Expert: Jamie Yocono - 8/17/2009

Question
I have 30 year old oak kitchen cabinets, replacing them is NOT an option.  From years of handling there is a breakdown in the finish and a kind of sticky residue.  I am looking for product suggestions to rejuvinate these cabinets.  There are tons of them in the kitchen.  Thanks.

Answer
Barb,

I have two suggestions for you to try. If the grease and grime is really bad, I would buy some Tri-sodium Phosphate, or TSP. You can find it in the paint section of any hardware store. It will be in powder form, mix it according to the directions, and make sure you wear gloves when you work with it. This is a HEAVY DUTY degreaser, and will cut through all the grime very quickly.

I recommend scrubbing your cabinets with the TSP, using a green scrubby that you would use for scrubbing dishes. After using this, rinse the TSP off with a damp rag a couple of times. Your cabinets will look clean, but in need of some TLC after using the TSP. (No pun intended)

As far as what to use after the TSP scrubbing, it will depend on what was on there in the first place. A nice coat of varnish would be very protective, but you may have to stain the cabinets if the stain has worn off in places. I'm guessing it has. Buy a good brush for varnishing - I swear, it will be worth it. Spending $10 or $12 on a good brush will make your cabinets look like a pro refinished them. A $4 brush won't. One nice, even coat of varnish might do the trick. Even though it's tedious, you might want to apply two nice, even coats. Put on some nice music, and take your time.

My other suggestion is a wood rejuvenator made by Formby's. I've been told it's been discontinued, but I still see it in a couple of hardware stores, so I know it's around. It's a one step product. It dissolves the old grime and restores the finish on one step. It probably won't work as well as the TSP and varnish, but it's easier. And if your grease build-up isn't too bad, it will probably work. The problem might be finding it. If you can't find that exact product, look for something else by Formbys, they make some nice refinishing products.

OK, that's all I can recommend. Good luck, and write back if you have more questions.

Jamie in Vegas


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