# Cleaning Deep Grime Off Cabinets



## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

I have a cabinet restoration job coming up of some clear coated cabinets where the door and drawer fronts are REALLY coated in some heavy grime (as in black!) where the handles are located. What have some of you used that is really effective in removing heavy accumulations of dirt without doing any damage to the wood? 

The cabinets are pine and original to the house - late fifties.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

Krud-Kutter is my go-to cleaner.


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## Susan (Nov 29, 2011)

Ammonia


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

We use a few depending on my mood.

Challenger is great.

Ammonia: more general purpose for cleaning all woodwork

Krud cutter ( can make eat existing lacquer sometimes).


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Dan,


has the existing finish been worn off? and the grime embedded in the wood? The blackness is then from dirt AND body oils

Sometimes ammonia can turn some woods black.

Murphy's oil soap is a good product for wood, but you gotta make sure it's ALL rinsed off and out of the wood fibers. 

TSP cleans well, but again, rinsing is necessary.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

daArch said:


> Dan,
> 
> 
> has the existing finish been worn off? and the grime embedded in the wood? The blackness is then from dirt AND body oils
> ...


The finish is hit and miss on most of the faces. I'm sure most is gone where the dirt is heaviest.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

daArch said:


> Dan,
> 
> 
> has the existing finish been worn off? and the grime embedded in the wood? The blackness is then from dirt AND body oils
> ...


Ammonia will darken oak substantially, especially white oak. It will darken other woods as well, depending on the tannin content.

Whatever you do, make sure that your helper doesn't leave the window-washing rag, the one sopping wet with ammonia, in the middle of the white oak floor of the library in a big new house. Or so I've heard.

Actually, my vote is for TSP and a 3M pad, probably white or gray, to scrub all the gunk off, followed by several rinses. And maybe a final rinse with Varnish Makers' and Painters'.


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## Damon T (Nov 22, 2008)

I use most of the above, and the Jasco no-rinse tsp liquid. That stuff works really well. Are you clear coating or painting?
I'm guessing clear coat. You may be in for a surprise when you get them all cleaned up. I think there's gonna be some discoloration around the knobs. 


Sent from my iPad using PaintTalk.com


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Damon T said:


> I use most of the above, and the Jasco no-rinse tsp liquid. That stuff works really well. Are you clear coating or painting?
> I'm guessing clear coat. You may be in for a surprise when you get them all cleaned up. I think there's gonna be some discoloration around the knobs.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using PaintTalk.com


Going to go with a stain to get the faces to match the boxes then clear coat.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Damon T said:


> I use most of the above, and the Jasco no-rinse tsp liquid. That stuff works really well. Are you clear coating or painting?
> I'm guessing clear coat. You may be in for a surprise when you get them all cleaned up. I think there's gonna be some discoloration around the knobs.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using PaintTalk.com


Especially if it's a species of open-pored wood, like oak or hickory.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

I was careful not to promise them spectacular results when I did the bid. After seeing them I bid them T&M.


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Krud Kutter may eat through old, nitro-cellulose lacquer. Will definitely eat through old shellac.

I've had great results using full strength Dawn dish detergent. Smear it on with your finger, let it set for a few, and use a fine, (maroon or white), 3M scrub pad wiping in one direction - if you don't want to damage the finish.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Dan,

And I assume you will sand the faces before refinishing? Hit them with a belt sander and you should be able to get down to even color without taking too much off - 120 belt. 

When I've refinished wood that is discolored for whatever reason, I've been surprised how shallow the discoloring is. 

You may not need the stain, except as a preference for color.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Gough said:


> Whatever you do, make sure that your helper doesn't leave the window-washing rag, the one sopping wet with ammonia, in the middle of the white oak floor of the library in a big new house. Or so I've heard.


you learned the hard way also, eh ?


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

daArch said:


> you learned the hard way also, eh ?


Did I say that? The upside was that I've also heard that a concentrated Oxalic acid solution will penetrate the finish on some pre-finished floors enough to remove the discoloration.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

daArch said:


> Dan,
> 
> And I assume you will sand the faces before refinishing? Hit them with a belt sander and you should be able to get down to even color without taking too much off - 120 belt.
> 
> ...


Sanding will definitely be involved but not likely to the point of stripping the entire existing finish off - but we'll see. 

The goal in this project is to get the cabinets "presentable" for the house to go on the market. Considering the overall condition of the kitchen whoever buys the house will very likely remove the cabinets and go with new ones.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

RH said:


> Sanding will definitely be involved but not likely to the point of stripping the entire existing finish off - but we'll see.
> 
> The goal in this project is to get the cabinets "presentable" for the house to go on the market. Considering the overall condition of the kitchen whoever buys they house will very likely remove the cabinets and go with new ones.


Well, in that case...I thing the solution is 5 gallons of diesel and a highway flare.


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

RH said:


> I have a cabinet restoration job coming up of some clear coated cabinets where the door and drawer fronts are REALLY coated in some heavy grime (as in black!) where the handles are located. What have some of you used that is really effective in removing heavy accumulations of dirt without doing any damage to the wood?
> 
> The cabinets are pine and original to the house - late fifties.


I use something from a local distributor called 747. You can order from their site, best degreaser I have used to date. If you mix really strong it will remove clear coat with a green 3m pad. 

http://reco-chem.com/reco-747.html


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

We are very liberal with the application of the solution, about 15% 747 to hot water mix. Submerge the scrub pad in the solution and saturate the cabinets. Heavy elbow grease and they go into a stack. 

