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How do you clean your painted cabinetry? esp the wood hood?

11 years ago

Hi All -

I tend to clean a little bit all the time, so I haven't had to really scrub my kitchen down yet... I have painted white cabinetry and I usually take a towel/paper towel/pledge wipe and do a quick wipe when I'm cleaning up after a meal or if I see food on the cabinets/hardware. My cabinets are beaded inset - and I will say that the bead is a pain to keep looking nice and that is with staying on top of the mess. Anyway, my biggest problem is our wood hood. I don't think to clean that with everything else and I went to clean it yesterday and there was a film of grease on it that is not easily coming off. What products do you use to clean your painted cabinetry? What can I use on my hood that will cut the grease but not take the paint/finish off? Anyone else have this problem with their painted wood hoods? TIA!

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Comments (4)

juliekcmo
11 years ago
I like to use Dr Bonners liquid soap. Mixed up in a bucket with warm water, and then use an old washcloth to wash down the cabinets.

I also use this to wash painted woodwork, and even to wash the dog!

This product cuts grease very well, but is so gentle that I don't have to wear gloves. And I have lots of allergies and sensitive skin.

Carried at many large grocery stores, Target, health food stores. It will be with the soap, not the cleaners.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dr Bonners liquid soap
Bunny
11 years ago
I was terrified of my white painted cabs at first. I was expecting knicks and chips and scratches just looking at them. I've relaxed a bit and realize they're tougher than they look. I'm a clean-as-I-go person, but the other day I did an entire kitchen wipe-down with a little Dawn in water (my go-to for counters and cutting grease), followed by a microfiber rub. I don't know about beaded insets (except they're beautiful), but I have to get into the recessed corners of my shaker doors. I have a stainless hood, so that's a different story.
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Wow, that sounds like a lot of work! I can't help you as I still have a little ol' Broan that uses mesh filters, which I put in the dishwasher. Is your hood working properly, meaning is any grease getting to the cabinets, ceiling, etc?
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Yes, I was concerned about grime too. Like you, I wanted a hood that "rested lightly" in my kitchen, so I wanted it to match the cabinets. So I took a chance that it would stay good looking even after being lived in, and so far I'm very happy. I'm not the most enthusiastic housekeeper, so I try to clean as I go, and I think that using the ventilation blower really helps. I have a Vent-a-hood BH228SLD liner in a custom cabinetry hood. The liner is 28.375" wide by 19.25" deep, and the decorative hood adds about one inch all around. The hood is flanked by 12" deep upper cabinets. The blower is vented with an 8" round duct straight up and out the roof. I'm happy with the Vent-a-hood, but I should disclose that I didn't do much research on brand since the Vent-a-hood was what was offered by the cabinet company. My advice is whatever hood you chose, make sure to use it. The blower motor draws air at up to 600 cfm. I know there are those who post here and in the Appliances Forum who can give better advice that I can about this sort of thing. I relied on an article about choosing a range hood to select the cfm rating based on the potential btu output of my range. The decorative hood and cabs were made by Crestwood, Inc. in Salina, KS. They're an off-white color called Antique by Crestwood. I found it closely matches BM Cream Silk. We have a freestanding GE gas range, 5 burner, standard 30" width, 27" depth. Hope this helps! Here is a link that might be useful: How to Choose a Range Hood
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I'll try it with you celticmoon. And we'll see. I also noted that only one of the two cages was dirty (although I did wash them both). It was the white one. It was pretty disgusting, it had to go through the dishwasher twice. Must be because I don't use the supplementary "boost" or whatever button. So I may be able to at least get away with only dealing with one squirrel cage. I wonder too, if I do it often, I can keep it relatively clean without taking it down? We shall see. I also note that the paint came off the white one in the wash. Ah well.
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User
11 years ago
If you are getting a grease buildup on the hood, the first thing to do is to assess the actual ventilation. Your ductwork may be blocked, or too small, or the fan may not have enough CFM's, or even just your filter needs cleaning. Good quality ventilation doesn't really allow much grease to escape the capture area.

Never use any type of oil soap or anything with ammonia on your cabinets. It can weaken the finish, and if you ever need to re-paint, you'll need to prime with a specialty primer rather than just recoating with the existing paint.

The best thing to use on cabinets is a wrung out microfiber cloth with a bit of Dawn mixed into the water that you wetted it with. That will grab any grease and dirt. But don't forget to rinse.
aokat15
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks so much! I'm going to try Dawn now and then will buy Dr Bonners if that doesn't work. Thanks!

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