How to clean old unfinished knotty pine cabinets?
I don't think that they've been deep cleaned since they were installed in 1950, and dust and kitchen grease have darkened them in places, while normal wear and some surface scratches have lightened some areas.
If I want to give them a facelift, is there a cleaning product that won't darken them? How would you restore them to a more uniform appearance? And if your recommendation is to sand them, please tell me what tools, what kind of sandpaper [grit #, etc.] I would need to do the job. Thanks so much!
Answers:
I just cleaned mine with Murphy's Oil Soap. They were installed in 1960. Works like a charm! Purchase at nearly any store that carries furniture polish. I removed drawer pulls and hinges and cleaned those too. It requires a lot of elbow grease, lol.
I am not sure about sanding since mine came out a lot better than I expected and I can get by with them for a few more years. I used an Old English Furniture Polish afterwards to give them some protection. Do an inside cabinet door first to see if it will look ok before you tackle the whole job.
...jj
Other answers:
I have used Murphy's Oil before and it seemed to work fine but with what you have I am not sure..You might want to go to Home Depot and I know that they would be able to help you on what to use.
I have used Murphy's Oil before and it seemed to work fine but with what you have I am not sure..You might want to go to Home Depot and I know that they would be able to help you on what to use.
i never like to take away from anything by sanding.the first thing i do is to determine whats on the cabinets like varnish,lacquer,or a urethane.i cant believe there was never any thing put on the cabinets.in the old days they used linseed oil or a lot of Tung oil. if this is true then you will haft to do some sanding.i use stripper,plastic stripper scrapper,steel wool medium and fine,if i sand i use 220 garnet grit.once i see what i like and have figured out what i haveft to do,i go for it.it has to be right for me or i will not get paid.also check local paint store like sherwinwilliams.