The kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in any home, but especially in ones with a large family. Cooking, frying, or baking takes place constantly there.
Don’t forget to complete the most important step. I’m explaining why cleaning your cabinet surfaces is crucial before giving them a makeover and how to choose the best degreaser for the job.
For the purpose of assisting you in limiting your options, let’s take a closer look at some of the best kitchen cabinet degreasers for removing stains from wooden cabinets.
Read More: How to Clean Sticky Wood Kitchen Cabinets?
Table of Contents
List Of Best Degreaser
- Trisodium Phosphate (tsp)
- Krud Kutter Cleaner And Degreaser
- Savogran Dirtex Powder Cleaner
- Dawn Dish Soap
- Goo Gone Kitchen Degreaser
- Hope’s Perfect Kitchen Cleaner
- Dirtex Powder Cleaner
Pre-work Is Vital
Without careful preparation, your newly painted cabinets won’t stay looking good for very long. Paint is more likely to peel, chip, or crack than if the pre-work is done correctly. This preparation work includes a significant amount of cleaning and degreasing. Besides fixing things, make sure your cabinets are properly fastened to the wall, caulk where necessary, and sand where necessary.
The very top of the cabinet, which needs to be prepared for painting, is a location that is frequently forgotten. Your cabinets’ exposed tops are probably covered in grime and dust from all the cooking and living you’ve done there over the years. To clean the tops of those cabinets, you should climb up there. Your kitchen will smell wonderful and feel very clean.
Although preparation work can take a while, in the end, it will help your painting project go more quickly and look even better!
Best Degreaser For Kitchen Cabinets
1. Trisodium Phosphate (tsp)
Your neighborhood home improvement retailer likely carries TSP. It is a potent cleaning agent and heavy-duty degreaser that effortlessly removes grease and grime from kitchen cabinets. TSP can cause skin irritation and is only mildly toxic when consumed. If you use this product, you absolutely must wear gloves, eye protection, and long sleeves!
Review
One of the first pre-paint cleaners used by painters to prepare a variety of substrates is powder TSP (trisodium phe’vi’e’wee). In the past, I frequently used TSP to prepare cabinets, smoke-damaged walls, and even decks. TSP is a potent cleaner that reviews rough grease and grime with remarkable efficiency, but when used improperly, it can also cause more harm than good.
TSP removes dirt and shines from lacquered and varnished wood, but it also loosens paint, so you shouldn’t use it to clean painted cabinets that you’re repainting unless you want to strip the old paint off. For painted surfaces, a less abrasive pre-paint cleaner, such as Dirtex powder, is preferable.
Pros:
- It is really powerful
- As one of the more abrasive cleaners, it actually peels off old paint as it works
Cons:
- Its moderately toxic
- more difficult to use because of its toxicity
- It can irritate the eyes and skin
2. Krud Kutter Cleaner And Degreaser
Krud Kutter Inc. is a company based in Georgia, USA. manufactures various household cleaners, stain removers, cleanup solutions, concentrates, rust remedies, paint prep, and specialty removers.
With the help of Krud Kutter’s powerful cleaning formula, you can restore anything to new condition, including stained rugs, wooden cabinets, tiles, and porcelain surfaces.
Review
Krud Kutter is one of the best powerful degreasers for cleaning. Its water-based composition and lack of irritability are two major benefits of using it.
Like other chemical cleaners, it does not also have a strong smell.
To use this product, simply pour it into a spray bottle and use the nozzle to spritz it onto the grubby cabinets.
For the chemicals to begin attacking the grease layer, let the solution sit for a while.
Clean the layer out of the cabinet with a scrubber and a dry cloth.
The solution can be used to remove grease and other grime from nearly every surface in your home.
The Krud Kutter does require some light scrubbing to achieve the best results.
To make sure that the grease has been scraped off the wood cabinets, gently scrub the surface after spraying the solution on the greasy areas.
The Krud Kutter Cleaner and Degreaser has no strong or unpleasant smell, in contrast to other cleaners.
It smells very faintly, but it goes away in a matter of minutes.
The Krud Kutter is the best option for you if you are a smell-sensitive person or do not like the chemical odors in your home.
Even though Krud Kutter is somewhat pricey, it’s one of the most frequently chosen products for degreasing kitchen cabinets before repainting them.
