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Just use shelf liner. For some reason the 2 homes I've rented here in Seattle (upscale areas) had trashed interior cabinets. Nothing a little shelf liner won't fix.
A friend of mine who flips houses turned me on to a spray product called Krud Kutter. It has an orange and yellow label. I bought mine at Lowes but it's sold in other places, too. It comes in a gallon size bottle if you need a lot. Spray it on, let it sit awhile and do it's work. Scrub with a some fine steel wool and rinse well. For the exterior, once the wood is dry polish it with a product like Old English furniture polish. If a lot of the wood is discolored or mottled, you can buy furniture polish that has stain in it (just don't spill it). Hardware stores also sell crayons and markers you can use to even out wood tones in smaller places where the finish is off completely or there are scratches. Look in the department that sells wood refinishing products. http://www.lowes.com/pd_127394-12880...e&kpid=1009827
If you hate the pulls that are on the cabinets, you can find inexpensive ones at places like Target, Home Depot, or IKEA that you could replace them with. It can give the cabinets a totally new look if you switch to a different style or metal color.
I agree with putting contact paper on the shelves but make sure the interior of your cabinets are completely dry before you do. For shelves that will hold glassware or fine china, I use a product called "Grip Premium," also made by the company that makes Contact paper. It's a padded, non-adhesive mesh product that is soft and and cushions breakable things. It cuts really easily and stays in place on the shelf. The one in this link is taupe, but it also comes in white and black. If you have an IKEA near you, they sell a similar product in white that is less expensive. Con-Tact Brand® Grip Premium Non-Adhesive Sh... : Target
Here's an online source of shelf liner, sticky but repositionable, that is not "Contact" brand. They carry some designs that are not the usual. Chic Shelf Paper
It will take a bit of elbow grease but you can make ugly cabinets look much better.
Last edited by Jukesgrrl; 07-14-2015 at 02:39 PM..
Reason: added link
Just use Murphy's Oil Soap in the outside and put shelf liner on the inside.
^^This. I've also used Old English furniture polish...liquid, not the spray. You may need to do it a few times. If that's dry paint, try using a razor to gently scrape it off if detergents won't remove it or maybe a Mr. Clean Magic eraser. Definitely shelf liners on the inside.
You could paint it white and put on some new hardware, if the owner will allow it. It is quite a bit of work, if you do it right (removing the doors, cleaning and degreasing, sanding, priming, painting). But it'll look like a new kitchen. Whether it's worth it or not depends on how long you plan to stay.
Goo Gone makes a remover specifically for removing dried paint. I'm not sure if it will work on something as dry as that appears to be, but it works real nice on the overspray and drips that our painter got on our doors and windows that have dried for several months before we could get started on cleaning up his mess (long story).
Another vote for Old English polish. Get the darker wood option - go the shade darker than what the wood is. Great stuff. You can get it at Home Depot, and most hardware stores.
If you owned it, I'd suggest sanding and painting them. I had cabinets like that in an old condo I bought in Davis, CA. I used a liquid sandpaper product, that goes on like paint, then painted them white. Wow, what a difference.
To do it right, though, sand them with a sander. But, for a quick improvement, the liquid sandpaper worked good enough so I could get the job done in one weekend.
But, if you don't want to deal with painting, or can't get the landlord's permission, just use the Old English polish. You'll be amazed. It has a stain in it, so it covers the scratches.
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