LE Furniture Repair & Refinishing - Onsite Wood Furniture Restoration in Boca Raton, FL & Surrounding Areas

In order to preserve the look of your newly refinished kitchen cabinets proper cleaning and maintenance are essential. If you know what kind of finish was used, you can follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and maintaining that particular finish. If you aren’t sure, then go with the following guidelines.

LE Furniture Repair’s Guide to Maintaining Refinished Kitchen Cabinets

The last thing you want is for your freshly refinished kitchen cabinets to end up covered in dust bunnies and grime. The best way to prevent build-up of debris is to wipe down the outside of cabinets (including all hardware) with a soft, dry cloth. If the finish is water resistant, use a lightly dampened paper towel.

To remove grease or oil from finished wood surfaces use a damp paper towel and a small amount of mild detergent, such as dish soap. This method is safe for all finishes including polyurethane and varnish, and enhances the glossy appearance without marking it up.

While it sounds counter intuitive, the best way to revive an older finish (aside from stripping it) is with steel wool. Barry Lewis, owner of LE Furniture Repair recommends using 0000 steel wool to rejuvenate and polish your refinished kitchen cabinets (and all wooden furniture), as it cuts through grease and brings out the wood’s natural sheen.

Whatever you do – avoid the use of abrasive cleaners like Windex, bleach, or anything with acetone as it destroys the hardener in wood finishes, potentially causing irreversible damage to the woodwork.