Pros:
- Highly effective on stubborn grease stains and grime
- Multi-purpose usage
- Inoffensive and mild smell
Cons:
- Expensive
- Needs repeated application of product for better results
3. Savogran Dirtex Powder Cleaner
Savogran, yet another US-based business, offers an excellent selection of cleaners, removers, and repair products.
The Dirtex powder cleaner works equally well on all surfaces, including ceilings, asphalt floors, bathroom, and kitchen cabinets, and sinks.
Review
Powerful degreaser and stain remover Dirtex powder cleaner is ideal for removing grease from surfaces.
Dirtex powder works well as a cleaner and shines up the cabinet surface, especially when it comes to tough grease stains.
However, you must first combine the powder cleaner with water before using it on greasy surfaces.
When cutting through thick deposits, power is occasionally insufficient. As a result, you can combine strong cleaners, like TSP, for effective cleaning.
However, the Savogran Dirtex Powder Cleaner leaves unfavorable traces that can irritate the skin or eyes.
To avoid skin irritants or infections, it must be thoroughly mixed with water and cleaned after use.
Pros:
- Powerful cleaners to cut hard grease
- Multi-purpose
- Fast-cleaning formula
- No need to rinse the surface after the application of the product
Cons:
- Causes eye-irritation
4. Dawn Dish Soap
The most well-known dishwashing brand in America is Dawn, which is owned by Proctor and Gamble. Its grease-cutting formula works 5 times faster than other grease cleaners.
Dawn dishwashing liquid is available in many different varieties with similar power cleaning formulas, ranging from anti-bacterial dishwashing soap to gentle cleaners requiring little scrubbing.
Review
One of the more typical items to be found in kitchens is probably Dawn dish soap, but did you know that it also makes a good degreaser?
It is well known for its effective cleaning formula for greasy dishes, cutlery, and kitchen surfaces.
Pour some liquid soap into some water to make a degreasing solution before using Dawn Dish Soap.
You can spray this solution on your greasy surface and leave it there for a while for added effectiveness.
With a damp, unused cloth that has not been used before, clean the solution.
Pouring liquid dish soap directly on the stains and scrubbing it in circular motions will help remove stubborn stains more effectively than diluting the solution with water will.
After some time, wipe it off with a damp cloth.
Dawn dish soap works just as well to clean the tub or shower. Dawn dish soap won’t do a good enough job of cleaning these surfaces because they typically have hard deposits on them.
TSP and other powerful cleaning agents must be added.
The Dawn Dish Soap has a delicate floral scent that fills your kitchen and home.
Pros:
- Reasonable pricing
- Multi-purpose cleaning
- Power cleaning formula
- Mild fragrance
Cons:
- Can cause skin irritation on sensitive skins
5. Goo Gone Kitchen Degreaser
Goo Gone, which is owned by the Magic American Company, is a citrus-powered magic degreaser.
The citrus solution attacks greasy surfaces and gets rid of all kinds of gooey stains from them.
You can rely on Goo Gone degreaser to make stained surfaces look as good as new on anything from fabric to porcelain, grease to gum.
Review
A great choice if you want to get great value for your money is Goo Gone kitchen degreaser.
It is one of the most affordable cleaning products on the market and contains potent cleaning agents.
It has a citrus foaming formula that works quickly to attack the greasy film and remove all the goo from the surface.
The Goo Gone kitchen degreaser works well to remove stubborn stains from countertops, stovetops, and dishware in addition to being appropriate for wooden cabinets.
A mop can also be used to remove grease stains from other surfaces, such as wood, glass, plastic, and porcelain products.
In order to use a degreaser, you must spray the foaming liquid on the grease stains, let it sit for a while, and then wipe the area clean.
The Goo Gone Kitchen Degreaser is also biodegradable, meaning that it is made from natural ingredients and is safe to be used without gloves because of its non-toxicity
Pros:
- Affordable
- Powerful cleaning formula
- Equally effective on wood or plastic stains
- Biodegradable and non-toxic
Cons:
- Cannot clean heavy stains
- Cannot be used for multi-cleaning purposes
6. Hope’s Perfect Kitchen Cleaner
Hope’s Perfect Kitchen cleaner is yet another US-based business that provides potent cleaning formulas to remove greasy stains from any surface.