When we are done they get two wipes with a clean cloth, making sure to rinse thoroughly. We get clean water for about every four or five doors. I have cleaned some very nasty cabinets that many finishers wouldn't touch. 

If its done right the doors will squeak when you run your finger across.


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

A belt sander! On cabinets!! Wow,you are brave


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

aaron61 said:


> A belt sander! On cabinets!! Wow,you are brave


Not when the doors and drawer fronts are still in place. :no:

Remove and place them horizontal.

When I worked in a cabinet shop, that's how doors and drawer fronts were done. Hand sanding was essentially verboten.

But now that RH has clarified this is just a freshening up for sale and likely a kitch redo will be done by the new HO's, why not just prime/seal and paint them ???


I thought the goal was more restoration than cover up.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

daArch said:


> Not when the doors and drawer fronts are still in place. :no:
> 
> Remove and place them horizontal.
> 
> ...



We you using a sanding frame with the belt sander? I'm guessing they would have been solid wood rather than veneer, right?


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

daArch said:


> Not when the doors and drawer fronts are still in place. :no:
> 
> Remove and place them horizontal.
> 
> ...


Not a cover up - really more of a restoration but with limitations. HO just isn't interested in having them look like new or the cost to get them looking so.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Gough said:


> We you using a sanding frame with the belt sander? I'm guessing they would have been solid wood rather than veneer, right?



Frame ? No. We were not sanding deep, just a finish sand before finishing. Most doors and drawer fronts were solid wood. Raised panels. But when sanding the veneer (sides, bottoms, shelves) had to be careful not to burn through the veneer. Hard wood veneer. Oak, birch, cherry, maple, etc. Cabinet grade ply. 


If Dan's cabs are veneered, he may not want to be too aggressive with ANY kind of sanding. I did burn through a few places when I first started while sanding the solid wood face frames flush to the sides or flooring. Shop owner was NOT pleased. :no:


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

daArch said:


> Frame ? No. We were not sanding deep, just a finish sand before finishing. Most doors and drawer fronts were solid wood. Raised panels. But when sanding the veneer (sides, bottoms, shelves) had to be careful not to burn through the veneer. Hard wood veneer. Oak, birch, cherry, maple, etc. Cabinet grade ply.
> 
> 
> If Dan's cabs are veneered, he may not want to be too aggressive with ANY kind of sanding. I did burn through a few places when I first started while sanding the sold face frame flush to the sides or flooring. Shop owner was NOT pleased. :no:


Thanks.


Given your advanced age, I wasn't sure if veneer was around then.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Gough said:


> Thanks.
> 
> 
> Given your advanced age, I wasn't sure if veneer was around then.


FUNNY

and neither was electricity. the tools were steam powered 

Yah know, you got me trying to remember how we smoothed out the surface of the panels. Obviously they were glued up to the width needed. And I know we didn't use any sanding frames. So were we that good when glueing? That good sanding? Or did they get glued from full dimension wood and then planed? 

I hated sanding so much, it's all a blur.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

daArch said:


> FUNNY
> 
> and neither was electricity. the tools were steam powered


I figure that the 8 1/2 months gives me license 



> Yah know, you got me trying to remember how we smoothed out the surface of the panels. Obviously they were glued up to the width needed. And I know we didn't use any sanding frames. So were we that good when glueing? That good sanding? Or did they get glued from full dimension wood and then planed?
> 
> I hated sanding so much, it's all a blur.


We've had a few jobs the memories of which I've totally repressed and I'm sure sanding was a big part of them.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Here are a few before and after shots. 

Definitely not new looking but a darned sight better than when we began. I would have preferred to paint them and put on new hardware but that wasn't the customer's wish.The goal was to take away the "ick" factor and have them nice enough so that anyone buying the property would feel they could live with the cabinets for a few years. 

I bid them T&M but managed to keep under her budgeted amount (an amount which was quite reasonable). I was very pleased with the end result and the HO was ecstatic - she said the finished product "exceeded" all her expectations.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

RH said:


> Here are a few before and after shots.
> 
> Definitely not new looking but a darned sight better than when we began. I would have preferred to paint them and put on new hardware but that wasn't the customer's wish.The goal was to take away the "ick" factor and have them nice enough so that anyone buying the property would feel they could live with the cabinets for a few years.
> 
> I bid them T&M but managed to keep under her budgeted amount (an amount which was quite reasonable). I was very pleased with the end result and the HO was ecstatic - she said the finished product "exceeded" all her expectations.


That's certainly a big improvement. What did you end up using?


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## 12th man (Mar 18, 2014)

Nice job. Looks great in the pictures


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Gough said:


> That's certainly a big improvement. What did you end up using?


Just used regular Krud Kutter to remove the accumulated grime. That was actually the toughest part. Had to let it sit awhile then used a nylon scouring pad to scrub it away - followed by lots of wiping down with a clean wet rag. Let dry, sand with 150. Applied wood conditioner, then Old Masters Golden Oak, then two coats satin poly, sanding with 320 between coats. I would normally apply three coats of poly but two was adequate in this case.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

12th man said:


> Nice job. Looks great in the pictures


Thanks - actually looks better than the pics show.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

Nice work, Dan. 

If I send you pics, can you shoot me a price on mine?


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

slinger58 said:


> Nice work, Dan.
> 
> If I send you pics, can you shoot me a price on mine?


Actually went pretty smoothly. Just wish people would realize that just like anything, wood needs to be periodically cleaned and maintained. Keeping the cabinets from getting this bad in the first place is far far better than paying a hefty sum to redo them. Now she has some nice looking wood again but won't get to enjoy it herself.


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