A damp microfiber cloth cleans really well. Luvs

As recommended by the manufacturer, I used Guardsman on maple cabinets. It didn't work on water spots and grease. It's too mild. Guardsman comes in aerosol sprays which I hate so thumbs down for Guardsman.

A cabinet repair person who came to replace a door recommended Cabinet Magic. I didn't try that yet so I can't tell you how well it cleaned. Old English Oil worked best for me as did Ethan Allen furniture cleaner on a very sticky cabinet door right over the stove. Old English, which comes in a non-aerosol bottle is used only a couple of times a year and more often if a cabinet gets sticky from grease smoke. Be sure to buff well with a clean, soft, absorbent cloth to get any excess cleaner off. I prefer a cotton cloth when I use Old English.

I would have to say no on the Murphy's Oil Soap, just to be safe. We have stained cherry cabinets and the cabinetmaker told us to not under any circumstances use anything that has oil in it. I just use water (because I'm afraid to use anything else on our custom cabinets!) - I would call a cabinetmaker and see what they recommend before asking a hardware store. It may all depend on what kind of sealant you have over your stain, if any.

Good luck!

I have light maple cabinets and the custom cabinet shop where we bought them recommended Cabinet Magic. However, it doesn't remove grease. I just don't know what to do. I mostly use dish soap but I do need to use something else. When I look closely I can see greasy build up in spots. It is hard to see because the wood grain shows through and there are grayish tones to the wood. I think I'm using too much water too. I'm afraid I'm ruining my cabinets.

buyorse,
I just purchased Cabinet Magic. When I tested it on a small inconspicuous spot on my cabinets, I thought I was going to faint from the strong chemical smell. It smelled horrible. I returned it to the store the next day. My cabinets are clean so I don't know whether or not it would've worked on grease. I think cabinet manufacturers are going to recommend the mildest products to be on the safe side. I tried dish soap also. Didn't work either. ThatÂs not surprising especially on hardened grease which is very tough to remove. My cabinet door was sticky all over from smoke and it was impossible to remove until I tried Ethan Allen furniture cleaner. It emulsified the grease and made my door smooth and clean. Not sure if it would work all other types of finishes. My cabinet finish is the typical manufacturer finish on Kraftmaid, Merillat etc. cabinets.

Can you get a sample of the maple with the same finish from the cabinet shop so that you can experiment with different cleaners? Maybe the shop has leftover remnants?

The shop went out of business but I think we have some left over doors (long story) in the garage. I didn't think to try different products on them. Thanks.

I'm a horrid cleaner....

I keep a spray bottle of white venegar under every sink or basin in the house and it seems to work pretty well on just about every, but not all, thing. It doesn't seem to hurt anything. It's worth a try.

We have oak kitchen cabinets. To maintain them, I use a paper towel that I moisten with as little water as possible, and then add lemon oil to it. I find the oil cleans and restores a nice luster to the cabinet finish. I let the oil soak in for a few minutes and then I wipe the cabinets with a soft dry cloth. The lemon oil seems to be just the right thing for our cabinets, but might not be for yours.

Whatever you decide to try, check first with the cabinet manufacturer for their recommendation or try it in a small, inconspicuous place first.

I was cleaning the tops of the upper cabinet doors with my trusty vinegar and old wash cloth when I came to the ones over the stove. They were more than dirty. They were gummy. I knew if I rubbed and rubbed they would come clean but how long do you want to stand on step stool in the kitchen spraying vinegar and scrubbing? I looked down on the counter and there was a little bottle of antibacterial soap so I grabbed it and drizzled it along that narrow edge and wiped it off. Voila.. Not gummy,not greasy and not sticky.

I don't thik this is a good all purpose solution because I think that stuff is mostly alchol and I have ask myself how clean things have to be..but it worked on this.

http://www.guardsman.com/guardsman/furniture_care/details.jsp?sku=3168&title=Guardsman%20Kitchen%20Cabinet%20Wipes%20(35%20Count)&img_loc=3168.jpg&long_desc=The+power+of+our+Kitchen+Cabinet+Cleaner+Aerosol+in+a+convenient+and+easy-to-use+wipe%21&cat_name=KITCHEN/BATH

These clean very well and remove smoke and grease.

It smells like oranges and it does a good job, especially with a microfiber cloth. It's from The Clean Team catalog.

Here is a link that might be useful: Furniture Feeder

I made a moderate solution of Charlie's All-Purpose Cleaner and water, sprayed it on my cabinets, and it worked beautifully. Doesn't smell as good as the Furniture Feeder, but it's simple and it does cut the grease without hurting anything.

You can try product like Innospray B600 which removes oil, stains and fingerprints marks from kitchen cabinets. For cleaning kitchen cabinets you can spray the solution on surface and wipe it with dry cloth. It is also useful for cleaning surfaces like handrails, elevators, kitchens etc.

Use Liquid Gold. You may have to hunt this product down, but not only does it clean wood cabinets, it provides an enriching oil that makes them shine. Before we sold our 16 year old house, we went over all the woodwork - baseboards, cabinets, doors, etc. with Liquid Gold. We used a microfiber cloth for the flat surfaces and we used a razor blade to get the dirt in the edges out. Our woodwork and kitchen cabinets looked absolutely new when done. We love Liquid Gold!

Had to share...The Victorian House Finish Rejuvenator is the BEST! Just finished my entire kitchen and bathroom in time for Easter and its amazing. Its from a company in Oklahoma and was invented for antiques but its for any wood that looks bad. Its a cleaner ( I had a bit of greasy buildup or Gunk) and some white faded areas from water and heat damage and they are ALL gone and its not greasy at all. Its a beautiful shine just like I had 20 years ago. Its really easy to do, it says 5 minutes a door but I have to admit it took me a bit longer. Its not in stores so go visit the website. www.thevictorianhouseproducts.com

Method makes a water based furniture cleaner that I use on my cherry cabinets as well as on my cherry furniture. It smells like almonds and there are no hrsh chemicals in it. The Amish furniture maker who made all my wood furniture recommended it to me. Also, the Amish cabinet maker who built my kitchen cabinets gave me a bottle of it with my installation. It's not a polish, but is a wood cleaner and it works very well to clean the grease and splatters off. Method also makes a wood polish that is amazing. So I use the cleaner as needed daily to take off splatters and drips, then deep clean with it once a month. Then I polish and protect the wood by using the wood polish. I use the same routine with my wood furniture. I like this combination better than anything else I've tried. The wood cleaner is not easy to find, but any store who carries a complete line of Method products probably has it. I get mine in Target.