How to clean my kitchen cabinets from grease?

Bertha Smiley
by Bertha Smiley

My kitchen cabinets are embarrassingly greasy. Please share your degreasing tips with me so I don't have to cringe every time I glance at my cabinets.



  64 answers
  • If they are wood, start with Murphy's Oil Soap. You can also use vinegar.


  • Kelli L. Milligan Kelli L. Milligan on Jun 09, 2020

    I use warm soapy Dawn rag and dry off quickly. Sometimes Murphy's oil soap is too strong on some woods. I've seen it strip the finish before. Use it carefully if you do.

  • Mogie Mogie on Jun 09, 2020

    to degrease kitchen cabinets:

    1/2 c Borax

    1 c distilled vinegar

    1 gallon of very hot water

    Stir until dissolved, then scrub


  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Jun 10, 2020

    Dollar Tree degreaser and microfiber cloth will do the job. Wear gloves because it will pull the oils from your hands. Also a mask because as you spray the degreaser it will get in you lungs. If you need to scrub, you can make a baking soda & peroxide paste. i scrub with a toothbrush.

  • Gk Gk on Jun 09, 2020

    Here's three things to try Bertha! A degreaser dishsoap or vinegar, or a baking soda solution! Hopefully all things you already have at home!

    https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-remove-grease-from-kitchen-cabinets/

  • Vimarhonor Vimarhonor on Jun 09, 2020

    Hello, I tend to use a soapy water Dawn solution for mild weekly cleaning and Murphy’s oil soap for more moderete cleaning jobs. Murphy's oil soap is an excellent all purpose wood cleaner.


    For greasy kitchen cabinets -I would suggest Krud Kutter


    http://homeguides.sfgate.com/clean-kitchen-cabinets-using-murphy-soap-104703.html


    http://www.murphyoilsoap.com/home-care/murphy-oil-soap-uses ;


    https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/krud-kutter/household-cleaners



    How to Clean Kitchen Cabinets So the Entire Room Shines | Real Simple

    https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/cleaning-kitchen/how-to-clean-kitchen-cabinets

  • Shannon Leonard Shannon Leonard on Oct 25, 2017

    I use a product that I only find at Dollar stores oddly enough it's called Awesome and it is just that. It cuts through grease and grime and is very safe and the best part its super cheap. I always buy the largest bottle and then pour into a spray bottle and dilute it to about 3 to 1. It is Amazing seriously!!

  • Murphy's Oil Soap for the cabinets. Magic eraser or dawn dish soap for the range hood. Depending on how much you cook, it just needs to be cleaned periodically. I wipe everything down every time I cook, (every day) to avoid greasy build up.

  • Sharon Sharon on Oct 25, 2017

    Use a degreaser like Dollar Tree Awesome Degreaser is the best I've used, or use lemon ammonia.

  • Cynthia H Cynthia H on Oct 25, 2017

    I like Magic Erasers, microfiber cloths and lysol wipes.

  • Jewellmartin Jewellmartin on Oct 25, 2017

    Use a cleaner with ONE of the following ingredients: Ammonia (window cleaner); bleach (detergent with bleach); vinegar (white or apple vinegar and water); degreaser (Dawn, Mr. Clean, many others). Clean from top to bottom, using a scrubber sponge. Rinse and dry. Apply a washable sealer, or keep cleaning the cabinets from time to time. With the hood, use a degreaser for the top and underside of the hood. Clean filters in the dishwasher or the sink. If the filter or filters are really greasy, put several paper towels in a bread pan, lay the filters down, spray them with degreaser, heat in a 300 degree oven for half an hour. Then put the filters in a sink of hot sudsy water or run through the dishwasher. When you cook, have the eyes on medium or later, use lids whenever possible, and wipe down the stove and hood, and nearby cabinet doors, with an old dish towel. Steam is as bad as grease. Best wishes 😇💞

  • D roach D roach on Apr 08, 2017

    Use rubbing alcohol. Put it neat on a soft scourer and rub. wash the scourer regularly. Not too much scrubbing needed.

