Clean Sticky Grease Off Kitchen Cabinets in 5 Mins or Less
If your kitchen cabinets have been feeling a little sticky lately, you’re in the right place. I’ll show you exactly how I got rid of the oily residue on my kitchen cabinets.
I clean the surface of my kitchen cabinets regularly, so they never really get a chance to be sticky, but the inside of my cabinet is a whole other story.
After testing a few different ways, I finally found a solution that works in 5 minutes or less.
I’ll also share some of the other methods I tried that worked. Of all the solutions, this combination worked the quickest.
The quickest and easiest way to clean sticky grease off kitchen cabinets is to use an all-purpose degreaser or sugar soap with an electric scrubber. This combination works in under five minutes and can be used on most laminate/melamine kitchen cabinet surfaces. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for all types of cabinet surfaces.
Later in this post, I’ll share some options tailored to the finish of your cabinets. But first, here’s how to clean your greasy cabinets in under five minutes:
Step #1: Gather
You will need the following supplies to clean your greasy kitchen cabinets:
- All-purpose degreaser, such as Mr Muscle or Elbow Grease
- Electric cleaning scrubber
- Soft microfibre cloth
Step #2: Spray
Work in sections to avoid the spray drying before you scrub it off. Start by spraying a section of the area you want to work and let the degreaser sit for 30 seconds.
Step #3: Scrub
Now for the fun part! Turn on your electric scrubber with the best scrubber attachment and slough off that grease buildup. Repeat and let it sit for 2 minutes or longer if you have more stubborn grease.
Step #4: Wipe
Wipe with a damp microfibre cloth. If you are not comfortable letting any bit of degreaser residue stay on your cabinets, add a few drops of dish soap on a damp cloth. Wipe the surface of the cabinets, rinse, and repeat. Finally, dry off with a soft cloth.
And that’s it, that’s how you get rid of tough grease on your kitchen cabinets in little to no time.
I wish this method worked for all kinds of cabinets but unfortunately it doesn’t. Some people have natural wood, painted wood and even glass and a degreaser might over time rove the finish off of them.
Before You Clean
Before you begin cleaning your greasy kitchen cabinets, you must understand what type of cabinet surface you have.
Although most kitchen cabinets are made from melamine, some are painted or made of wood and you don’t want to treat it with a product that will discolour or chip the surface.
| Cabinet type | Cleaner | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Melamine or Laminate | Degreaser, dish soap, vegetable oil, mineral oil, baking soda, steel wool | Melamine is the easiest to clean so long as you don’t put a dent in it or chip at it. |
| Pure Wood | Wood oil soap, mineral oil, cutting board oil | Avoid products that dissolve the finish on the wood and seep into the wood, as this can cause it to discolour. |
| Painted Wood | Sugar soap, dish soap, mineral oil/cutting board oil, vegetable oil | Avoid products that can damage the paint finish. Prolonged exposure to degreasers can start to take off the finish. |
| Glass | Mineral oil, mild dish soap, steam cleaner, degreaser, steel wool | Glass is easy to clean if you avoid scratching the glass. |
{READ: I Tested 5 Ways to Clean Burnt Sugar Off A Stove Top}
Other Tips For Cleaning Greasy Cabinets
As promised, here are some other methods I tried that worked, but required a little bit more time than I wanted to spend.
I share what cabinet finish they are best for and how long you can expect them to work.
You can try a few and decide which cleaning method is best for you, or test on an inconspicuous spot if you are not sure what method is best for you.
Tip #1: Builder’s Wipes
This is the most unlikely product, but it works! If these heavy-duty wipes can get rid of all that gunk and paint from builders’ hands, they can remove the greasy residue on your cabinets.
Builder’s wipes are simply made with antibacterial and lanolin, a moisturiser made from the wool of sheep. Grease always removes grease. Be sure to wipe off the residue with a damp microfibre cloth after using the builder’s wipes.
Best for: Laminate/Melamine & Glass cabinets
Estimated time cleaning: 40 minutes
Tip #2: Steam Cleaner
If there is anything that removes grease, it’s heat. This is why a steam cleaner is perfect for cabinet grease.
