WHAT TREATMENT TO USE ON INTERIOR CABINETS

The treatment will really depend on what the cabinet material is.
If it is wood, then a good oil based polish will work. If the material is a vinyl photo finish contact paper, then a vinyl product such as Protectall or eben Armorall will work.

Murphy's Oil Soap.........period

If it's real wood, Thompson's Water Treatment, like you use on decking. If it's anything but real wood ... no clue other than Old English.

Cabinets can really vary according to the type of finish which is applied to them originally assuming they are wood stained and clear finished with some type of varnish.

Depending on the preference of the cabinet shop where they were originally constructed, the wood cabinets were probably sprayed with either a polyurethane or lacquer based finish. Whatever method you use, try it first on a non conspicuous area like the inside of a door etc. This way if you get a reaction, it will not ruin your cabinet finishes.

As suggested in a previous post, Murphy's oil soap can be a good solution. My favorite and the safest is Johnson's paste wax (not car wax) which can be purchased in a hardware store or lumber yard (big box) like Menard's, Lowes, or Home Depot.

I would avoid applying additional finish such as Thompson's Water Seal or Polyurethane unless you are completely sure of not having a conflict.

And yes, I am a retired cabinet maker and cabinet shop owner with over 35 years of experience.

DutchmenSport wrote:
If it's real wood, Thompson's Water Treatment, like you use on decking. If it's anything but real wood ... no clue other than Old English.

Works great on fences and exterior of log cabins. Not sure I would use it on my interior cupboards. I would use the Murphrys oil soap.

I'm a high end custom cabinet and furniture builder. Try a product available at home depot etc called either cabinet magic or panel magic. They are the same. Comes in a spray can, works great if the damage isn't too bad.

Thanks for the responses. DW is trying the murphys soap oil as I type this. Will let you know how it works.
Kyle

trucker495 wrote:
Thanks for the responses. DW is trying the murphys soap oil as I type this. Will let you know how it works.
Kyle

Ya, and thanks for asking this, I too was going to work on my cabinets in the spring.

If it's only around the sink area it's likely water exposure. Some kind of wood sealant may be required.

If the finish is urethane, more urethane (or paste wax will help). If it's anything else, try Howard's Restore-a-Finish. It comes in various colors and is sold at Home Depot, AFAIK.