  • Amy Ogden-Paparone Amy Ogden-Paparone on Apr 30, 2018

    Mix a 50/50 solution of vinegar and warm water and put into a spray bottle. Mist on cabinets, let sit for a minute or two and then wipe clean with a soft cloth. Add a few drops of liquid dish washing detergent (Blue Dawn Detergent works the best on grease) to the vinegar and water solution to clean extremely grimy cabinets.

  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Mar 12, 2017

    I use a product called cabinet magic which is a cleaner and polisher in one and will not harm the cabinets. Home Depot carries this in there cleaning isle.

  • William William on Mar 12, 2017

    TSP (trisodium phosphate) for really built up grime. Murphy's Oil Soap for general cleaning.

  • Kathleen Schrader Kathleen Schrader on Mar 20, 2017

    Goop hand soap works wonders on wood. Not only will it remove grease and years of grime is conditions the wood and livens up the finish. Rub on with a soft cloth let set for 5/10 minutes (depending on the grime level) then wipe off with a new cloth. Use a new damp cloth to rinse and then buff with a clean dry cloth. I have used this to renew furniture making garage sale junk into like new. A tub costs less than $10 at Walmart in the automotive department.

    Good luck with your project

  • Imp22013828 Imp22013828 on Mar 21, 2017

    The awesome that is sold at dollar store is a good cleaner for kitchen grease on wood. Measure about 1\2 cup in a bucket of almost 2 quarts of water. I use this on my ceiling fans.

  • Joan Broglie Thau Moore Joan Broglie Thau Moore on Jul 11, 2016
    Lan lin is a grease cleaner product used by mechanics because it is not drying or harsh. Wipe it on and leave it for a few minutes, rub it off with a paper towel first followed by a clean cloth. You may need to repeat if the grease is excessive but it will not remove varnish.
  • Mark Mark on Jul 11, 2016
    Use a portable steamer, or clothes steamer, and wipe off with a terry cloth towel as the grease drips off.
  • Mary Coakley Mary Coakley on Sep 25, 2018

    You could try Borax and white vinegar

  • Fiddledd224 Fiddledd224 on Oct 10, 2018

    I use plain Windex applied with a soft t-shirt. It may take a couple of tries, but it usually works really well.

  • Sonia Sonia on May 04, 2017

    I have used Greased Lighting and TSP and both are effective. Also a mixture of cooking oil and baking soda will remove the worst grease. Cabinets that haven't been cleaned in a while may require more than one cleaning.

  • Peg Peg on Sep 12, 2017

    I use Amish wood milk and/or a product called Awesome.

  • Janet Panos Janet Panos on Sep 12, 2017

    White, undiluted vinegar cuts through grease on cabinets. Apply with a rag. After application, rinse rag with warm water and wipe down cabinets.

  • DesertRose DesertRose on Sep 12, 2017

    Usually my regular cleaner will get the grime off kitchen cabinets, but when we moved into a rental nothing took it off. Then we learned Meguiar's Hot Rim Wheel and Tire Cleaner spray will take it off. Let it soak for a minute or two and brush with an old tooth brush. Wear gloves. It will also remove mold. Guarantee it will take off anything.

  • Lme28095518 Lme28095518 on Sep 12, 2017

    Skin So Soft from Avon: Rub it on with a clean dry cloth let it set and rub with clean dry cloth. Worked for me, hope it works for you.

  • Fix It Jen Fix It Jen on Sep 12, 2017

    I've had success with hot water and Ivory dish soap with a scrubby sponge. Just go gently with whatever you use, you don't want to remove the finish of the cabinet!

  • Suzette Crozer Hay Suzette Crozer Hay on Oct 07, 2018

    409 or Fantasik - both contain degreasers.

  • Ammonia water... stinks like crazy when you're using it, but I've never had anything work as good!

  • SpudBread SpudBread on Oct 08, 2018

    CINCH!!!! (that is the product name!) Spray it on--- grease is GONE! You can even get away without rinsing! How easy is THAT-- now then the product is sometimes rather hard to find. But once you use it-- you'll never need anything else!

