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 Cabinet Creme cleans, restores and removes grease or food stains off your kitchen cabinets
- Clean restore and rejuvenate your wooden surfaces with this kitchen cabinet cleaner, apt to use on natural wood, faux wood, laminate and painted wood
- Kitchen cabinet cleaner and restorer rejuvenates and degreases cabinets, leaving a long lasting natural appearance
- Easy to use - Apply wood cabinet cleaner onto surface to remove dirt, grease and grime; rinse and repeat if needed, then buff for natural wood polish shine
- Parker and Bailey cabinet cleaner formula does not contain any waxes, silicones, petrochemicals or harmful solvents
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- CABINET & FURNITURE CLEANER: Removes dirt, grime & grease buildup
- CLEANS & SHINES: gives your cabinets & furniture a streak-free clean
- USE ON INDOOR CABINETS & FURNITURE ONLY: Safe for use on hardwood, laminates, paneling & finished wood
- FOR DAILY CLEANING: pH balanced & gentle enough to use daily
- SAFE FOR PETS & KIDS: When used per directions on product label. For additional details, visit rejuvenateproducts.com/safe
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 2024-04-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
