3 Ways to Revitalize The Look of Your Old Kitchen Cabinets

It seemed like only yesterday when your wood kitchen cabinets were installed, looking all bright, polished, and fresh. Now, after years and years of constant touching, cleaning, and being exposed to grease, smoke, and food particles, your wood cabinets have somehow lost its luster. Mine just looks sad and greasy, which makes hanging out in the kitchen such a drag.

Bring your kitchen cabinets' glory days back with a few tricks that will not only save you tons of money but will also prevent you from throwing away a perfectly good cabinet in favor of new ones. Below are three ways you could transform those drab-looking but still-functional storage into something ripped off pages of a kitchen remodeling magazine -- looking all brand new and fresh from the store.

Contrary to what many may suggest, washing your cabinets will actually make their condition much worse. Water can cause wood products to swell and warp. In fact, any attempts to re-stain the wood may just damage it permanently when soaked in water. Using a clean damp rag, wipe the cabinets instead to collect dirt and grime from the wood but steer clear from totally washing them over.

Using lemon oil is another sure-fire way to revitalize wood. Applying such not only beautifies the wood surface but it also nourishes and protects the inner grains of the cabinetry from wax, grease or silicone build-up. Just wipe on wood using a clean cloth and make sure that the oil is applied evenly. You will notice that doing so instantly brightens up your cabinets, lifting away years of dirt that have lovingly settled in.

You may also opt to use furniture polishes that have double purpose -- as a cleaner and as a stain at the same time. This is recommended to those who don't have the time nor the energy to stain wood the traditional way. Application is easy. Using a clean cloth, rub into the wood following buffing strokes with the grain. Allow it to thoroughly dry first for at least 24 hours to ensure that the polish has adhered to the wood. Avoid touching as the polish tends to come off when still wet.

If you're settled with the idea of DIY-staining your oak kitchen cabinets, start by removing the pulls, locks, and hinges off. Using a moderately coarse sandpaper with a 120- or 150-grit, sand away towards the direction of the grain. Sanding roughens up and breaks the top coat of the existing stain which acts as a protective layer of the cabinet from normal wear. Once the top coat has been stripped off the wood, you can now rest assured that the new stain you've applied will penetrate successfully onto your cabinets.

Choose a stain that matches the color of your wood cabinet. If you must choose between a water-based or an oil-based stain, choose the latter as it provides a more effective protective layer for your cabinets. It deeply conditions the wood and nourishes the grain better than water-based stains, however, oil-based varieties tend to dry at a much slower rate. If you have time on your hands, let the stain dry naturally by leaving it for about 24 hours.

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