You’re looking at painting the kitchen cabinets and sprucing the tired kitchen units up.
Maybe making the place look brighter so that guests ask if you’ve had a new kitchen installed.
But the cabinets are grimed with years of grease from cooking and product residues and if you don’t clean them thoroughly and effectively, the new paint won’t stick to the cupboards and will end up as a mess.
So what’s the best degreaser for the cabinets before you paint?
There are many choices. You can even make up a solution yourself, using hot water and bicarbonate of soda or vinegar or even both, you can add a small amount of washing up liquid for good measure, but what’s available, tried and tested to buy for this purpose?
What cuts through grease without leaving residue or stains?
Here are some examples of products available for degreasing the cabinets prior to painting.
Zep Commercial All-purpose Clean & Degreaser
Zep Commercial All-purpose Clean & Degreaser is a popular and well known product designed for bigger jobs than the occasional hob clean and sold by good DIY outlets and Amazon at less than £15.
Cillit Bang
Cillit Bang is a well known and respected degreaser but not cheap, and you may need several bottles to degrease all the surfaces that you’re going to sand and paint.
HG Grease Away
HG Grease Away is another universally known and respected grease removal product and can be used on all surface types, designed for bigger jobs or longer life.
Inspired Heavy Duty Degreaser
Inspired Heavy Duty Degreaser is another highly rated product, it has the disadvantage of being sold in a bottle rather than a sprayer like the others, but it has the options of being used neat on heavy grime or diluted for larger areas of less serious grease.
There’s the advantage of industrial size bottles or smaller bottles available, so it’s ideal for the whole kitchen, and the price is competitive.
Inspired also does a spray bottle for smaller grease problems such as hobs and hoods.
Elbow Grease
Elbow Grease offer a large spray bottle of degreaser at a good price and with good reviews. Solvent free and vegan friendly for those with ethical concerns.
Mr Muscle
Mr Muscle, the household name brand for grease and grime removal have a spray degreaser with a fresh scent but you may need several bottles again for all the cabinets.
- KITCHEN DEGREASER: Removes tough stains in seconds. Formulated to penetrate tough grease & grime, leaving you with clean kitchen surfaces and appliances in seconds
- SOLUTION TO A CLEAN KITCHEN: Powerful and versatile. Use to clean stove top, back splash, kitchen counter & cabinets, oven, sink, and microwave
- EASY TO USE: Just spray on the stain, wipe, and rinse
- NSF Certified: Safe for everyday surface cleaning
- Lemon scent
- KITCHEN DEGREASER - breaks down the toughest gunk and grime, leaving your kitchen spotless
- CLEANS COUNTERS - fast-working formula that won't harm your counters
- ONE-STEP CLEANER - foaming formula great for use on counters, stoves, rang hoods, pots pans and more
- WORKS ON - kitchen grease, grime, and baked-on food.
- Wood Cabinet Cleaner - Parker & Bailey Kitchen Cabinet Cleaner has a safe, easy to use formula that gently works as a degreaser, spot cleaner and build-up remover. Rejuvenate cabinets to their original beauty and natural loo
- Multi-Purpose - Restore, clean, revive, condition & shine painted, laminate, white & natural wood cabinet doors & surfaces. This high quality creme is formulated as a wood cleaner conditioner that can provide lasting protection for cabinets
- Easy To Use - Gently clean dirt & grease cabinets, put a small amount on damp cloth & apply to surface. Rinse cloths for dirt removal. Add more furniture polish cleaner as needed. Heavy build-up takes more cleaning. Use dry clean cloth as a buffer
- Gentle Formula - Awesome cleaner does not contain any wax, silicone, petrochemicals or harmful solvents. It is low odor and can safely be used in the home on multi surface cabinets that have stain, paint or laminate
- High Quality - Proudly made in the USA since 1879, our Kitchen Cabinet Cream is a long time favorite furniture restorer used by antique experts for over 100 years. It can prevent unsightly drying and cracking so cabinets can maintain their finish
- Cleans and removes tough greasy, grimy messes from a variety of surfaces including stovetops and range hoods, countertops, cabinets, walls and other surfaces around the house
- Ready to use non-toxic formula, simply spray and wipe clean
- Cleaner is EPA Safer Choice certified and safe for people, pets and the planet
- Formulated with technology that's tougher on grease than other cleaners, yet safe for use on food prep surfaces
- Leaves behind a clean, grease-free surface
- Instantly Restore Your Cabinets And Other Wooden Surfaces To New With This Instant Cabinet Restorer From Ezr. Cabinet Restore Is Great To Clean Your Cabinets And Other Wood Surfaces, Leaving Them Looking Brand New! Removes Finger Prints, Grease And More
- Gentle Cleaner- Cabinet Cleaner Helps Remove Stains, Deposits, And Sticky Surfaces As A Result From Grease. Leaves Your Cabinets With Protective Coating To Preserve Your Wood Finishes. Bring Out The Natural Beauty In Your Cabinets Throughout Your House
- Easy To Use- Just A Few Sprays Of Ezr Cabinet Restorer Will Bring The Life Of Your Cabinets. Great For Baseboards, Cabinets, Wood Tables, Floors And More
- Bring Out The Natural Beauty In Your Cabinets. The Best Cabinet Cleaner For Your Kitchen, Bathroom, Or Bedroom. Restore Old Furniture With This Polishing Wood Restorer. Conditions And Polishes Wood On Your Cabinets To Prevent Drying And Cracking
What’s The Best Degreaser For Kitchen Cabinets Before Painting?
It varies as kitchens and plans vary and depends on the size of preference, your kitchen size and material type, your budget, the state of your kitchen cabinets, ethical concerns, and whether you have children or pets around you as you work.
What you buy can depend on the size of your kitchen, the materials you’re working with, and price.
Some kitchen degreasers are not suitable for all materials so it’s best to check first.
Some degreasers have a nice smell, some may leave residue, especially cheaper products, and when you’re going to paint a cabinet, you don’t want residue.
It’s a good idea to look through other people’s reviews of products when you’re choosing.
The list I have given are good tried and tested products with good reviews and are the best place to start.
Last update on 2023-09-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
