You have installed a glorious white cabinet in the kitchen. The way it has transformed your small, unorganized space into the functional, well-designed, and neat kitchen you love the most. So far, so good. But the problem is that you notice your white kitchen is turning yellow after a while. You get panicked and look for a reason & solution regarding how to clean white kitchen cabinets that have yellowed.
White kitchen cabinets are beautiful, but they can yellow over time. This article explores the causes of yellowing and provides effective cleaning methods and preventative tips to keep your cabinets looking their best.
Key Takeaways:
- Sunlight, cooking residue, low-quality paint, and infrequent cleaning can contribute to yellowing.
- Washing soda, vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, and bleach (diluted) are effective cleaning solutions.
- Regular cleaning with mild solutions and protecting cabinets from sunlight are key to prevention.
Why Do White Kitchen Cabinets Turn Yellow?
White kitchen cabinets may yellow due to sunlight exposure, cooking residues, or low-quality paint. To clean, use solutions like washing soda, vinegar, baking soda, and bleach, and prevent yellowing with quality paint and regular cleaning.
The white cabinet in the kitchen is starting to turn yellow. It seems like there’s something on the surface of the cabinet’s surface causing this, but we can’t figure out what it is. We’ve tried cleaning it and wiping it down, but it keeps getting worse.
What could be causing this yellowing?
Before solving any problem, it is necessary to identify the reason. So now we point out the cause of the yellowing white cabinet.
Sunlight:
Direct sunlight exposed white kitchen cabinets to yellow.
Precaution: Use blinds, window film, and draperies to shield your cabinets.
Cooking:
Micro, more likely invisible food particles, are vapor during cooking. Mixing such debris with dust makes a sticky substance that adheres to the cabinet surface and forms a yellowish layer.
Precaution: Clean the cabinet weekly with mild soap and water or vinegar and water solution.
Low-Quality Paint:
Low-quality paints tend to discolor over time, which causes white Kitchen cabinets yellowing.
Precaution: Foremost, use quality colors from a renowned brand. If possible, have to remove old and apply high-class paint.
How To Clean White Kitchen Cabinets That Have Yellowed
White kitchen cabinets can be challenging to keep clean. If they have yellowed, you can restore them to their original condition with a few simple steps.
- Wash your white cabinets with a washing soda solution
- Use a mixture of water and vinegar to remove surface dirt
- Use baking soda to remove grease stains
- Use a mixture of dish detergent and water for a deeper clean
- Water and bleach for a deep cleaning
- Apply Bar Keepers Friend or other commercial cleaners (use sparingly)
Wash Your White Cabinets With A Washing Soda Solution
Washing soda is a type of sodium carbonate that uses as laundry detergent. It doesn’t have any scent or color, but it lathers up nicely and creates bubbles on its own—which makes sense since it acts like sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) when added to water!
If your white cabinets are yellowing, washing soda or vinegar solution will remove the yellow stain and get the white cabinets looking fresh and clean.
Mix up washing soda solution:
- Combine 1 part powder with 3 parts water in an empty spray bottle.
- Please give it a good shake before each use.
How to use it?
- Spray the mixture onto the surface with an even layer on top.
- Leave it there for at least 5 minutes before wiping away with a damp cloth or sponge (soak up excess moisture by pressing lightly)
Use A Mixture Of Water And Vinegar To Remove Surface Dirt
Vinegar and water are excellent natural cleaning agents that remove dirt from cabinet surfaces.
Make a mixture of water and vinegar:
- Mix 1 part vinegar with 2 parts water.
How to use it?
To use this mixture, put it in a spray bottle, then follow the steps below:
- Spray down the cabinets with the diluted vinegar solution.
- Wipe away any surface dirt with a soft cloth or sponge (I recommend microfiber).
- Let them dry completely (before moving on to step 3 below).
Use Baking Soda To Remove Grease Stains And Grime
Here is some feature of backing soda:
- Mild abrasive means it can clean away dirt and grime from surfaces.
- Mildly alkaline and acidic, that is effective for cleaning purposes.
- It has an oxidizing effect on certain substances, such as grease stains.
How does it work?
Baking soda will help remove stubborn grease stains and kill odors such as garlic or onion smells due to its strong antibacterial properties.
If you have kitchen cabinets made of wood, you should use baking soda instead of ammonia since ammonia may cause damage to these wooden surfaces!
Use A Mixture Of Dish Detergent And Water For A Deeper Clean
White kitchen cabinets may have yellowed over time, but it is possible to restore their former glory with some work and effort.
How to mix?
- Take 1 part detergent and 2 parts water into a bowl/dish and mix them well.
How to use it?
- Apply the mixture to the yellow zone.
- Use a soft cloth or sponge to scrub.
- After cleaning, use another soft cloth or paper towel to remove excess residue from the cabinet’s surface.
You can also use this method if you want your kitchen cabinets cleaned when they’re already in a clean state!
Water And Bleach For A Deep Cleaning
How to mix?
- Mix 1/2 cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water.
How to apply?
- Apply the mixture to your cabinets in a circular motion.
- Use a sponge or soft cloth to rub the dirt area.
- Apply more pressure to areas with more dirt buildup.
- Let it sit for several minutes to do its job thoroughly before rinsing with water and drying with a soft cloth (which will buff out any shine left behind).
Apply Bar Keepers Friend Or Other Commercial Cleaners (Use Sparingly)
For cleaning rust stains:
- Use a paste of bar keepers friend and water.
- Rub the paste over each stain and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- If you have stubborn rust stains, rinse some steel wool with warm water.
Remove watermarks from your white cabinets:
- Mix equal parts of baking soda with olive oil until it forms a creamy paste.
- Apply this mixture to the affected area and leave overnight before rinsing off in warm water in the morning.
Cleaning tough stains
- Spray sprinkle salt with vinegar on top of any non-porous surface.
- Let it sit for an hour before scrubbing it off with a stiff brush or sponge using hot soapy water.
How To Keep White Cabinets From Yellowing
At this juncture, we already know that white cabinets are prone to yellow due to sunlight, moisture, low paint quality, and irregular cleaning.
But how to clean white kitchen cabinets that have yellowed? Things are straightforward; as we see the cause of yellowing, we can now prevent them easily.
- The first thing to do is make sure the paint is of good quality.
- The second thing is to keep the cabinet safe from direct sunlight.
- And finally, a regular cleaning with baking soda, combined with a small amount of vinegar, can effectively keep white kitchen cabinets from yellowing.
Conclusion
This is a great post. Isn’t it? I hope you found it helpful. Remember that cleaning your kitchen cabinets isn’t just about making them look better—it’s also about preserving them and keeping them from deteriorating further.
You can learn more about how to clean your kitchen cabinets with the tips in this article so that they last longer and are well-maintained until the day you sell your home or move out again!
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