With Hope’s extensive selection of cleaning supplies, such as their polishers, steel cleaners, eyewear cleaners, and kitchen cleaners, you can effortlessly remove any kind of tough stain without having to deal with the unpleasant chemical smells that chemical cleaners are known for producing.
Review
A lesser-known product for removing tough grease stains from cabinets and other kitchen surfaces is Hope’s Perfect Kitchen cleaner.
The product’s formula works quickly and leaves no residue at all.
For homeowners who want to decrease their cabinets themselves, the cleaner is one of the best options.
Because it is non-corrosive and free of strong, chemical smells, it does not irritate the skin.
This best degreaser can be used to clean your stained cabinets even if you have sensitive skin.
Additionally secure for use around kids and pets, Hope’s Perfect Kitchen Cleaner.
To remove stains from fabrics, you can also use Hope’s kitchen cleaner.
You only need to spray the solution on the surfaces you want to clean, let it sit for a moment, and then wipe them clean with a damp cloth to finish the job.
Hope’s ideal kitchen cleaner is flawless aside from the fact that it lacks an antibacterial agent.
As a result, it won’t eliminate bacteria as you clean your kitchen.
Pros:
- Multi-purpose cleaning
- Residue-free
- Skin-friendly
- Fast-acting formula
Cons:
- No anti-bacterial properties
7. Dirtex Powder Cleaner
I frequently use Dirtex powder cleaner as a cleaner and degreaser for painted wood trim and doors as well as for cleaning cabinets that I painted. While the cleaner will remove grease, heavy grease shouldn’t be removed with it.
Review
There is also an aerosol version of this cleaner that you can purchase, but it differs from the powder version in the box. It’s also crucial to remember that the aerosol version is not suggested for use in pre-paint cleaning. Only the powder in the box has been used by me, and I mixed two to three tablespoons of it with a gallon of warm water. I use a cleaning pad to scrub the cabinets, then I rinse them with fresh water.
You can increase the powder in your water mixture to get a deeper clean. Dirtex doesn’t leave behind troublesome residue, in contrast to TSP and other degreasing agents I’ve used—unless you combine it with a more potent solution. After using chemical cleaners, always rinse the surface with clean water to remove any possibility of fish-eye when painting.
Pros:
- Best for pre-paint cleaning and degreasing
- Less abrasive than other cleaners
- The odor is good
Cons:
- Not good for stripping or de-glossing
The Best Powerful Degreaser
One of the best cabinet degreasers available is Krud Kutter, and I concur. My preferred kitchen cabinet degreaser is this one.
A commercial strength formula was used to create this concentrated cleaner and degreaser. It is water-based, biodegradable, non-toxic, and secure to use at home! The dilutable formula makes it last longer even though it is slightly more expensive per bottle than other cleaners. Krud Kutter is effective and simple to use, but it might leave stains. Prior to use, always use caution and conduct a test in a discreet area.
How To Choose A Kitchen Cabinet Degreaser?
In light of this, it’s important to always weigh your options and learn how to pick the best course of action for you.
Remember that every kitchen is unique, and your preferences may be different from mine.
When searching for a degreasing solution, keep the following in mind:
- Are you looking to condition and protect your cabinets rather than just get rid of the grease?
- Do you require something that is not only kid- and pet-friendly but also certified to be food safe?
- Do you or any of your loved ones react negatively to aerosol or mist spray products?
- Do members of the household experience irritation or discomfort in their lungs or airways when exposed to fragrances?
- Are the materials in your cabinets all the same type, and will the solution you choose clean them all?
- How much effort can you muster? Are you in need of anything that lessens strain on the wrists or arms?
How To Use A Degreaser To Clean?
As with anything else, you should always abide by the manufacturer’s instructions. You should carefully read the instructions before purchasing the product and again when applying it because each spray, cream, or wipe will have slightly different ones.
Degreasing solutions are typically applied and removed in a single step. It is uncommon to find a degreaser that needs to be rinsed. If you use something like vinegar, you might need to calculate the appropriate dilution before applying it and then rinsing it off to get rid of the caustic (and unpleasant-smelling) vinegar.
Most cleaning solutions only need to be applied once, whether they are sprayed or rubbed onto the surface. Simply remove the grease that follows by wiping away the cleaning supplies.
