Dirty cabinet hardware, handled
Cabinet hardware, like handles, pulls, and knobs, experience frequent use, especially on kitchen cabinetry. Avoid sticky stains by learning how to clean cabinet hardware like a pro.
Knobs, handles, and other cabinet hardware components are tricky to clean: They have many nooks and crannies where grime can build up, and some metals can tarnish with time. We’ve got the steps to make cabinet hardware right and bright again with a few key steps.
Cabinet hardware deserves extra attention because so many hands touch it daily. That causes several issues in kitchens and bathrooms:
Grime buildup makes hardware look dirty and mismatched.
Greasy buildup in kitchens can make cabinets harder to use.
Frequent use gives waiting germs opportunities to spread.
Heavy use can tarnish high-quality metal hardware and ruin its appearance.
Our steps below will help deal with all these problems, and if you’re learning how to choose cabinet hardware, you’ll find everything you need to keep it looking great after you install it.
There are several levels to cleaning cabinet hardware: a light cleaning for mild grime and a deep clean for truly old, dirty components, plus removing tarnish for certain materials. So, depending on the state of your cabinets, you may need anywhere from one to three of these options.
For a homemade solution, mix warm water with white vinegar in roughly a 1:4 ratio. You can put it in a spare spray bottle for easier use. If your cabinet handles have trouble with grease and build-up, you may want to substitute a mix of warm water with a few drops of dish detergent instead.
With a clean cloth, use your spray mixture and wipe down all hardware—knobs, handles, and inner hinges.
Thoroughly dry the hardware as you clean so no moisture remains to cause blisters or stains. Use a separate dry cloth if components are moist.
If it’s been years since a cleaning or conditions have been particularly harsh, you’ll need to unscrew your hardware and give it a soak instead. This method is also the best approach for more complex, curvy handles and knobs.
Remove hardware by unscrewing each component. Be sure to safely store the screws, marking which belongs to which piece of hardware.
Once the hardware is removed, mix a bucket or sink with warm water and vinegar, then add several drops of dish soap.
Let all the hardware soak for at least an hour or two and up to overnight.
Use a cloth and soft scrubber to gently clean every part of the hardware until all grime is off.
With grime gone, rinse all cabinet hardware under fresh water and let it air-dry on a towel for at least a couple of hours.
Re-attach the hardware with the same screws. This is a good time to replace screws entirely if they were too loose or damaged when you removed them.
Certain metal handles and other hardware can tarnish over time, building up an oxidized layer that isn’t rust but covers the surface in an obscuring patina. When addressing tarnish on a finish, rub very gently. If the metal starts to wear through, it may be time for a replacement.
After cleaning tarnished metals, you can either use a commercial metal polish or one of these homemade mixtures to rub away the tarnish:
Copper: Use a mix of vinegar and salt (with a ratio that makes a light paste) to brighten your copper hardware.
Chrome: A solution of vinegar on a cloth should be enough to brighten chrome.
Brass: Use a mixture of vinegar and salt, to which you can add a little flour so the paste is less likely to scratch the brass while you rub it.
Silver: Windex or another ammonia solution works well on silver. For serious tarnishing, you may want to soak silver in white vinegar with a few tablespoons of baking soda added.
Pewter: Pewter doesn’t tarnish like the other metals, and its patina is often considered part of the metal’s charm. However, you can use a commercial metal polish or a paste similar to the brass solution to brighten it up if you prefer.
Aluminum: Very rare on cabinet handles, but you can usually remove its whitish tarnish with metal polish or a mix of water and baking soda or cream of tartar.
Technically, you can try to scrub rust away with a lemon or vinegar solution and some elbow grease. However, we don’t advise this method unless you’re undertaking a serious restoration project and using original hardware is important. If hardware has significant rust on it, it’s difficult to protect from future problems and trying to scrub rust away can damage metal surfaces even further.
In these cases, we recommend replacing the cabinet hardware entirely. You may run into this necessity if you’re remodeling an old house for sale or renovating after a natural disaster.
Since cabinet hardware is so frequently touched (and you can’t always ask people to wash their hands first), it’s difficult to keep it permanently clean without frequent maintenance. But a couple of steps can make a huge difference:
Wipe down cabinet hardware after a meal or cooking session.
Every month or so, wipe hardware with a vinegar solution for a somewhat deeper clean to keep grime from building up.
Occasionally rub a coating of oil on the hardware, using mineral, olive, or lemon oil. It can make some handles slick or sticky, but in many cases it will help prevent dirt or tarnishing.
Can you hire a professional to clean your cabinet hardware for you? Not really. You could hire a professional cabinet maker near you to refinish your cabinets and replace all the hardware for you. Or you could hire a house cleaning service with specific instructions to clean all cabinet hardware. But for the deepest cleans, especially if you’re soaking components, it’s a DIY project through and through—and you’ll save money that way, too.
Due to frequent use, cabinet handles tend to get dirty no matter what. But if you’re looking for the best options, stainless steel and pewter are both durable choices that are ready for the long haul with minimal cleaning needs. Brass tends to be the most demanding pick of metal hardware options.
Many cabinets use “J-pulls” or other handless designs. However, frequent use also gets these areas very dirty over time. A simple household cleaner and a soft washing cloth is usually enough to clean these areas when grime builds up. Adding a layer of lemon oil or beeswax can help prevent finishes from wearing off.
You can remove stripped screws with some elbow grease and an extractor kit for severe cases. Don’t forget to purchase replacement screws or hardware. In rare cases, cabinet handles may be glued on, in which case you can use a box cutter or similar knife and a pair of pliers to carefully remove the handle without damaging the cabinet. You may want to replace those handles entirely rather than try gluing them on again.