Unlike before, steam cleaners are no longer as expensive and almost anyone can buy them.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and use it to clean your cabinets. Dry with a soft microfibre cloth and repeat if needed.
Best for: Glass cabinets
Estimated time cleaning: 35 minutes
Tip #3: Vegetable Oil
I learned this from doing my makeup that oil repels oil. Oil is typically the best way to remove my makeup, so why can’t oil do the same for grease stains?
- To use oil, heat up a small amount and use a dedicated cellulose sponge to spread it over the areas of the cabinet you want to clean. Leave it for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- In a bowl, mix a little dish soap with some warm water. Dip a microfibre cloth in it, wring it out, and using a little elbow grease, rub in circular motions over the cabinet to loosen the sticky grease and the oil. Oil always removes oil.
- You can use an old toothbrush to tackle the corners and crevices. Repeat if needed and wipe with a dry cloth.
Best for:Laminate/Melamine, glass, and painted cabinets.
Estimated time cleaning: 1 hour 30 minutes
Tip #4: Steel wool
#0000 grade steel wool is an amazing, cheap product that won’t scratch or compromise the finish of some cabinet doors.
It can be bought very cheaply in a roll from most hardware shops. You can also buy the presoaked ones from the supermarket.
- Dip your steel wool in some warm soapy water
- Rub in a circular motion over the grease build up
- Wipe with a clean cloth and repeat if necessary.
Best for: Laminate/Melamine & glass. You may repolish with a wax if you use it on real wood cabinets
Estimated time cleaning: 40 minutes
Tip #5: Warm water and Dish soap
This is one of the easiest ways to clean grease. Dish soap works best when it is only a thin layer and can take ages if it is a more built-up stain.
- Get any grease-cutting dish soap, like Dawn dish soap, Fairy Liquid, or any other mild soap.
- Add a few drops to a bowl of warm water or add to a spray bottle
- Using a circular motion, move the cleaning solution around the surface until you don’t feel as much resistance. Greasy cabinets can initially be a bit resistant when cleaning
- Wipe with a soft cloth and some clean water
- Repeat if necessary.
Best for: All cabinet types. Wipe off quickly if cleaning unvarnished wood.
Estimated time cleaning: 30 minutes
Tip #6: Mineral Oil
Mineral oil is amazing when dealing with real wood because it cleans and protects at the same time. Following the concept of cleaning oil with oil.
- Grab a mineral oil like Danish oil or cutting board oil
- Use a dry cloth, paper towel or sponge to spread some over the areas of the cabinet you want to clean, concentrating on the stubborn stains.
- Leave it for about 5 minutes
- Use a firm but non-scratch sponge or an electric cleaning brush and buff over the surface of the cabinet.
- Go over with a dry microfibre cloth
- Watch all that kitchen grease come off on the cloth.
- Repeat if needed and wipe with a dry cloth.
Best for: Real wood cabinets
Estimated time cleaning: 35 minutes
Tip #7: Plastic Scraper
The plastic scraper is excellent for areas with built-up grease, such as inside cabinets.
Simply scrape off as much as you can and follow up with any of the cleaning methods mentioned.
Best for: All cabinet surfaces but show extra care on painted surfaces
Estimated time cleaning: 50 minutes
Other methods people have mentioned but I haven’t tested
While doing some research for this article, I discovered two products that people used with great results.
Unfortunately, I haven’t tested them myself, but I thought they might be worth a mention:
- Murphy’s oil soap
- Citrus oil
How To Avoid Greasy Cabinets
My Nigerian mother always said, “Prevention is better than cure,” and I wholeheartedly believe that.
In order to have clean kitchen cabinets all year round, you must make time to create a cleaning routine.
In my household, we wipe over the cabinets every 2 weeks with a damp magic eraser and dry with a cloth.
This way, grease doesn’t get a chance to settle on the cabinet surface. The sticky residue, as you already know, is simply a mix of cooking grease, oil, and dust.
If you have a gap above the cabinet, you can cover it with some paper or cling film to catch the dust and grease.
Cleaning regularly is the secret to not having that sticky residue on your cabinets.
No judgement here.
Remember, I also have some yucky inner cabinets that were covered in grease. Sending you lots of love as you tackle your cleaning!
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