Expert: Jamie Yocono - 11/28/2009

Question
How do I clean the grease and dust build-up from the (unfinished)top of our finished kitchen cabinets? Our kitchen cabinets do not go all the way to the ceiling. We left about a 10" space and cooking grease and dust have built up there. What is the best way and safest product to clean them with? There are plenty of answers about cleaning finished wooden cabinets on the internet, but nothing I could find about unfinished wood. I'm afraid that if I use the wrong product, it will "bleed" into the wood and leave visible stains, or worse, on the top front of the cabinets. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Answer
Charles,

When wood is unfinished, it has open pores that can absorb things from the atmosphere, like grease, grime, moisture, etc. I think the damage is already probably done to your cabinet tops, the wood has already had it's pores clogged with (I'm guessing) grease and dust. It probably looks a little "furry up there. The grease is probably the biggest problem. Wiping the dust off won't easy. because of the grease buildup.

There is a chemical called TSP, or Tri Sodium Phosphate, which is usually found in the paint department of a hardware store. It is used for dissolving grease, works very well in areas with a lot of build-up. Wear gloves when you work with this stuff, and make sure you mix it (it comes in a powder form) according to the manufacturers directions. This is good stuff, versatile and effective. Just be careful with the TSP that you don't drip it down the front of your wood finish. It won't dissolve it, but it could possibly damage it.

I would use one of those 3M scrubbing pads with the TSP, and try to scrub some of the grease build-up off the wood. I wouldn't be that concerned about damaging the wood - it's already damaged. After the grease is gone, I would try to clean it with a product that will condition the wood a bit. I use a product with an orange base, called Orange Glo. Spray it onto kitchen cabinets, (both wood and non-wood surfaces). Leave on for 2-3 minutes and wipe with a soft clean cloth.

If you're careful, and clean the greasy areas off with a product strong enough to dissolve the grease, you should be fine. The danger is using something that doesn't really cut the grease, but rather - just spreads it around. I'm not sure (at this point - in the life of your kitchen cabinets) that it's that important to worry about the degreaser ruining your cabinet tops. It's more important to get rid of the grease, and then figure out how to prevent it from happening again.

OK, hope this helps, good luck,

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com
My woodworking blog: www.wooditis.blogspot.com