Photo: goeltom.blogspot.com

Your kitchen gets a lot of use. So it doesn’t take long to begin seeing signs of wear and tear on wood cabinets. Soon you may decide that some changes or updates are needed. And sometimes the simplest remedies are the best—and the most budget-friendly, too.

If your stained or painted kitchen cabinets are in need of a facelift, you can give them a fresh new appearance with only a minimal investment in tools and materials.

How to Restore Cabinets with Stain

Photo: Pedantique

If your stained cabinets are still serviceable but have worn-out surfaces, or if you decide on a different look, then applying a new stain is easy.

• If you like a darker tone: First clean your cabinets with a mix of TSP and water. Once they’re dry, sand the cabinets lightly and use a tack cloth to remove dust. Then apply a polyurethane varnish (tinted to whatever tone you find appealing). This varnish-stain combo is likely to do the job in one application.

Photo: homeguides.sfgate.com

• If you like a lighter tone: Remove as much of the old stain as possible with paint remover or, if necessary, chlorine bleach (or an aggressive stripper). Opt for elbow grease and a scraper if your cabinet doors feature crevices or contours. Before sanding to create a smooth surface, take the opportunity to apply wood filler to any dents, cracks, or deep scratches. After applying the stain you’ve selected, let it dry before adding a coat of protective wood sealer. Rub surfaces dry with 000 steel wool and clean with a tack cloth.

How to Restore Cabinets with Paint

Photo: cliqstudios.com

Just as you can restore cabinets with stain finishes that have tired out, you can also restore cabinets whose painted surfaces have seen better days.

• First, remove as much of the old finish as possible with a paint stripper. Then use a sharp scraper, where needed, to remove all traces of the old finish.

• Next, use wood filler to repair any dents, scratches, or other forms of surface damage.

• When newly smoothed surfaces are dry, finish off with sandpaper—100 grit, then 180 grit, and finally, 220-grit.

• Paint in whatever color you like; before applying sealer, clean surfaces with a tack cloth.

• When the sealer dries, rub surfaces lightly with 000 steel wool and use tack cloth to remove residual dust.

For more on cabinet finishes, consider:

A Glassy Smooth Enamel Finish for Old Kitchen Cabinets
Painted Cabinets: 10 Reasons to Transform Yours Now
Bob Vila’s Guide to Kitchen Cabinets

How To: Restore Cabinet Finishes Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: Armstrong Hardwood Flooring

Special problems need special solutions—and that’s particularly true of wood flooring. When accidents happen, first aid is essential. Here are some tips from the American Hardwood Information Center that will help you maintain hardwood floors.

Food Spills. If caked or dried, use a sharpened knife blade and, working from the outer edge toward the center, scrape up the spill (while taking care not to scratch the wood surface). Rub the damaged spot first with a slightly dampened cloth, then with a dry one. If your floor has a waxed surface, re-wax and buff the area you’ve repaired.

Wax and gum removal with ice. Photo: Martha Stewart

Other Flaws. Crayon marks usually come off when rubbed with a soft cloth dipped in a mild dishwashing detergent. Removing chewing gum and candle wax, on the other hand, is more challenging. Apply a wood-floor cleaning product and let it permeate the spill to loosen, then proceed to scrape off the blemish with a plastic spatula or sharpened knife edge. You can also apply ice until the spill gets brittle, then remove in the manner described above.

Oil and Grease. On a surface-finished (urethaned) floor, apply mineral spirits or TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) and wipe with a clean cloth. If your floor has a penetrating finish, applying TSP or a high-lye-content soap should do the trick.

Serious Stains. If your floor is marred by an ink spill or the remnants of a pet accident, clean the spot with No. 2 steel wool and mineral spirits or a cleaning product created for wood. Then cleanse with household vinegar and let stand a few minutes. Depending on your floor’s finish, either re-wax and buff or apply two coats of urethane.

Stubborn Stains. Mix an ounce of oxatic acid with a quart of water, apply the solution to the stain and let stand for one hour. (Be sure to wear rubber gloves; oxatic acid is toxic.) Finally, wipe the damaged area with a dampened sponge. When dry, the next step is to refinish.

For more on flooring, consider:

How To: Refinish Hardwood
Old Wood Floor: Refinish or Replace?
Expect the Unexpected: Wood Floors

Rx for Hardwood Floors Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: Trulia

It’s not so much that your under-sink workhorse needs strict maintenance, only sensible care. You probably already know that fibrous foods like banana skins, broccoli, celery, corn husks and potato peels can tangle and stop the blades of your garbage disposal. Other no-no’s include bones and eggshells. But are you aware that dumping coffee grounds or starchy food into the unit can clog the pipes? Here are some other do’s and don’ts of garbage disposal care:

• DO turn the power switch to “Off” before taking any action, should your disposer suddenly malfunction.

• DON’T use your fingers to pull out clogged matter; use pliers or tongs.

Photo: Wikihow

• DO get rid of bad smells by pouring warm (not hot) water into your garbage disposal as it grinds cut-up lemons.

• DON’T pour hot water into a clogged unit; melted fats will make the clogging even worse.

Vinegar Ice Cubes. Photo: Apartment Therapy

• DO clean your garbage disposal by filling it with ice cubes and a cup of rock salt, then running it a few seconds. Or consider making vinegar ice cubes to use weekly.

• DON’T use bleach or commercial drain cleaner to try unclogging your disposer.

Photo: iCreatables

• DO try untangling any fibers wrapped around your disposer blade by using the wrench that came with your unit. With that tool, you simply turn the nut at the base of the unit, then press the small red reset button in the center and flip the switch to restart.

For more on appliances, consider:

Installing a Garbage Disposal
Bob Vila Radio: Appliance Manuals
Choosing Major Kitchen Appliances

Even Your Garbage Disposal Needs TLC Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com