets versus cabinet refinishing costs. Get started with a free online video consultation.