Please help me. My mother had a gorgeous white kitchen installed within the last 10 years. She is a chain smoker, and now her cupboards have some discolouration from time and of course, nicotene. I cannot find any product which will disolve the nicotene without stripping the gloss finish from her cupboards. TSP is the only thing I can think of using, but it will turn her cupboards into a matte finish, and we are not refinishing them. Any suggestions would be great!
COMMUNITY FORUM
Nicotine is water solubale and should come off easy.
I just took off a lot with Greased Lightning.
Plain water with a little dishwashing detergent will work. Even rubbing alchol took some off.
In my case I was not trying to get down to a clean finish. Just clean enough so that it would not blead through new coats of paint.
Now some finishes are know to yellow with age.
And it is also possible has been a chemical reaction of the nicotine to the finish. In that case no cleaning will help.
AFTER CLEANING and it is still yellow you might try testing an spot (such as on the end panel of a bottom cabinet where it won't show too badly) with chorine bleach and oxgyen bleach.
I just took off a lot with Greased Lightning.
Plain water with a little dishwashing detergent will work. Even rubbing alchol took some off.
In my case I was not trying to get down to a clean finish. Just clean enough so that it would not blead through new coats of paint.
Now some finishes are know to yellow with age.
And it is also possible has been a chemical reaction of the nicotine to the finish. In that case no cleaning will help.
AFTER CLEANING and it is still yellow you might try testing an spot (such as on the end panel of a bottom cabinet where it won't show too badly) with chorine bleach and oxgyen bleach.
I have had the best luck with amonia. It seems to break down the nicotine and get rid of the nasty smell. I am a resident manager of 48 units. I swear by amonia for nicotine and scrubbing bubbles for grease on the hood fan above your stove. Also if niotine is present on plastic such as smoke detectors, windex melts it right off.
