How to Clean Yellowing Kitchen Cabinets Painted White
Kitchen cabinets that have turned yellow
Why Are My White Cabinets Yellowing?
Your white cabinets looked so fresh and bright a year ago, but now the paint has developed a yellow discoloration, and they look terrible. You're probably wondering why in the heck your cabinets have turned yellow and if it's possible to restore the original color to make them sparkle like new again.
Don't panic. In some cases, you can easily remove the yellow film from your white cabinets using the simple cleaning methods I cover in this article, but sometimes the yellowing cannot be reversed, and it really depends on what caused your cabinets to yellow.
Reasons for Yellowing Kitchen Cabinets
- Oil-based paint was used
- UV exposure
- Cooking grease
- Nicotine
- Wood tannin
- Household cleaners that contain ammonia
Are Your Yellowing Kitchen Cabinets Painted With Oil-Based Paint?
One of the reasons I don't use oil-based paints and sealers on cabinets is that they're notorious for turning yellow over time. But why does this happen? Lack of sunlight is the cause. When oil-based paints cure in a dark kitchen without sunlight, they can develop a yellowish hue from chromophores that form in the paint.
Normally, when your painted cabinets are exposed to sunlight, the chromophores gradually go away on their own as the oil-based paint cures, but in dark kitchens with very little sunlight, the yellowing can become a permanent problem. Can the yellowing be reversed? Not always. Increase the lighting in your kitchen by opening the window curtains during the day and keeping the lights turned on at night. If increasing the lighting doesn't whiten your yellowing kitchen cabinets, the next best option is to repaint them with acrylic enamel to prevent the problem from reoccurring.
Are Your Cabinets Turning Yellow From Grease or Nicotine?
Every time you cook and boil food in your kitchen, airborne grease particles are deposited onto your white cabinets, and gradually over time, the grease forms a yellow layer. The best way to combat this problem is to always use the exhaust fan on your range hood when you cook food. If you don't already have a vent fan above your stove, I highly recommend having one installed to properly ventilate steam and grease from cooking.
Like grease, frequent smoking in a kitchen will also turn cabinets yellow from the nicotine and tar. Fortunately, grease and nicotine stains can be removed from yellowing cabinets to restore the color, but you have to be very careful not to damage the finish. Further into this article, I explain exactly how to clean white cabinets that have yellowed from grease without ruining the paint.
Wood Tannin Will Turn Your White Cabinets Yellow
Tannin-bleed is a condition where natural oil (tannin) inside the wood bleeds into the painted surface and changes the color to yellow. If your white cabinets are oak and were primed with water-based primer instead of solvent-based primer, that is likely the reason the paint is turning yellow.
Using the wrong primer on cabinets is a common mistake made by inexperienced painters and homeowners who have never painted wood cabinetry. Unfortunately, the only way to fix cabinets that have turned yellow from tannin is to repaint them using solvent-based primer like Cover Stain, Kilz Original, or BIN shellac. All three of these products are very effective at preventing yellowing from wood tannin.
Solvent-Based Primers
- My Review of Zinsser Cover Stain Primer
Check out my review of Zinsser Cover Stain oil-based primer, especially how it compares to the brand's BIN Shellac Primer. - My Review of Kilz Original Oil-Based Primer
Find out if Kilz Original oil-based primer is a good product or not. - A Professional Review of Zinsser BIN Primer
Check out my review on Zinsser BIN primer, a shellac-based product for priming and sealing surfaces. Is it worth it, or not? A professional decides.
How to Clean White Cabinets That Have Yellowed
The best approach for cleaning painted cabinets is to use the least abrasive methods first to avoid damaging the paint. This is important if you're trying to remove stains from laminate cabinets with chemicals and water. Heavy-duty cleaners, or even using too much water when cleaning, can damage laminate and thermofoil cabinets beyond repair.
The two cleaning methods below can be used to clean grease and nicotine stains from yellowing kitchen cabinets. White laminate cabinets turning yellow from direct sunlight, unfortunately, cannot be restored in most cases. UV damage is one of the biggest downsides of vinyl cabinets. You can stop the yellowing from worsening by keeping your kitchen curtains closed to reduce UV exposure.
Clean Yellowing Cabinets With Dawn Dish Soap
Before you use chemical cleaners, try removing the stains using warm water first. You might think water alone won't do anything, but you'd be surprised. Gently scrub the yellow stains in a circular motion with a microfiber cloth. If the stains don't wipe off at all, it's time to reach for a bottle of good old Dawn dish soap.
I have used Dawn as a paint prep cleaner multiple times to de-grease cabinet doors and grimy hardware. Dish soap is a lot safer to use on painted cabinets because it's less abrasive than other cleaning products. Unless your cabinets have severely yellowed, a simple soap and water mix should be enough to clean up the white paint.
- Fill up an empty container with 1 to 2 quarts of warm water and add 1 teaspoon of dish soap.
- Gently scrub the yellowed cabinets with a microfiber cloth. Do not scrub hard or use paper towels. You might have to scrub a few times to remove the yellow film from the surface. You can also try adding a little more soap to the mix if needed.
- Rinse off the soap with clean water and a clean cloth. If yellow stains still exist after cleaning the surface with dish soap, you can clean them with a natural mix of household vinegar and baking soda.
White Vinegar and Baking Soda
If dish soap did nothing to remove the ugly yellow stains from the white paint, white distilled vinegar and baking soda might do the trick. White vinegar is acidic and eats through yellowy grease and smoke stains on painted cabinets.
- Mix 2 cups of warm water with 1 cup of vinegar in an empty container.
- Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to the mix.
- Dip a microfiber cloth into the cleaning solution and carefully wipe down your cabinets. Don't flood the cabinets with water. Apply just enough water to clean the stains.
- Dry off the cabinets by wiping them down with a dry rag.
If the two cleaning methods don't restore the white paint on your cabinets, you might have to resort to stronger cleaning products. If all else fails, I recommend trying Krud Kutter de-greaser diluted with warm water. Krud Kutter is my go-to grease cleaner for cabinet painting and household cleaning. I have even used it to clean my stovetop and grill.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2023 Matt G.