  • Karen Jurasinski Karen Jurasinski on Oct 12, 2018

    Cooking oil and salt. Toothbrush to get in corners an crevasses. Wipe off then wash with soap and water.

  • Lana Hassell Lana Hassell on Oct 17, 2018

    I used Simple Green in my restaurant kitchen when I had it and now I use it in my home kitchen. Works like a charm. It is great.

  • Cindy Cindy on Dec 21, 2018

    Make a bucket of warm water, a quarter cup of white vinegar and a couple squirts of Dawn dish soap. (Dawn dish soap is the best product to use when dealing with grease and grime.) Clean the cabinets until the grease is gone. Then use Murphy's Oil Soap as directed on the bottle. The soap will clean anything left behind and the oil will condition the wood. Good luck and Happy Holidays.

  • Dee Dee on Dec 21, 2018

    You can use Purple Power or Krud Cutter to clean your cabinets, just make sure you rinse them off really well. After you clean them consider applying poly to keep them easy to clean.

  • Wanda sinnema Wanda sinnema on Dec 21, 2018

    check our GP66. My go to for almost everything


  • Handyman Bob Handyman Bob on Apr 19, 2017

    If they are wood and finished --not painted--you might try an Old Yankee recipe--1/3 cup of vinegar, 1/3 cup turpentine (real stuff--available at smaller home improvement stores--not HD or Lowes-"artificial type" is usually spelled Turpentene), and 1/3 cup mineral oil. use a mason jar--because you will need to keep it shook up as it will want to separate out. It does have a bit of a smell but it will flat out remove grese and grime.

    Just put some on a soft cloth--you will neeed to keep rotating the cloth--it will build up fairly fast.

    Painted--vinegar.


  • Cassandra baker Cassandra baker on Oct 13, 2018

    I used combination of vinegar and blue dawn dish detergent in a spray bottle. More vinegar than dawn. Spray and let sit for a few moments and then ...wipe off.

  • Joy Dove Joy Dove on May 09, 2017

    the top,of my cabinets will also get a greasy film. have tried all above, but most effective is Scrubbing Bubbles. Spray it on, leave 5 minutes. Eats all the grease and grime. Does not hurt the wood. Then I follow with a clean, wet cloth. No oil as it just attracts grime. Hope this helps.

  • Holly Lengner - Lost Mom Holly Lengner - Lost Mom on Aug 15, 2019

    I use dish soap on a sponge to clean grease off everything... even cabinets.

  • FrugalFamilyTimes.com FrugalFamilyTimes.com on Aug 15, 2019

    Goo Gone is our go to grease and sticky stuff remover. You need to wash with soap and water well after using it. TSP is also a great cleaner, but wear gloves and also rinse well after.

  • Twyla J Boyer Twyla J Boyer on Aug 19, 2019

    I just did this in the last week for a friend who has rental units. The previous tenants apparently are unfamiliar with the entire concept of cleaning, so there was a couple years grease on the kitchen cabinets. Krud Kutter and a microfiber cloth worked wonders. I used the kind that comes in the gallon jug - mixed about 1/2 cup in a gallon of warm water and scrubbed. I changed the gross water often. It can take a little paint or finish off, but it gets stuff clean (best to wear gloves, btw, as it is pretty tough on skin). I haven't tried the spray version that K. Rupp recommended above, but I am sure it would work beautifully, too. Using a microfiber cloth makes a good bit of difference, too, as they are good for scrubbing without scratching.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Aug 08, 2017

    Hot Soapy water with vinegar added and baking Soda or Cream Cleaner and Sponge. Oh I forgot Elbow Grease.....................

  • TZ TZ on Aug 08, 2017

    I put Dawn dish soap in a spray bottle and dilute it depending on how greasy it is. Use a sponge or old white sock turned inside out, elbow grease, no scratch pads. Use a dry cloth to remove the majority of the soapy mess, then damp wet cloth then repeat with a different dry one. I use old white socks or old white t-shirts remove the soap residue. If you don't thoroughly remove the residue it will actually cling to more grease. Good luck!

