The Kitchen and Bathroom Cabinet Cleaning Guide

They are opened and used on a daily basis and yet, rarely considered when one is cleaning their kitchen and bathroom. The more unfortunate part, however, is that few understand the importance of deep cleaning kitchen and bathroom cabinets due to the buildup of mould, mildew, and nasty bacteria. This, of course, is separate from the dust, dirt, and stains that tend to accumulate over time, making both the interiors and exteriors look rather unsightly. Pristinely cleaned cabinets contribute to a neat and organised kitchen and bathroom. 

While you could enlist the help of a trained cleaning professional to have your kitchen and bathroom cabinets cleaned up, a DIY approach isn’t a bad idea when you have all the information you need to do it efficiently! 

At MaidForYou, we share cleaning guides that are simplified, systematic, and 100% effective! So, without further ado, here are two thorough kitchen and bathroom cabinet cleaning guides.

How to Clean Your Kitchen Cabinets

While cleaning techniques, tools, and products are all important factors to consider, how you go about the entire process is what makes all the difference. From the first step to the very last step, your approach to kitchen cabinet cleaning must be organised through and through. 

Follow our step-by-step guide below to clean your kitchen cabinets in a systematic and efficient manner.

Step 1: Make Space to Work

The last thing you want is to get stalled in the middle of cleaning your cabinets because you ran out of work space. Along with having a place to offload contents from your kitchen cabinet, you will also need room to sort through items and organise them efficiently.

Free up as much space as possible by clearing all countertops and tabletops. If there are items left around that you intend on storing in your kitchen cabinets, leave them on the counter for when you are sorting and organising the cabinet contents.

Step 2: Empty the Cabinets & Segregate/Organise the Contents

It may seem overwhelming to empty out all the cabinets at one time but it actually helps to reorganise each one better. When all the contents are in front of you, you just might find that items from one cabinet are better suited for another.

Of course, if you don’t have enough work space to do this, the alternative is to keep all the doors open while you empty out at least two cabinets at a time. As you separate each cabinet’s contents, organise the items as per their usage and similarity. It’s also a good idea to check other storage spaces which may contain things that can be stored in your kitchen cabinets instead. Similarly, some of the contents from your cabinets could be relocated to drawers or cupboards to create more space in the units.

Step 3: Deep Clean the Cabinet’s Interior & Exterior

Now that we’ve reached the part where the actual cleaning begins, let’s divide the task into interior cleaning and exterior cleaning.

Kitchen Cabinet Interior Cleaning

Start by taking out the shelf liners (dispose of them if they are old and worn/stained). Wipe down the interior with a clean, dry cloth, paying close attention to corners (use a brush to clean, if needed). After removing loose dirt and debris, inspect the interiors for stains; if found, clean with liquid dish soap and warm water. Simply mix 1 tablespoon of dish soap in 3 cups of water, give it a good stir, and use this cleaning solution to deep clean your kitchen cabinet interiors. Be sure to allow the insides to dry completely so that the new shelf liners don’t trap moisture which will lead to the buildup of mould and mildew.

Kitchen Cabinet Exterior Cleaning

Close the cabinet doors and begin removing dust from the top of the units. Like your cabinet interiors, dish soap and warm water is a safe cleaning solution to use on most kitchen cabinetry finishes; however, it is advisable to clean with a merely damp cloth as opposed to one that is dripping wet. You can also use a sponge or soft scrubber to remove stains and grease from your kitchen cabinet exteriors. 

If you are dealing with mould or mildew, a safe, natural, and effective approach to removing fungi from kitchen cabinets is by cleaning it up with water and white vinegar (equal parts). After cleaning the kitchen cabinet fronts, tops, and sides, wipe down the handles/pulls with a disinfectant. 

The last thing you need to do is to put the contents back in a neat and organised manner!

How to Clean Bathroom Cabinets

Most medicine cabinets have high-gloss or semi-gloss finishes which are extremely easy to clean. For sealed and stained wooden bathroom cabinets, on the other hand, you will need to be a little careful as prolonged exposure to moisture may cause damage.

Nevertheless, here is our quick and easy step-by-step guide to cleaning bathroom cabinets.

• Clear Out. Empty the cabinet, and check each product for its expiration date; safely discard items past their usage date. 

• Wash the Cabinet. If you have a PVC bathroom cabinet, you can easily wash the unit inside and outside using a hose or mugs of water. Your only warning is to avoid splashing water on lighting fixtures while ensuring that the surrounding ‘splash zone’ is clear.

• Clean with Dish Soap. Make a soapy solution of water and dish soap, dip a soft sponge in it, and clean the interior and exterior of your medicine cabinet. Don’t forget the top, sides, and bottom of the unit.

• Rinse Off. Be thorough when you rinse off the cabinet as soap may accumulate in nooks and crannies.

• Wipe Dry. Use a lint-free towel to wipe the entire unit dry while leaving it open for some time to air out and dry completely.

• Clean the Mirror. Soap and water doesn’t always provide the best results when cleaning bathroom mirrors, therefore, we advise using glass cleaner and crushed newspaper balls to clean the medicine cabinet mirror after it has dried up.

NOTE: For wooden bathroom cabinets, you may use the same cleaning solutions and tools without washing the unit with water. Instead, use damp cloths for scrubbing and rinsing the cabinet

With that, we come to the end of two very simple kitchen and bathroom cleaning guides! So, if you aren’t hiring a professional deep cleaning service to do the needful for you, use the information above to complete a quick DIY kitchen and bathroom cabinet clean!