cheapest and easiset way to make kitchen cabinets look like new?

Question

I don't have time, nor the money to replace or raface my kitchen cabinets. What is the best way to make them look good or like new.

Answer 1

You don't say what they are made of, so I can only give you a few options. If they are wood, you can simply use a product called Howard's Restore a Finish. Choose a color similar or darker than your wood and you will amaze yourself. It fills in scratches, discolorations and places where the finish is worn. It leaves the wood looking rejuvenated and restored. You can also just clean them with Scotts Liquid Gold which cleans off the grime and moisturizes the wood. You could add some inexpensive hardware to update the look. Some pretty awesome drawer pulls and handles are available for under $5.00. You could spray paint the drawer faces and cupboard doors to contrast with whatever the body is. If you have a recessed panel in the middle of the cupboard doors, you can paint inexpensive wood medallians or scroll work available at Lowes and Home Depot. Tthey are made of wood and found in the moulding department. These can be painted, faux finished or stained.
I could give you several more ideas if I knew what the cabinets were made of, formica, composite, wood, etc.

Answer 2

changing the hardware is the easiest way to freshen up cabinets that wont risk doing any damage. you can get hardware form anywhere around $0.89 and up at lowes or home depot. you could always do what everyone else is saying use poster board or something of the sort and use a goo gone to clean anything off of them before you leave, but if the landlord is really big on not touching them i wouldn't try it for chance something would go wrong. plus if they come in to the place to do any form of work and see that you glued stuff down, that might not go well.

Answer 3

Cover them with contact paper.

No oder, fast, lots of colors and patterns to choose from.

Wash cabinets thoroughly and buy new handles.

Answer 4

If the cabinet have wood textures, scrub them with sand paper and apply shellac on top of them. I done it to my table but it will get kind of sticky after dry, so I topped it with a glass.

Answer 5

Refacing cabinets isn't too expensive. You keep the actual cabinets and get new doors!

Answer 6

Paint them or find a cool design stencil and put it on the corners of them and add new hardware if your cabinets have them.

Answer 7

Wet them down with a sponge

Answer 8

Paint them with a high gloss paint.

Answer 9

Clean them well, then paint with a semi-gloss paint.

Answer 10

Repaint them and replace the door and drawer pulls.