The Cabinets I Kept Avoiding
My house has always been “lived in”. We have dogs. They part of the family. They get on the furniture and sometimes even on the beds.
I’ve never been obsessed with perfection, but I’ve always had standards. Nothing unsafe. Nothing gross. No health hazards.
But my kitchen cabinets?
Those were a different story.
They hadn’t been truly cleaned since we moved in back in 2011. Sure, they got wiped down occasionally. But grease builds up slowly, and over time it turns into something…else.
You stop noticing it until one day, you really notice it.
And then it feels overwhelming.
Before: what years of I’ll deal with it later turns into.
Why Big Cleaning Never Worked for Me
At work, everything is structured and organized. Things are precise, Checked. Verified. Audited.
At home, cleaning always felt like the opposite.
Too big. Too much. Too undefined.
Every time I thought about “deep cleaning the kitchen” it felt like an all day project I didn’t have time or energy for. So I avoided it.
Especially because I don’t live alone. Even if I cleaned everything perfectly, it wouldn’t stay that way.
So, I’d think:
What’s the point?
The Shift: Start Smaller Than Feels Necessary
Then I realized something.
At work, I don’t tackle everything at once. I break things down. I start with what I can finish.
So I tried that at home.
Instead of “clean the kitchen” I told myself:
Just do one cabinet.
That’s it.
Something small enough to actually finish.
What I Used (Simple + Already in My House)
I didn’t go out and buy anything fancy. I used what I already had:
- Dawn dish soap- great for cutting grease.
- White Vinegar- septic safe and natural.
- Warm water
- Scrub brush-for grooves and hardware
- Old Toothbrush-for smaller spaces
- Soft Cloth-for wiping everything down
What I used (I didn’t overthink this part)
I did a little research first because my cabinets are stained wood, not painted. I wanted to avoid damaging the finish.
I learned:
- Vinegar can be too harsh alone.
- But, diluted with dish soap and water, it works well.
- Avoid anything too abrasive.
So I kept it simple.
The Actual Process (Nothing Fancy)
I filled the sink with warm, soapy, vinegar water.
Turned on some music.
And just…started.
- Dipped the scrub brush
- Scrubbed one section.
- Wiped it down.
- Repeated.
That’s it.
No complicated system. No perfect method.
Just one cabinet at a time.
What Happened (More Than I Expected)
I finished one cabinet.
And it looked…better.
Not perfect. Not magazine-worthy.
But noticeably better.
And that small win did something important.
It made me want to keep going.
After: One cabinet down, that was enough to keep going.
The Unexpected Part: It Changed My Focus
The next week at work, I noticed something.
I felt more focused.
Less distracted.
And I started wondering:
Was I more affected by low-level chaos at home than I realized?
I’m not a psychologist, but I felt like something shifted.
I didn’t fix everything.
But I did something.
And that mattered.
What I Learned (This is the Real Point)
This wasn’t really about cabinets.
It was about this:
Doing something is not the same as doing everything.
More importantly, it’s definitely not the same as doing nothing.
That one cabinet didn’t change my whole house.
But it changed my momentum.
And momentum changes everything.
If You’re Overwhelmed, Try This
If you’ve been avoiding a space in your home:
- Don’t plan a full day.
- Don’t’ try to fix everything.
- Don’t wait until you “have time”.
Start smaller than feels necessary.
- One drawer.
- One shelf.
- One cabinet.
Finish it.
Then stop if you want to.
Or don’t.
Tools That Helped Me Stay Consistent
- Dish soap (grease cutting matters more than anything.)
- Vinegar (when diluted properly)
- A good scrub brush
- A cloth you don’t mind getting dirty
I’ll share specific product links as I test what works best, but honestly- starting with what you already have is enough.
Final Thought
There’s a balance between holding yourself accountable and beating yourself up.
I’m still figuring that out.
But I know this:
If it doesn’t get done perfectly, but it gets done…
It’s still progress.
And right now, I’ll take that.