  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Aug 08, 2017

    Make a mixture of white vinegar,water 50/50 and a dash of blue dawn dish soap

  • Ebbjdl Ebbjdl on Aug 08, 2017

    Use Murphy's oil soap, and scrub with a cotton rag, rinse let dry completely. Finish with Wilbert's lemon oil, and work it in. Good Luck!

  • Rudy Rudy on Aug 08, 2017

    Kaboom cleaner

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Feb 13, 2019

    Make a thick paste of baking soda and white vinegar. Scrub with a child's toothbrush. Wipe clean. Then finish off with OrangeGlo.

    Here's the advise my cabinet builder gave me: Remember your cabinets are a piece of wooden furniture. Clean them like you would a coffee table or dresser. NO WATER!

    Keep in mind if you use Murphy's Oil Soap, it will need to be rinsed so for that reason alone I don't use it on any wooden items.


  • Jan Clark Jan Clark on Jul 01, 2018

    Greased Lightning is a really good product, too. You dilute it to the strength you need. You can find it at lots of places including Dollar Tree and Home Depot.

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Oct 09, 2019

    OrangeGlo for light cleaning

    A paste of baking soda & hydrogen peroxide apply with a scrub brush for medium build up

    Kitchen and wood safe degreaser like GP66 or Fuller’s for heavy build up

  • G G on Oct 09, 2019

    Mr Clean magic erasers and baking soda

  • Libbie B Libbie B on Jan 09, 2022

    TSP will get the grease off ( rinse well) then use Murphy's Oil Soap to remove any residue from the TSP.

  • Deb K Deb K on Jan 09, 2022

    Hello, hope this helps you out, Create a cleaning solution with 1-part baking soda, 2 parts warm water and the lemon juice. Add the solution to a spray bottle and spray the liquid onto the kitchen cabinets. Leave for 2-3 minutes, allowing the baking soda to work its magic. Use the soft sponge to gently scrub the grease away.

  • Sta57694228 Sta57694228 on Jan 24, 2022

    Dawn dish detergent on a soapy tag

  • Agnes Chrzanowska Agnes Chrzanowska on Jan 31, 2022

    Dollar tree has a product that is perfect for grease.. it is called Awesome

  • Agnes Chrzanowska Agnes Chrzanowska on Jan 31, 2022

    product from Dollar Tree called Awesome is the best

  • Agnes Chrzanowska Agnes Chrzanowska on Jan 31, 2022

    product from Dollar Tree called Awesome is the best

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Feb 03, 2022

    My advice would be to change up your Kitchen cabinet doors & drawer front for somthing very smooth and washable. Something you could wash over every week with Flash! or Steam Clean, or stop frying and using greasy product - Change your diet?

  • Nug68233068 Nug68233068 on Jul 10, 2022

    Use corn starch! After cleaning with Murphy's oil soap and still sticky in the small area that gets touched most often, I rubbed some corn starch and wow, that worked. Might have to apply next time after wiping cabinet down, but I would rather do that than deal with a sticky cabinet.

  • Vinegar will cut through the grease.

  • Robin Robin on Jan 30, 2023

    I take lestoil straight on a wet cleaning cloth,, wash off that, then take isopropyl alcohol and spray and wipe that. Then if nothing more comes off I get acrylic paint and coat them. Then they look all new, bright and gives me a lift with new cabinets.

  • Darcie Collins Darcie Collins on Mar 23, 2023

    Dawn dish liquid is the very best at cutting grease. Just use as hot of way as your hands can tolerate with the the soap. It’s inexpensive and as long as you’re careful to dry them really well it won’t cause any damage to your cabinets.

  • Vinegar will cut through the grease.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Aug 13, 2023

    Soapy water with vinagar added, use a washing up sponge with non scratch scourer one side.

  • Dee Dee on Feb 24, 2024

    Warmed white vinegar mixed with Dawn and water in a spray bottle will clean them nicely. 1/4 bottle of vinegar, 4 squirts of Dawn and fill with water.